The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a solid biblical teaching — one of our core fundamental beliefs — that forms a major part of our identity as Seventh-day Adventists.
In Matt. 24, Jesus takes a lot of time to describe the signs which reveal the time of His Second Coming is near, however, He told us the “day and the hour no one knows … but the Father only.”
He reveals what the Second Coming will look like, so that we are not deceived by false teachings. Jesus tells us plainly that there will be a “delay” in His return. There will be “wars and rumors of wars … nation will rise against nation … famines, pestilences, earthquakes … tribulation … persecution … false prophets.” Because of lawlessness, “the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:6–12).
Jesus clearly and honestly reveals that the world will be a dangerous place — a mess — until He returns. This is not good news for us now. But does this mean our only hope lies in waiting for His Second Coming?
The good news for us now is Jesus Christ! His death for our sins, His burial and His resurrection are our only hope.
On the cross, Jesus took our sin, guilt and shame upon Himself. The consequence of carrying our sin was death. His burial buried our sin, shame and guilt forever separating them from us.
We have been set free and there is now “no condemnation” to those who believe in Jesus and walk by His Spirit. Christ burst forth from the tomb conquering death and sin. The grave could not hold Him. Christ’s victory became our victory.
We have been set free from bondage to sin and are now empowered to live an abundant and victorious life in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Christ’s transparency of a delay in His return is refreshing. Even more powerful is the reason for the delay that we find in the writings of Peter.
“Scoffers will come in the last days ... saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ … The Lord is not slack concerning His promise ... but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3,4,9).
The purpose of the delay is for the salvation of as many people as possible! This is our mission.
Matt. 24:14 is often quoted as a sign of the Second Coming, but it also points to our mission: “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come.”
In this world, during the delay of the Second Coming, we are to preach, share and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Jesus is our only hope in this world. God wills that none of us are lost, but that all should receive salvation.
Sharing the gospel is our mission! We find it repeated in Matt. 28, Acts 1 and Rev. 14.
We are first and foremost the children of God. Our life finds purpose when we are accomplishing our mission. We find joy and peace in moving forward our mission for the salvation of those who have not yet experienced the truth about our loving and merciful God.
The holiday season — Thanksgiving through New Year — is an incredible time to show gratitude for the kindness of God by showing kindness to others.
Just as God gave us the ultimate gift of His Son, this is a wonderful time to give gifts to others. The most powerful gift God gave was Himself, and that gift has impacted us more than anything else.
The Father sent the Son to take on our human flesh, become one with us and die for our sins. He poured out the Holy Spirit who willingly lives in those who believe in Christ as the Son of God.
God’s desire is for us to know Him and spend time with Him. We are invited into a transformative relationship where we are changed into the very image of God, one day at a time.
Others need to see God in the flesh — through our grateful lives. They also experience God when we give small gifts, whether through acts of kindness or the gift of time and appreciation. Some of the best gifts you can offer are simply listening, inviting people into your home and sharing your life with them. It doesn’t need to be fancy or lavish. Pour yourself into others, listen to their hearts and appreciate them. These gifts are priceless.
As the Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give you the words to point others to Jesus. When people see Jesus in your everyday acts of caring and kindness, they will be more open to receiving the God you know.
In light of this, consider participating in the Pentecost 2025 evangelism initiative, a movement inviting believers to share their faith through proclamation events. These are powerful opportunities to share the hope and love of Christ in meaningful ways, leading others into the same transformative relationship with God. By allowing God to work through us, we can help bring others closer to Him.
