Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Joyful Expectations of Christ's
Coming
Robin Varughese John
Ebenezer MTC,
Dombivili, Mumbai India
16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s
call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the
dead in Christ will rise first.
St. Paul writes the letter to Thessalonica to encourage the Church which he had established in Thessalonica, a prime center for the Macedonian province. It is believed that this letter is written under the authorship of Paul, Timothy and Silvanus. We get the historic background of this letter from the book of the Acts of the Apostles from chapter 15 through chapter 17, which is believed to have been written quite later compared to this Letter. Chapter 4 is divided into two sections. The first part relates to instructions about how to live a life pleasing in God’s sight, the second part which is the above passage gives Eschatological Hope.
We must salute the wives of the soldiers who are posted in conflict areas, say Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir. She doesn't know how long the war will continue? She doesn't know whether her husband will return, whether she will be able to see him or she will ever meet him again. She has no means to communicate with him. The occasional phone calls or text are the only means of hope for her. Yet, every bright morning, she wakes up organizing her life with the hope of being united with her husband soon. Same is our condition. We, the Church, the Bride of Christ, await His second coming not knowing when he will come. But Apostle Paul gives us hope to when he affirms firmly that he will come again with glory soon.
This hope implies two things:
St. Paul writes the letter to Thessalonica to encourage the Church which he had established in Thessalonica, a prime center for the Macedonian province. It is believed that this letter is written under the authorship of Paul, Timothy and Silvanus. We get the historic background of this letter from the book of the Acts of the Apostles from chapter 15 through chapter 17, which is believed to have been written quite later compared to this Letter. Chapter 4 is divided into two sections. The first part relates to instructions about how to live a life pleasing in God’s sight, the second part which is the above passage gives Eschatological Hope.
We must salute the wives of the soldiers who are posted in conflict areas, say Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir. She doesn't know how long the war will continue? She doesn't know whether her husband will return, whether she will be able to see him or she will ever meet him again. She has no means to communicate with him. The occasional phone calls or text are the only means of hope for her. Yet, every bright morning, she wakes up organizing her life with the hope of being united with her husband soon. Same is our condition. We, the Church, the Bride of Christ, await His second coming not knowing when he will come. But Apostle Paul gives us hope to when he affirms firmly that he will come again with glory soon.
This hope implies two things:
- It redefines the way we look at our life:
‘Jesus will coming again’, this
implies that we live our lives as worthy stewards, continuing to do his will
without ceasing. Jesus will come again signifies his presence than his absence.
This insists, the need, to acknowledge his presence in every activity we do.
- It gives us joy and helps us to move in our life:
PRAYER
Loving Father, thank you
for filling our lives with hope for each new day to do what You desire with joy
in our hearts while expecting to be united with You soon.
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
“He will reign over the house Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.” - Luke 1:33
“He will reign over the house Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.” - Luke 1:33