Understanding the First Coming of Jesus

Introduction

One of the most overlooked topics, or at least one that is taken for granted, when entering a discussion about the second coming of Christ is actually the first coming of Jesus.

While understanding the first coming of Christ might not be the key to clearing up confusion about the second coming, it is certainly a helpful key — and a necessary one!

We will see that the Bible holds a promise of Jesus’ second, future coming, which is associated with the day of judgment, the resurrection of the dead, the eternal and heavenly kingdom which the saints will enter, and the eternal conscious punishment of the wicked in hell.

Purpose of the First & Second Coming

The Hebrew writer defends the high priesthood of Jesus Christ and upholds that as evidence that there has been a new covenant that is now in place and the old covenant has been removed.

Christ offered Himself as the sacrifice for sins and has entered into the true Most Holy Place — heaven itself - Heb 9:24

Jesus died once for sin. The purpose of His first coming was to make atonement for sin - Heb 9:28a

Then the Hebrew writer speaks about Christ appearing a “second time” - Heb 9:28b

The verb the author uses is a form of the word ὁράω which means visible and seen with the eye. The second time Christ comes will be a visible event. It will be for salvation, but it will not be to make atonement for sin (that has already been accomplished in Christ’s first coming).

Nature of Coming

Peter speaks about the apostolic reliability and authenticity of the gospel because the apostles were eyewitnesses of the “power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” - 2 Pt 1:16

The “coming” of Jesus Christ is from the Greek word παρουσία:

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. παρουσία

the state of being present at a place, presence

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. παρουσία

arrival as the first stage in presence, coming, advent

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 15.86 παρέρχομαι; παραγίνομαι; πάρειμι; παρουσία, ας; παρίσταμαι

to come to be present at a particular place—‘to come, to arrive, to come to be present.’

The parousia of Jesus only refers to His personal presence and arrival at a place, either in His first coming or His second coming.

First coming and incarnation - 2 Pt 1:16

Second coming - Matt 24:3, 27, 39; 1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:1, 8-9; James 5:7-8; 2 Pt 3:4, 12; 1 Jn 2:28

The nature of Christ’s parousia is that it is always a personal, visible, coming of the King. This is not a figurative coming of Jesus. The second coming will be like His first coming — it will be seen with the eye.

Restoration of All Things

Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 proves to be helpful in understanding the nature, purpose, and work of Christ.

One of Peter’s main objectives is to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament promises, prophecies, and expectations Acts 3:13, 18, 21, 24-25

Christ’s teaching, death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation fulfilled the OT expectations and have brought forgiveness of sins and times of refreshing - Acts 3:13-15, 18-19

Peter is clear that the days of Christ’s first coming were the days spoken about in the prophets - Acts 3:21

“These days” were the days of restoration - Acts 3:24

Peter calls them the “last days” in Acts 2:17

One of the problems with Premillennialism is that when they read the OT prophets, they overlook the importance of Christ’s first coming and assume these things will not all be accomplished until His second coming.

Or full preterism (AD 70 doctrine) doesn’t place enough emphasis on the cross and first coming of Christ and believe the second coming was in AD 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem. They have to deny that the law of Moses ended at the cross and that forgiveness of sins was accomplished at Christ’s first coming.

Full preterism makes the same hermeneutical mistake that premillennialists do, which is, that the OT prophecies primarily have in view the second coming of Christ.

Which is why we are beginning with understanding the first coming of Jesus! If we do not first understand the purpose of His first coming, we are bound to make the same mistakes.

The restoration of all things, the times of refreshing, have come - Acts 3:19

Jesus came to be rejected by His own people - Acts 3:13-14; cf Isa 53

Jesus came to be anointed as the Davidic king - Acts 3:15, 18; Acts 13:32-34; cf. Ps 2; Isa 55:3

Peter and Paul saw psalms and the prophets through the lens of the resurrection.

This is probably the one point that caused many Jews to stumble. They expected a king to come exactly like David, who would rule in Jerusalem and establish the nation of Israel as a free nation and overthrow any world empire who might be dominating them.

But partly what they missed was that the problem that the kingdom of God’s Messiah would be inclusive of all nations - Isa 2:2-3

He promised that He would build His church and establish His kingdom - Matt 16:18; Col 1:13

Jesus came to be the prophet and teacher like Moses - Acts 3:22

Jesus came to be the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant - Acts 3:25

Jesus came to turn people from wickedness - Acts 3:19, 26

Conclusion

Jesus came the first time to make atonement and to fulfill the law of Moses.

He established His reign as the King over the kingdom of God.

Jesus accomplished what the law and prophets spoke about and brought about the times of refreshing and forgiveness of sins.

But He also promised that He would come again. He will come at a day which the Father has determined - Matt 24:36; Acts 17:30-31

Are you ready for that day?