Why Do We Celebrate Christmas? The Return--The Second Advent of Christ

Recap Introduction

Why do we celebrate Christmas? That is the question we have been asking this Advent season. Why did God come to earth in the form of a little baby? Why did the eternal God of the universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth come here? Why did the Lord of the armies of Heaven willing strip Himself of His glory and humble Himself to come in finite and mortal human flesh? Why would the King of all allow Himself to have need? That He would need to be fed, need to have His diaper changed. He would get tired and sleep. He would still get bumps and bruises and need the kiss of His mother.

We began this series looking at the Reason He came, due to the problem we had. The sin problem. The high cost of sin, eternal death, separation from God for eternity. There had to be a Recompense, a payment had to be made by a sinless person, yet all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. God came into the world as the sinless Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. He would die on the cross to pay that bill we couldn’t pay. Yet, He didn’t stay dead. He rose again proving His Deity! The victory was secured! Now we look at the finish part of why we celebrate Christmas, the Return. The second advent of Jesus Christ!

Introduction

People love returns. Books and movies have Return often in their titles. There is Tolkien’s book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy “The Return of the King” CS Lewis’ sequel in the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: the return to Narnia, and of course Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Yet, the Bible references a return of Jesus Christ to the earth. This time He will not return as a little baby, but as the King!

His Return was Promised

Let us start back in Acts 1. It has been 40 days since Jesus rose from the dead (verses 1-3)—“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

Then in 4-8 we have the great commission (read those verses). As you can see many disciples still believed that Jesus was going to kick Rome out and setup an earthly Kingdom, but it was not the time. There was a mission, a commission for them and for us. Yet, they waited and watched…(verse 9) and then (verses 10-11). “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

He was promised to return to the same place, the Mount of Olives. Jesus is coming back! There will be a Second Advent of Christ? The question is: Are you ready for His return?

The two heavenly men told the disciples that Jesus would come in like manner. The Prophet Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would return to the Mount of Olives hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. He writes “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:1-4).

When Jesus was born there was little earthly fanfare. The angels were rejoicing and proclaimed the good news to shepherds who were watching their flock by night. The shepherds would rejoice. Later in Luke 2 we learn of Simeon and Anna that rejoice at the birth of Jesus, but few moved on from the status quo of the day. Work, paying taxes, avoiding the Romans. Life went on. When Jesus showed up as a Rabbi His fame grew, mostly because of the miracles and also with the thought that this guy might kick Rome out.

Yet, His mission on earth (His first advent, His first arrival) was as we have seen the past three weeks to take care of a problem much larger than any political one. He came to seek and to save that what was lost (Luke 19:10). Yet, as the prophets of old predicted His first coming, they also predicted His second coming, as we saw in Zechariah. Jesus Himself would not only predict His death, burial, and resurrection, but His return also.

If He Goes He will Come Back

At the beginning of John 14 we read these words of Jesus: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions (dwelling places); if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Jesus was going, but He also promised He would come back to receive us! He is coming back! Are you ready?

Jesus told His disciples He would be coming back in Matthew 24 when He told them, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” ~Matthew 24:36-44

We do not know when He is coming back. We do not have a date or time. Anyone who thinks they have a date or time of when Jesus is coming back is false. He is coming back soon and He is coming in that DAY!

The Day of the LORD

One phrase used in the Old and New Testament for the return of the Messiah, Jesus (and some thought for His first coming) is the phrase “The Day of the LORD”

Paul would write “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:2

Joel 2:28-32 prophesied about that Day and the Apostle Peter quotes in Acts 2 tells of the great day of the LORD!

And it shall come to pass afterward

That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your old men shall dream dreams,

Your young men shall see visions.

29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:

Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

32 And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the Lord

Shall be saved.

For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,

As the Lord has said,

Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

I ask again as we celebrate Christmas this year, are you ready for His return? Whether He returns in your lifetime or if you die before then, are you ready to meet Him one way or another?

He Keeps His Promises

One verse I often quote/paraphrase is 2 Peter 3:9, but look at the first 8 verses before this verse. “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

His promise is that He will return and He always keeps His promises! Some might doubt that He is coming back, but He is coming back. Noah built the ark and it took a century to build. When Noah told of a global flood they all doubted. One week became one month. One year became a decade. Still no flood. Two decades became 50 years! Yet, the flood came! Just because something doesn’t happen in our timetable does not mean it will not happen. Jesus is coming back, His return is near. Are you ready?

King of kings and Lord of lords

Apart from the passage we read earlier from Zachariah about the Mount of Olives the best description of Jesus’ return is in the book of Revelation. Recorded by the Apostle John.

Revelation 19:11-16 “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Now that is quite the image! Jesus on a white horse coming back to earth. Not a baby in a manager, but as the conquer and King! His name is the Word fo God, echoing back to John 1. The armies of Heaven following! Wow!

Jesus promised He would return, and He will return! Every time I read that passage in Revelation I think of the song by George Frederick Handel, the Hallelujah chorus from his musical composition of the Messiah. The first time heard it was in High School and we sung it for the end of our Christmas concert. It echoes these verses as well as Revelation 11:15 “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever!”

Do you know the King of kings and the Lord or lords? Are you ready for His return? Are you ready for His second advent?

Conclusion

Why do we celebrate Christmas? We celebrate because a Savior was born. We needed a Savior, because we had a problem, a sin problem. One sin would cost us eternal separation from God. The wages/the payment for sin is eternal death and all of us had fallen short of God’s perfect standard. We could not make the payment with an infinite amount of money or millions of years of life, to even pay for one sin and I know for myself I commit more than one sin a day. Only someone who was sinless could pay the bill and pay it for everyone. Jesus Christ was the spotless Lamb of God and He would be our payment. He would be our recompense for our sins. He would die on the cross to pay the bill once for all. Yet, if He had stayed dead there still be no hope. If He was still in a tomb in Jerusalem there would be no hope as we read about last week in 1 Corinthians 15. If there was no resurrection we as Christians would be the most pathetic people, but Jesus is risen from the dead! He is our hope! As we looked at today, He is coming back! Are you ready? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. It is not a decision I can make for you nor can anyone else. My faith cannot save you. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ cannot redeem you. You have to willing come before Jesus Christ, yourself and receive His free gift. Yes, the wages or payment for sin is eternal death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Like any gift you have to receive it. To receive this free gift you have to admit you are a sinner that you know that nothing you can do will save you. You believe that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection paid the bill you could never pay. You confess Him as Lord, your master, your ruler of your life. You might pray a prayer like this to put it into words, the prayer does not save you, Jesus Christ saves you. God sees your heart and knows if you are genuine, the prayer is just a way of putting what you know into words. (Sample Prayer of Salvation). If you have never done that before and today you have accepted Jesus Christ, welcome to the family of God. The best Christmas present you will ever receive. Tell someone here at the church about your decision. For us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior, be sure to tell others about Jesus’ free gift, because He is returning soon. We do not know what the last week or so of 2020 will be bring. We have no idea what 2021 will bring (we certainly did not know what 2020 would bring when we closed out 2019), but Jesus is still the yesterday, today, and forever. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Have a blessed Christmas and remember why we celebrate Christmas.