Contrasting The 1St And 2Nd Coming Of Christ

Introduction: Scripture Reading- Heb. 9:24-28

1. Many people like to remember the entrance of Jesus into this world, once a year. We should reminder to not only consider his first coming (everyday), but also his second.

2. Let’s carefully consider the following contrasts between the two.

Discussion:

  1. His arrival was known to few but looked forward to by many.
    1. (Luke 2:8-20).
    2. (Luke 3:15). “And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;”
  2. His arrival will be known to all but looked for by few.
    1. (Revelation 1:7). “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
    2. (John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
      1. John 5:28-29 “28. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
      2. I Cor. 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
    3. (Luke 18:8; Matthew 24:37-39).
      1. Luke 18:7-8 “7. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
      2. Matt. 24:37-39 (destruction of Jerusalem, a.d. 70); 1 Thess. 5, 2 Pet. 3:10, Rev. 3 & 16; “a thief in the night” The way Jesus’s power and destruction came on Jerusalem was similar to what his 2nd coming will be like.

Contrast #2

  1. He came as a helpless baby.
    1. (Matthew 1:18-25).
    2. (Luke 2:1-7).
  2. He will come as a triumphant King.
    1. (Matthew 25:31). “When the Son of man shall come in his glory… then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:” 
    2. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

Contrast #3

A. He came to save.

  1. (Matthew 1:21). “for he shall save his people from their sins.” 
  2. (Luke 9:56). “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.”

B. He will come to judge.

  1. (Matthew 25:31-32). He will separate good and evil.
  2. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). “flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God”
  3. (Acts 17:30-31). “30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Contrast #4

  1. He came to set up a kingdom.
    1. (Daniel 2:44). Prophesied
    2. (Matthew 4:17). “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (the kingdom=the church)
    3. (Mark 9:1). “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”
    4. (Matthew 16:18-19). “I will be my church and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (my church=the kingdom of heaven)
  2. He will come to deliver up a kingdom.
    1. (Acts 2:30-31). Christ reigns; (Colossians 1:18). “And he is the head of the body, the church:”
    2. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26). Christ will reign until he delivers up the kingdom, when “death”, the last enemy is destroyed

Contrast #5

  1. When he came, he had to flee from people.
    1. (Matthew 2:13-18).
      1. John 1:10-11 “10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
  2. When he comes, people will want to flee from him.
    1. (Revelation 6:15-17). Destruction of Jerusalem was the same as when Christ comes again.
    2. (Hebrews 2:1-3).

Conclusion:

1. Please don’t make the mistake of only looking backwards at the 1st coming of Jesus into the world.

Author: Patrick King