Is Jesus late for a very important date?

I came to faith in the early 1970s when the Jesus Movement was in full swing. We believed that Jesus Christ was coming back again, and we talked about it a lot.

But Jesus didn't come back in the 1970s. So, is he late?

Of course not. The Bible clearly addresses this question in Peter's epistle: "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent" (2 Peter 3:9 nlt).

Peter was reminding us that God is right on schedule. He is waiting for the final people he will bring into his Kingdom before the Rapture. And at the appointed hour, Jesus will return.

The Bible is very clear in pointing this out. Christ's return is mentioned no less than 318 times in the New Testament, and statistically, one verse in every 25 in the Bible refers to the return of Jesus Christ in some way.

Jesus himself spoke often of his return. He followed up his challenge to his disciples to take up the cross and follow him by saying, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38 nlt).

He also said, "There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am" (John 14:2–3 NLT).

How, then, should we be living and thinking as we await Christ's return?

We find the answer in Luke's gospel, where Jesus gave this illustration to his disciples: "Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks" (12:35–36 NLT).

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Jesus' listeners would have quickly understood this illustration, because Jesus was describing a classic, first-century Jewish wedding. Unlike our weddings of today with ceremonies that typically last less than an hour, with a reception afterward, these first-century weddings could last days, sometimes even a week. It was a time of celebration and joy that the entire village looked forward to.

There also was an element of fun. The bride would be there with her bridesmaids and the groomsmen, but no one knew when the bridegroom would show up. He might arrive in the middle of the afternoon or in the middle of the night. Then, at last, the announcement went out that the bridegroom was on his way. Those who weren't ready would miss the wedding.

Jesus also used this illustration in his parable of the ten bridesmaids (see Matthew 25:1–13). Five bridesmaids were wise, and five were foolish. Five had oil in their lamps, and five did not. And when the bridegroom arrived, those who were unprepared were left outside and the door was closed. They missed the great wedding feast.

Jesus was saying that he wants his followers to be ready to meet him. In modern terms, he wants us to have our running shoes on and fresh batteries in our flashlights. He wants us to be prepared to move out at a moment's notice. He wants us to be looking for his return.

On one occasion Jesus sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee, but he didn't go with them. Instead, he stayed on a mountain to pray. They couldn't see Jesus, but he could see them. Then a fierce storm came. It was so severe that the disciples began to despair of their lives.

What they didn't know was that Jesus was on the mountain praying for them as they were going through this time of trial. Then, Matthew's gospel tells us, at "about three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water" (14:25 NLT).

They had been out there for hours. They were exhausted. And they'd probably given up all hope.

Maybe you've felt like that at times. You were going through a storm and were wondering where God was.

It reminds me of a story in John's gospel about Lazarus. His sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus that their brother was sick. But Jesus delayed his arrival. And by the time he came to the town of Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, not only had Lazarus died, but he already was in the tomb.

In both instances, Jesus could have showed up much earlier. But in both instances, he waited because he wanted to do a great miracle. In his infinite wisdom, he waited until they came to the end of their rope.

He often will do that in our lives as well. We will try everything and exhaust all our resources. Then we'll say in desperation, "God, help me!" And he does.

It's a reminder that God's delays are not necessarily his denials. Even if he doesn't answer our prayer in the affirmative as quickly as we would like Him to, it doesn't necessarily mean that he won't ever answer that prayer in the affirmative. Rather, it simply means that he has his timing.

As we look at our culture today, as we look at our world, it feels as though we have been straining against the storm for too long. And we wonder when Jesus will return. But know this: he will come at the appointed time. And God is never late.

Revelation, the last book of the Bible, gives us this promise: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen" (1:7 NLT).

Make no mistake about it. Jesus Christ is coming back again.

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