The Coming of the Lord

Alex Dryburgh

There are many truths that need to be revived among the people of God. One is the coming again of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As we approach the year 2000, prophets are going to arise, and they are not going to be true prophets. We would like to consider the Lord’s coming in a threefold way. His coming as to the past, His coming as to the present, and His coming as to the future.

HIS COMING AS TO THE PAST. Why did the Lord come as to the past? In order that we might be saved. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He came to do the will of His Father. In his coming we see Him dwelling with the Father. He who knew the Father’s bosom as His dwelling place. The Father’s bosom is the place of nearness fellowship intimacy always known by the Son. He also delighted the Father, every word He spoke and every step He took and every deed that He did brought delight to the Father. "Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delighteth." He also declared the Father, "No man bath seen God at anytime. The only begotten Son.. He being in the bosom of the father, He hath declared him. They that have seen me have seen the Father."

HIS COMING AS TO THE PRESENT. In John 14, we have the coming of the Spirit of God. We have the coming of the Son of God, and the coming of the Father. The question is asked, "How wilt thou manifest thyself unto the us and not unto the world?" At the end of John’s gospel we have the answer to that question. I will do it by words as seen in Mary. The Lord said, "Mary," She replied, "Rabboni." Then He makes himself known by wounds, "He shewed them His hands and His feet then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord." And then He does it by works, "When they saw the multitude of fishes, they said it was the Lord." He wants to come to sup with us and we with Him. The first time He came it was to receive us. Now He wants to come to refresh us, to revive us and to restore us.

HIS COMING AS TO THE FUTURE. We would like to consider four things in the light of the Lord’s coming. The person who is coming, the place to where He is coming, the people for whom He is coming, and the pattern marking His people.

THE PERSON WHO IS COMING. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. When we think of Calvary we think of the Lord Jesus himself. "He gave himself a ransom for all." Christ, loved the Church and gave Himself for it and every believer can say with Paul, "The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me." There was none other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gatet of heaven and let us in. He is coming Himself. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." He is coming as Shepherd, "When the Chief Shepherd shall appear." He is coming as Saviour, "We look for the Saviour who shall change our bodies." He is coming as Son, "They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven." He is coming as Sovereign, "Who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and the Lord of lords."

THE PLACE TO WHERE HE IS COMING. The next time the Lord comes He is not coming to the earth, He is coming to the air. "The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up in clouds to meet the Lord in the air." "Just a little longer and the trump of God shall sound. Just a little longer and we will all be glory bound. Look away to heaven your redemption draweth nigh. Just a little longer and we will meet him in the skies."

THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM HE IS COMING. Every blood bought child of God, every sinner saved by sovereign grace will go when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come. We are all going to hear the call. Just as Lazarus responded to the call in John 11, we are going to respond to the call, "Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away." We are all going to know a change. We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. The change is from corruption to incorruption. From that which is mortal to immortality. Those who have died when the Lord comes will be able to say, "O grave where is thy victory." And those living when the Lord comes will be able to say, "O death where is thy sting." Then we are all going to be caught up. The Christian life is a life of ups and downs. But we praise God the last one will be an up. Caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. "Caught up no wings required. Caught up by love inspired." Then we are all going to be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son. We shall be like Him physically, we shall be like Him morally. "And is it so we shall be like thy Son. Is this the prize which thou for us has won?"

THE PATTERN MARKING HIS PEOPLE. Four things ought to mark the people of God in the light of His coming. We have to be occupied until He comes. We have to serve the Lord with joy and gladness. We have to serve him in sincerity and truth with reverence and godly fear. Then we have to follow him until he comes. The Lord said to Peter, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee. Follow thou me." That which we have we have to hold it fast till He comes. And then we have to remember Him in the breaking of the bread and in the drinking of the cup. And we have to do it till He comes.

Surely I come quickly. We look not for the beast to come.
Nor for the great false prophet. We scan not skies for signs of men,
Such studies yield no profit. We wait not tribulation times,
Nor seek we death to take us. We wait for God’s beloved Son
None from this hope can shake us. Our Lord is coming this we know.
Some day or night or noon. And though we have no date to show.
We know He’s coming soon.