J.C. Ryle, from his Commentary on Mark, p.210…
“The second coming in Christ will be utterly unlike the first. He came the first time in weakness, a tender infant born of a poor woman in the manger at Bethlehem, unnoticed, unhonored, and scarcely known. He will come the second time in royal dignity, with the armies of heaven around Him, to be known, recognized and feared by all the tribes of the earth. He came the first time to suffer – to bear our sins – to be reckoned a curse – to be despised, rejected, unjustly condemned and slain. He will come the second time to reign – to put down every enemy under His feet – to take the kingdoms of this world for His inheritance – to rule them with righteousness – to judge everybody, and to live forevermore.”
The Future…Prepared?
This Sunday, Lord willing, in the AM service, we will be looking at Mark 13:5-23 and the incredible way that Jesus prepares His followers for the future. There is much here for us. What strikes me, though, is the way we as humans are so consumed with the here and now that we don’t focus on what’s to come. This might be a subtle self-centeredness. It is because I am so confident in my abilities and ability to live life that I forget that life is a vapor and I need to be oriented to the greater future I will live after this life into all of eternity. May God grant us grace to have an eternal perspective through His Word.