Guest essay by the late D. James Kennedy
“In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”—Matthew 26:64 NIV
Have you ever heard the voice of someone you’ve never met, such as a radio personality, and created a mental image of that person, and then when you saw the person, were you surprised that his or her appearance was completely different from your expectations? I think when it comes to the second coming of Jesus, some people have in their minds a very different picture from that which will actually come to pass. I have this opinion because I think many people anticipate Christ’s second coming to be a carbon copy His first.
But consider this:
The first time He came, He was despised and rejected; the second He will be glorified and admired by all who believe.
He came to hang upon a cross; He will come to sit upon a throne.
He came in dim obscurity; He will come in bright splendor.
He came to be seen by only a few; He will come to be seen by all, for every eye shall see Him; many shall rejoice at His coming, and many will weep because of Him.
He came to be judged for us; He will come as judge over all of us.
Instead of anticipating Christ as the suffering servant He was on earth, we must expect the majestic, triumphant Christ, who will return in power and glory! Because we expect His victorious return, we have a glorious hope. As you walk with Christ each and every day, ask Him to prepare you for that great and magnificent day when you shall finally see Him face to face!
For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are eight on Christ’s second coming.—Paul Lee Tan
This devotional comes from the December 3 page of Dr. Kennedy’s classic New Every Morning.
Dr. D. James Kennedy (Ph.D., A.B., M.Div., M.Th., D.D., D.Sac.Lit., Ph.D., Litt.D., D.Sac.Theol., D.Humane Let.) remains one of the most listened-to Christian ministers in America. His forthright and rational presentation of the Gospel is heard via television, radio, and the Internet throughout America and the world.
Dr. Kennedy served for 47 years as Senior Minister of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A modest mission church of 45 people when Dr. Kennedy arrived in 1959, the rocketing growth of the church made it, for 15 years, the fastest growing Presbyterian church in America.
Now known as D. James Kennedy Ministries, the organization founded by Dr. Kennedy has continued his mission and legacy since his death in 2007.
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