Be it the back of a horse drawn buggy, a car, bus, or fast jet, the age old question, “Are we there yet?” is asked by impatient children. The disciples found themselves in the same boat, “When will these things happen?” (vs 4) We as Christians find ourselves asking the same question as well, “Are we there yet? When will you be back Jesus?” Ironically, when Jesus was asked the question by his disciples, Jesus didn’t know, “Only the Father” (vs 32). That of course was before the ascension. But Jesus did know it would be when we didn’t expect it, like children who have finally fallen asleep in the back of the car, just as they pull up to grandma’s house.
Peter said, “The end of all things is near.” (1 Peter 4:7) John said in the introduction to book of Revelation, “what must soon take place…. the time is near.” (Revelation 1:1,3) He ended the book with, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.'” (Revelation 22:20) Paul spoke as one who believed the second coming would be in his life time, “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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) How could they all be wrong?
They weren’t! It is important for us to understand, as they did, the birth of Christ, his death, resurrection, ascension and second coming are all part of one big event, the redemption of God’s people. Paul when talking to the Corinthians about the resurrection ties the second coming tightly to the first coming. Without the first, the second coming could not have happened. The resurrection of Christ is a guarantee that our resurrection will happen. When we see that it is all one big event, that we are smack dab in the middle of the action, we need to stay alert because the next time we start asking, “Are we there yet?", before the words are out of our mouths, we could be floating in the air to meet our Lord.
_ He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”_ _Amen. Come, Lord Jesus_ _The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen._ -Revelation 22:20-21
