Have you had any special events happening in your life lately — maybe a birthday, your parents’ anniversary or a family wedding? We get quite excited about these special events and look forward to them for a long time beforehand.

There is another very special day that we can look forward to. That is the day that Christ returns. For us as Christians, this is the most special day that will ever be. Do you look forward to this day?

Unbelievers don’t even know that this day is coming. They aren’t expecting it at all. That’s why Jesus says it will come as a thief in the night to them. No one expects a thief to come to their house, and so unbelievers aren’t expecting Jesus to return. They are more focused on peace and safety for themselves in this life.

But for us as Christians, as people who believe in Jesus, this day will not come as a surprise. We know that the day of the Lord’s return is coming. We don’t know when it will happen, but we know with certainty that Christ will return. And so, we must be prepared for this day. We must be waiting for this great day.

While we are waiting, we must live as children of the light. This means that we must live for God. We must live in a way that shows we love the Lord and want to serve him.

And then we can look forward to this day. When Christ returns, we will not be frightened and cry out like the unbelievers, but we will rejoice and be happy because we will receive salvation. The One who is coming is our Saviour. The One who is coming is the One who died for us. The One who is coming is the One who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven for us. The One who is coming is the One who is preparing a place for us in heaven.

And so we can look forward to this most special day of Christ’s return.

Reflection with your child:

Why can you look forward to Christ’s return?

Source: Sermon by Rev. H. Alkema