For hundreds and hundreds of years, people waited for the coming of the Savior. God promised our ancestors that he will send his only begotten Son to save the world. Prophets took turns preaching this good news, but the waiting seemed too long, until one day, Jesus was born as a humble baby in the small town of Bethlehem.
So is it also in our waiting for his second coming. Jesus promised his disciples, and all of us for that matter, that at the end of time, he will return to judge the living and the dead. The righteous, he will bring home to heaven in eternal joy; while the unrighteous, he will banish to hell in eternal condemnation. Priests, pastors, ministers, and even lay people preached about this reality down through the generations. Some even predicted specific dates for this great event, but none came to fruition, for only God knows. Again, the waiting continues, and it has been a long time. For many, their passing from this life preceded Jesus’ second coming, and it may be so for many of us, too. Nevertheless, one thing is certain ─ one day, Jesus will come again as he promised.
Patience is the key. Of this, James 5:7-8 tells us, “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
From the gospels, we know that John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ first coming. He warned people to repent from their evil ways, lest they will suffer God’s righteous judgment. The Pharisees and Sadducees, he called a brood of vipers and even asked who warned them of the wrath that is coming (Matt 3:7). In verse 10 of the same book, he said, “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And in verse 12 he also said, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Clearly, John was expecting a vindictive Savior ─ one who will deal with people according to their sins, punish them for their wrongdoings, and exact justice where it is due. But news about Jesus reaching him while in prison seemed to be confusing. He must have heard of Jesus, preaching about love, mercy, and forgiveness. Others may have told him stories of the Lord associating with tax collectors and other public sinners, and of him restoring sinners instead of condemning them. Could this be the Jesus that he expected to come?
And so, we read in the eleventh chapter of Matthew that John sent disciples to Jesus to ask him the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Now, let us look at Jesus’ reply: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me." In other words, Jesus’ message to John was for him to judge based on what Jesus does. Are these the works of an ordinary man or are these the works of God?
John expected a just Savior, but he should have expected him to also be a merciful and loving one. His justice is an expression of his love, and his love is the core of his being. John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 Jn 4:7-8).
Jesus’ character is a reflection of the Father’s own character. Whoever has seen him has seen the Father (Jn 14:9). In the character that he manifested in his coming, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of old. Isaiah was able to capture this succinctly when he said, “Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (Is. 35:4b-6).
What kind of Jesus are we expecting to come to our hearts this Christmas and to this world at the end of time? I expect to see a Lord who fits Isaiah’s description ─ a just and loving God.