… until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time…
Summary: Understanding that Jesus is coming again is a game changer for many of us.
When you read the words in this passage, what do you think of?
For some of you, this is a ‘loaded’ question. Church leaders have argued about what these words mean for centuries. In fact, this topic is one of those that divides many churches, so we are going to approach this carefully and in love (agapē). I want to respect your opinions while at the same time gently challenging your thinking a bit.
Let’s explore some passages about Jesus’ coming:
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)
This is a very interesting statement because it is a direct statement of fact. Jesus is not speaking metaphorically or in parables. Taken at face value, his words mean that the coming of Jesus in his kingdom will be witnessed by people who were alive in Jesus’ day.
Obviously, the first question that inquiring minds want to know is this: Are Jesus and Paul talking about the same thing? In other words, is “coming in his kingdom” the same thing as “appearing”?
In the case of Jesus’ statement about the ‘Son of Man coming in his kingdom,’ a few verses later Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain where they see Jesus’ glory revealed (Matthew 17:1-13).
In Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7), he sees “one like a son of man” coming before God and being given “authority, glory and sovereign power” (Daniel 7:14). The vision says that “his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Do you remember the vision of Stephen as he spoke before the Sanhedrin? He says:
“‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” (Acts 7:56)
Does this qualify as an “appearance of our Lord Jesus”?
Finally, since this is supposed to be a brief meditation, what about the thief on the cross? Recognizing his guilt, he turns to the man on the cross next to him and sees, not another man, but a king. He simply asks to be remembered when Jesus comes into his kingdom. And Jesus’ response?
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
There is much more in the Bible on this topic, but one thing we can be sure of— Jesus Christ is King.
Application: When it comes to the Bible, keep your eyes on God.
Food for Thought: How does this passage help Timothy—and us—keep our focus on our good confession?
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