As we begin a new year, it is appropriate to think of milestones and changes — to look to the past and to look to the future.
What will 2008 bring? We cannot know, in any detail, or with any degree of certainty. But we can know, with certainty, that… one day… Jesus Christ will return to this earth.
We also can know that, with every passing day, we are closer to that return. The message of Christ’s imminent return is as urgent as ever. The certainty of his Second Coming is clearly good news for a world in distress: there is not a country on this earth that is not suffering from confusion, hardship and turmoil. Our world needs God’s help now.
Why then the apparent delay in the Second Coming?
When asked privately by his disciples, “Tell us, when will this [the destruction of the Temple] happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Mat 24:3), Jesus gave several examples and predicted specific events that would be perceived and understood as indicating a soon fulfillment of his prophecy. Near-term fulfillment was the authenticating mark of a true prophet (Deut 18:21,22). And Jesus was proved true. Spoken around AD 30, the parts of the Mount Olivet prophecy about the overthrow of Jerusalem were fulfilled in AD 70.
Jesus’ complete prophecy as recorded in Matthew 24-25 also included a number of parables:
- the budding fig tree,
- the unwatchful householder,
- the wise and wicked servants,
- the wise and foolish virgins, and
- the servants entrusted with money.
All were calculated to teach his disciples their need to “watch”, that is, to be ready, to be prepared, and to be occupied in his work, while the Lord was away (Mat 24:42,44; 25:13).
But for how long? No one knew, not even Jesus — at that time (Mat 24:36). The wait for this fulfillment has been going on nearly two thousand years. Did the parables indicate such a long delay?
One parable did speak of a delay. Concerning the ten virgins “who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” (Mat 25:1), the story goes on to say:
“The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep” (Mat 25:5).
Jesus did not state the reason for the delay. However, it did have the effect of allowing slumber to overcome both the wise and the foolish virgins. Assuming that the correct interpretation is that Jesus is the bridegroom or master (cp Luke 5:35; 12:35-38; Rev 19:7), what might be the reason(s) for his delay in returning to the earth?
Consider the story of the death of Lazarus told in John 11. When Jesus had been informed that “the one you love is sick” (v 3), he said: “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it” (v 4). So Jesus was very clear on his purpose and priorities. The next two verses are quite enlightening:
“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days” (vv 5,6).
Having emphasized his love for the whole family — which is repeated from v 3, and which is pointed out again in v 36 (“See how he loved him!”) — the text indicates that Jesus deliberately delayed his coming to them.
Why? “For the glory of God”, as mentioned earlier. And for the instruction of his disciples, as the story unfolds. When Jesus finally said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him up” (v 11), the disciples were glad to hear that recovery was imminent (v 12). Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe” (vv 14,15). So the delay was for the benefit of the twelve.
The delay was also for the benefit of Martha and Mary when Jesus finally arrived. Both in turn, when they went out to meet him, said with evident reproach: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vv 21,32). Yet Martha was quick to add: “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (v 22). The ensuing verses are wonderful to read:
“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world’ ” (vv 23-27).
Jesus knew how Martha and Mary would be tortured by his delay. He also knew that their belief in the resurrection was solid. Yet he held back in order to let their faith grow. He stretched them to the limit. He took the sisters to the tomb. With mourners wailing, bystanders questioning (“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”), and a body starting to smell after four days of death, Martha could hardly believe Jesus’ instruction to take away the tomb’s stone door (vv 34-39). But Jesus reminded her: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (v 40). Simply, but wonderfully, the text then says: “So they took away the stone” (v 41). This was great faith!
That Jesus was always looking for his Father’s wisdom in this situation is evident from his acknowledging prayer:
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (vv 41,42).
Who knows what blessings came to the people in Perea during those two extra days of bewildered uncertainty before Jesus set out for Bethany? We do know of the saving belief that was generated at the graveside in the next few moments, to the glory of God. For when he finished his prayer, Jesus “called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him” (vv 43-45).
To summarize the reasons for Jesus’ delay here, it was for:
- the glory of God,
- the instruction of the twelve apostles,
- the increasing of the faith of Martha and Mary, and
- the convincing of the tomb bystanders.
The last three are clearly benefits for people who thought that Jesus had done wrong in delaying his coming to save Lazarus.
This is exactly the point made in 2 Peter 3. Having written that in “the last days” there would be scoffers saying, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” (vv 3,4), Peter went on to write:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (v 9).
In other words, any delay on Christ’s (or God’s) part is for the purpose of saving men and women. For Peter, there was no doubt that “the day of the Lord will come” (v 10) as promised, along with the dissolution and destruction of the world of sinful men, in order to make way for “a new earth, the home of righteousness” (v 13).
But eventually the Day will come. So Peter exhorted his readers:
“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed [‘hasting unto’: KJV] its coming…” (vv 11,12).
This “hasting unto” is alternately rendered “earnestly desiring” in the RSV. Like the wise virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom, and whose keenness and preparation was represented by their extra oil, we should be eager for — and prepare ourselves and others for — that day.
For them, there was no problem with delay. And for us, there should be no problem either.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One