Jesus Will Come Back Message Introduction
Currently, we are talking about “Understanding the End Times.” Last Sunday, we discovered that we are living in the last days, according to the Bible. The last days are the time between Jesus’ ascension into heaven and his return to this earth at the second coming. So the last days have been going on for 2000 years, but one day they will end, when Jesus appears. That’s what we’re going to talk about today in a message entitled “Jesus Will Come Back.”
To begin the message today, I want to put Jesus’ return into historical perspective. God wants you have the big picture of history, which is really His Story, it’s all about Jesus. Too many people just understand bits and pieces of the Bible and don’t understand how it all fits together. But in order to understand the second coming of Jesus, we need to understand what has happened in history. And how the second coming will complete God’s plan for history. Last Sunday, I introduced you to the seven major supernatural events of history, the seven C’s of history. We’re going to look at them again today in light of Jesus’ coming again.
- Creation. God created and put Adam and Eve in paradise, the garden of Eden. God created man in order to have a relationship with him in an incredible paradise.
- Corruption. However, there was an enemy who had infiltrated paradise, his name was Satan. Satan enticed the first couple to disobey God and sin. This sin broke Adam and Eve’s relationship with God and they were cast out of the garden. Yet God had not given up on His original plan to have a wonderful relationship with man in a beautiful paradise without sin.
- Catastrophe. The sin of Adam and Eve spread among all their descendants until the earth was filled with corrupt and violent sinners. God brought judgment on all mankind through a catastrophic flood, yet spared Noah, a righteous man and his family. He gave them a fresh start.
- Confusion. However, again, the descendants of Noah went their own prideful way, attempting to build a tower to the stars, the tower of Babel. God brought judgment on their pride and scattered the people to separate nations by confusing their languages.
- Christ. Finally, God sent His only Son, Jesus, the second Adam, to accomplish what the first Adam had failed at.
- Cross. Jesus did not yield to temptation, but died on the cross, so that our sins might be forgiven. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating Satan and setting God’s plan into motion for the last days. During these last days, believers are added to God’s Kingdom, becoming part of His family, but we do not yet see paradise restored. Satan and sin still are very much active.
- Consummation. When Jesus returns again, it will not be as a baby, but as a conquering king. He will bring judgment on all evil, sin and Satan himself. He will separate all unbelievers out of his kingdom and assign them to hell with Satan forever. Believers will receive resurrection bodies and live in a new heavens and earth forever with the Lord. Paradise will be restored and we will enjoy eternal life with God forever.
Our understanding of this coming future impacts how we live life today.
Philippians 3:18-20 (NIV) For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
In this verse we see two types of people, enemies of the cross and citizens of heaven. Everyone on earth is one of these two kinds of people, there are no other kinds. The enemies of the cross, people who have not believed in Jesus have a destiny of destruction in hell forever. Their god is their own pleasure and they boast about the sin they should be ashamed of. All they think about is the things of this earth.
Followers of Jesus are the exact opposite. They understand that first and foremost, they are citizens of heaven, not of any country on this earth. Their minds are set on heavenly things. What are they longing for? They are eagerly awaiting their Savior to return, so that they can be with Him forever in paradise restored, the new heavens and earth. So today, we’re going to look at some of the teaching of Jesus himself, regarding his second coming in John 14.
Don’t be troubled, trust in God
John 14:1, 27 (NIV) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Jesus begins his teaching on his second coming by instructing his disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. Why would the disciple’s hearts be troubled? They would be tempted to be troubled because Jesus had told them that He was going to die. They would be tempted to be troubled because the events that Jesus prophesied for the last days were fearful. Yet Jesus told them to not let their hearts be troubled. Who seeks to trouble hearts? It is our enemy, Satan, who goes around troubling hearts with worry and fear. How did Jesus say to protect your heart? By trusting in God, trusting in Jesus.
At the end of this entire passage in John 14, Jesus gives his followers His peace. As they trust in God, they will receive His peace which will drive out all trouble or fear. Why is Jesus’ going to leave them?
Jesus is preparing heaven for you
John 14:2 (NIV) In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
When Jesus ascends into heaven, He has work to do. Last Sunday, we talked about His work in pouring out the baptism in the Holy Spirit on those seeking it. In this verse, Jesus is talking about heaven as my Father’s house. The Father’s house has many rooms, it is a huge place. Each believer has a dwelling place in heaven, in the Father’s house. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He is preparing eternal rooms or dwelling places for us in the new heavens and new earth.
The new heavens and new earth, in which Jesus is preparing a place of us is paradise restored. A place where there is no more death, no more pain or sorrow. A place of endless joy and worship and relationship with God. How do we get to this heavenly paradise?
Jesus will come again to take you
John 14:3 (NIV) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Here is the big answer why Jesus is coming back. Jesus is coming back to take all believers with Him, so that we can spend eternity with Jesus. He will take both those who are alive at His return and those who have died as believers in the past. We’ll talk more about this in another message. The big picture is that Jesus is coming back for you and me. He wants us to be together with Him forever. Isn’t that wonderful?
In the last days, many evil and diabolical things will happen, they will increase in intensity. But as believers, we put our trust in God and we refuse to let our hearts be troubled. Why can we trust God and have hearts at peace? Because we know the end of the story. No matter how bad things get, Jesus will return to set everything straight.
The wicked will be judged and the righteous, every believer, including you and me, will be taken to be with Jesus forever. He’s built dwelling places for us to spend eternity with Him in the new heavens and earth, paradise restored. Knowing the wonderful end, gives us peace and strength to persevere in following Jesus.
Get ready for Jesus’ coming
John 14:4-5 (NIV) You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Thomas really didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about. Many people today don’t understand what Jesus is talking about here. In order to get ready for Jesus’ coming, you’ve got to understand how to get to heaven. How to have a relationship with God that will last forever. For if you’re not ready when Jesus comes, if you’re not ready when it’s your time to die, then you’ll miss heaven, you’ll miss a relationship with God forever and end up in the place no one wants to go to, hell. When you understand the way to heaven, then you must …
Tell others that Jesus is the only way
John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus definitively answers Thomas’ question about the way to go to heaven, the way to have a relationship with God. The way to heaven is not something you do, it’s not something you learn, it’s a person that you must know. The way to heaven is by knowing Jesus Christ personally, the very son of God. Jesus said here, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus is the only to come to the Father and have eternal life in heaven. There is no other way. When you know the way to heaven, you must tell everyone you know about the way to heaven. It’s the most important thing in life. Since Jesus is the only way to God, then we must …
Help people to know Jesus
John 14:7 (NIV) If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
When you know Jesus, then you know the Father as well. Why? Because Jesus and the Father are one, they are both God. How do we get to know Jesus, now that He has ascended to heaven. We get to know Jesus from the Word of God, by reading and seeking God to understand the Bible. Secondly, we get to know Jesus through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, whom God has sent to help us know Jesus. Getting ready for Jesus’ coming involves building a relationship with Jesus Christ and telling others about Him.
One of the most important marks of a wise person, of a mature believer in Jesus is what they think about and how they prioritize their lives. A foolish person just lives for the moment and just wants to have fun. The fool ends up in destruction. A wise believer thinks about heaven and eternity. A wise believer thinks about Jesus’ coming every day and makes sure that he is ready. A wise believer is not afraid to tell others that Jesus is the only way to heaven and an eternal relationship with God. A wise believer prioritizes their life in light of eternity and the second coming of Jesus. Jesus is coming back, could be today, are you ready? Are your friends ready?
Believe and follow Jesus as God
John 14:11 (NIV) Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
The truth of God’s Word is being attacked at every turn by the enemies of the cross. Jesus here instructs us to believe that He and the Father are one, that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. Both Jesus’ words and His miracles attest to His divinity. No other religion teaches that Jesus is God. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, Mormonism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses religions teach that Jesus was simply a good man, a prophet, but not God. If Jesus was not God, there is no salvation, then He cannot be the way to God. But Jesus was and is God. So we must believe and follow Him as God.
Do what Jesus did
John 14:12 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
If you believe in Jesus, if you are a follower of Jesus, then you will do what He did. What did He do? Jesus spoke God’s truth, He healed the sick and He set people free from Satan’s demons. When Jesus went to the Father, what did He do? He poured out the baptism in the Holy Spirit to every believer who asked for it. That baptism gives you the power of the Spirit to be Jesus’ witness and do what Jesus did. What are the greater things? This is speaking of greater in quantity, as Jesus’ ministry in the last days is now multiplied out through millions of believers across the face of the planet. In order to do what Jesus did in the time remaining before He comes back, we must …
Pray in Jesus’ name
John 14:13-14 (NIV) And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
So, how are we going to do what Jesus’ did? Through believing prayer. Jesus, here promises that He will do what we ask in His name. To ask in Jesus’ name does not just mean to tag the phrase “In Jesus’ name” at the end of the prayer. To ask in Jesus’ name is to ask for Jesus, to ask for whatever Jesus Himself would ask. When we truly ask in Jesus’ name, Jesus promises to answer those prayers. The end result of those answers to prayer is that Jesus brings glory to His Father. That’s what it means to believe and follow Jesus as God in these last days.
We really can’t complete this section on following Jesus in the last days without reminding ourselves of what Jesus said in …
John 14:26 (NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
It is the Holy Spirit that lives in us who teaches us what to do to follow Jesus.
So, let’s think about the big picture again. Jesus came to this earth, spent 3 years in ministry, before dying on the cross, being resurrected and ascending back to heaven. Jesus completed His work on this earth and then the period of the last days commenced. In the last days, the church of Jesus Christ, consists of all true believers, carries on the exact same ministry that Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit. The church teaches God’s Word, brings healing to the sick and freedom to those under Satan’s power, with the ultimate goal of seeing people saved and brought into God’s kingdom. Jesus participates in this last days’ ministry by living in every believer by His Spirit and empowering them to do His work in the world.
When will the last days end? They will end when Jesus comes back. But what determines when Jesus comes back? When God’s family of believers is complete, when the last person that God has destined to be part of His kingdom believes in Jesus. At that point, Jesus returns, the age of grace is over, judgment begins and believers are taken to be with God forever.
Jesus is coming back, it is certain, it will happen and history as we know it will end. Don’t be troubled, trust in God. Jesus is preparing a dwelling place for you in heaven. Jesus is coming back to take His church to be with Him forever.
In these last days until Jesus’ comes again, we must be alert and ready. Tell everyone you know that Jesus is the only way and help them know Jesus. In these last days, God desires every believer to do what Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray in Jesus’ name and expect God to do whatever you ask. Believe God to help you be a part of winning souls to live in the dwelling places in heaven that Jesus is preparing.
One day, paradise will be restored and God will again dwell with us face to face. We eagerly await the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus.
Message Audio, Outline & Study Guide
Understanding the End Times Message Series
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