![]() ![]() ![]() The cross is often thought of as the climax of the redemptive story when, in reality, it sets the stage for the climax of history. It was the result of centuries of prophecy, and it fulfilled many promises God had made. It is perhaps the ultimate revelation to humanity of who God is. To understand the gospel, we have to view the cross correctly. Most of the earth right now is longing for justice, and it is the study of the return of Jesus that reveals God’s passion for justice. For example, the Bible tells us God will release His judgments and bring justice to the nations at the end of the age. God has revealed ahead of time how He will act in the future so we will know what He is like. God is not only revealed in the stories of what He has done He is also revealed by the predictions of what He will do. And the beauty of this person is revealed in a fresh way by studying His story and His commitment to His people. The study of the return of Jesus is not primarily the study of end-time events-it is the study of a person. In those interactions, we learn who God is and what He is like. ![]() The Bible does declare God’s attributes, but most of the Bible does not consist of statements of His attributes instead, it tells the story of His interactions with mankind. Throughout the Bible, God has chosen to reveal Himself primarily by what He does. However, regularly sharing about the first coming without the second coming is not communicating the full significance of the gospel. ![]() Nor does it mean that speaking only of Jesus’ first coming is ineffective. This does not mean that every time the gospel is preached we must talk about the return of Jesus. If we only speak of His first coming without including His second coming, our gospel message is incomplete. The return of Jesus is part of the gospel message. Largely adapted from It Must Be Finished: Making Sense of the Return of Jesus. By Samuel Whitefield 8/16/22 Artists and Authors ![]()
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