Return of the King

Return of the King
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. —Mark 13: 26
When Jesus came the first time, it was as a servant. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6: 38). His first coming was full of sorrow, rejection, and pain. His next coming will be far different. He will return in power and glory—the King of kings, here to establish God’s reign over the earth.
The Jews were confused by Jesus, because they focused on only one half of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. They were watching for the coming of a glorious kingdom; a utopia on earth, with no more heartache or sickness. Other verses spoke of the Messiah being despised, rejected, pierced, and beaten. They prophesied that He would come in lowliness, riding on a donkey. But because the Jews couldn’t reconcile the two portraits of the Messiah, they rejected Him when He appeared. They didn’t understand that both descriptions were true, and that they’d find their fulfillment in two separate comings: one to make a sacrifice for man’s sins; one to reign in glory, majesty, and power.
**Jesus sums up this portion of Scripture with a single word: “Watch!”
We should be watching for our Lord’s return. We should be waiting in expectancy, right up to the minute of His return—that should He come today, we would have no business yet undone.
Father, thank You for the glorious hope we have of the soon return of Jesus Christ. We wait for that day with longing and anticipation, wanting to see Your kingdom established in righteousness and peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.