Why do we believe Jesus is coming back?

We believe that Jesus is coming back, firstly because he says so. Towards the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He was beginning to reveal some of his plan. He proceeds to say the following in John 14:1-4.

  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” 

Here, Jesus makes it clear that he’s about to go away, but that He’s going to return for us.

In the book of Acts, Luke records that after Jesus gives instructions to his disciples ot make disciples and then ascends to heaven, two angels appear and say this in Acts 1:9-11

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 

We see from these two passages that belief in Jesus’ return was established early. Jesus himself declared it, and then it was affirmed by angelic beings at his ascension. 

So we have this promise that Jesus is going to return. But when? Well, let’s look at the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:36-49.

“But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Jesus says no one knows the day or time.  He says only the Father knows. This vocabulary is actually uniquely linked to Jesus words in John 14 when Jesus speaks of going away.  Often, we are called the Bride of Christ, and wedding imagery is used to describe the second coming of Jesus. The verse in John 14 also falls under this.

In ancient Jewish wedding practices. When a couple gets engaged, the son goes back to his father’s house and begins to build a room for the two of them. He literally is preparing a place for them. The son isn’t allowed to go get his bride for the wedding until his father says the place is right and the time is right to go get his bride. 

The promise is that in that waiting, some people get impatient. They grow lax in making sure they are doing the right thing.  In 2 Peter, Peter is dealing with a situation where some folks are saying that Jesus isn’t coming back.  They say, “If he’s coming back, why hasn’t he done it yet?” To this, Peter says this in verses 8-10:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 

 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. ^d 

Here we see Jesus’ return described as a thief in the night. Meaning it’s sudden and quick. But we should not grow complacent in waiting. God’s patience is a kind of kindness, to allow time for people to repent.

So what will this look like when He returns? Let’s look at what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4.  For context, some had been concerned that those who believed in Christ would somehow miss out on the blessing of being with Him at the return because they died before he returned. Paul is correcting this, but he also brings some clarity as to what it looks like when Jesus returns. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

This is what is often called “the Rapture.” The rapture is an extra-Biblical word we use to describe this event. Other passages call this event “the blessed hope.” But what do we do in the meantime?

Back to Matthew 24:44, Jesus says, “You also must be ready…” Then in Matthew 25, he gives the parable of the 10 virgins. All 10 were witing or the groom to come and claim his bride. 5 of them had extra oil and prepared themselves for his return, 5 got lazy and did not. So how does this play out? It means we have to be active in serving God. active in caring for our spiritual disciplines and doing what Christ has commanded us to do.