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Reading: Mt.13:24-30 + vv.36-43

God has always existed and there has never been a time when He did not exist. Although it was only in NT times that it was clearly revealed that this God is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit nevertheless this was the case from all eternity. So we may affirm that God the Son has existed from all eternity. This existence was and is glorious. We have confirmation of this in John's Gospel where we read:

Jn.1:1-2 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God."

This Word, who is also known as the Son of God, entered our world in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again in John's Gospel we read:

Jn.1:18 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"

Jesus referred to His pre-incarnate state in His High Priestly prayer recorded in John 17.

Jn.17:5"And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed."

While on earth Jesus glory was not clearly visible – indeed His time on earth may be described as the time of His humiliation. This humiliation is graphically described by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Philippi.

Phil.2:5-8 "Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

How the forces of darkness must have crowed as they thought they had succeeded in snuffing out the Prince of Life. To all intents and purposes it appeared as though Jesus had failed and many looking on today misinterpret the cross and understand it to be a monumental failure or mistake.

But Paul continues to explain that Jesus is humiliated no longer because in reality His death was not a defeat but a resounding success. The resurrection was no attempt to correct an error but a was instead a celebration of the victory won and a public declaration of the Father's approval of the Son's work.

Phil.2:9-11 "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus now then is once again glorified in Heaven! When the disciples came to realise this they were enabled to understand the significance of His teaching which had hitherto eluded them.

And in glory Jesus is far from being inactive:

Ø  Having received all authority in heaven and on earth He sovereignly rules – He must reign until all His enemies are put under His feet (1Cor.15:25)

Ø  There He represents us and intercedes for us (Rom.8:34, Heb.7:25)

Ø  From there He oversees and actively promotes the progress of His church in the world – "I will build my church…" cf.Mt16:18

Ø  Does He there too prepare a place for His disciples? (Jn.14:2-3)

When all this work is done He will then return to the place of His humiliation but not to be humbled again as He will return in great glory and awesome power!

eg. Mk.14:62 "you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

We come this evening to consider some of His teaching that He gave while on earth concerning this return.

We'll confine ourselves to a number of statements in John's Gospel and we'll group them together under three headings:

1.        Certainty

2.        Safety and Comfort

3.        Judgment and Separation

As with all of Jesus' teaching His teaching about His return and in particular His teaching about the Last Day He spoke with confidence and authority. We don't hear any note of hesitation in His affirmations. We aren't subjected to a long list of caveats and possibilities, of ifs and maybes – Jesus knew what He was talking about. If He could teach so clearly about such an amazing thing as His own rising from the dead after having been crucified and it happen just as He said it would then we have every reason to trust Him when He speaks about His return.

Perhaps the verses at the end of John's Gospel where John reports the rumours that spread abroad concerning the disciple that Jesus loved are amongst the clearest to illustrate this certainty. Do you remember the interview Jesus had with Peter? Jesus was concerned to reinstate Peter after the latter's calamitous triple denial. At the end of the interview Peter asks what will become of this other disciple. It was a somewhat improper question to ask and he doesn't receive the type of answer he was looking for!

Jn.21:22-23 "Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”"

In His reply Jesus is basically saying to Peter – it is none of your business. Jesus is not concerned here to teach about His return at all – in fact His reference to His coming appears to be little more than a throw away remark and it is just that that is so telling! You don't make throw away remarks about something that is uncertain otherwise you detract from the point you are trying to make!

He had already spoken to His disciples on several occasions about His return so His aside here didn't cause them any problems - Jesus is sure He is coming again and because He is so can we!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about the really important matters that is why it is such "good news" and why we must pay it serious attention. There are many things that are true in the world but of little significance to us in our lives and it doesn't matter whether we pay them serious attention or not. But the gospel is about the big matters it is the ultimate "Big Issue".

There is an interesting saying in the OT that says the following "a living dog is better than a dead lion." You can find it in Eccl.9:4. What it is saying is that life is of crucial importance – it is better to have life and to be a nobody than to be respectable and dead. Life! How we need life! When we're tired and run-down we sometimes will describe ourselves as being "lifeless" – we don't mean this literally we are alive but we don't have the energy to live properly as we might want to.

Jesus purpose in coming into the world at all is all about life. But not just about mere physical life but about spiritual life. He came into the world in order that we might have life and have it abundantly ie. that we might be put into a right relationship with God and that we might live this relationship to the full. This life is also called eternal life.

Jn.6:54 (Jesus said) "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,"

What Jesus means by this is that to whoever receives Him believingly with faith and trust is given this new quality of relationship with God. Although physical death will likely intervene to interrupt the flow of this life, mere physical death is powerless to thwart Jesus purposes for those who trust Him! he continued His statement with the following words:

Jn.6:54 "and I will raise him up on the last day."

So important is this promise that Jesus repeated it a number of times:

Jn.6:39-40 "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Here Jesus makes it very clear that what He is promising to do for His people is totally in line with what His Father wants. There can then be not the slightest doubt about the future security of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ – they will enjoy life forever with the assurance of resurrection life!

We should note too that this is not a reward for the super saint or for the exemplary disciple! This is what the Lord Jesus promises to do for every single one the Father has given Him. So whether you think of yourself as a strong believer or as a weak failing disciple the promise is the same. Jesus has pledged to raise you up on the last day.

In this same passage Jesus repeats for a third time this same truth:

Jn.6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."

What an encouragement this is! Not uncertain outcome for the Christian but a firm commitment by the Incarnate Son of God to never abandon us but to raise us up on the last day.

A few chapters further on in the Gospel Jesus was involved in a discussion with Martha who was grieving because her brother Lazarus had just died. Martha believed in some kind of generalised resurrection at the end of time and that was good but Jesus wanted to encourage her more and so spoke words that made the whole matter so much more personal. The outcome of that resurrection at the end of time He tied very closely to Himself:

Jn.11:24-26 "Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."

As Jesus pressed these truths upon Martha wanted her to respond – how would you respond to Jesus' question?

Jn.11:26 "Do you believe this?"

But Jesus has yet more words with which to put heart into His disciples and surely for any Christian these next words are phenomenally important:

Jn.14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

The place that Jesus is preparing for His disciples is a place where they will be with Him! Can you imagine that?

As a Christian your most precious times have been when you've had a sense of His closeness blessing you. Time has flown by as you've sat in His presence, listened to His voice in His Word and talked with Him in prayer. Well eternity will not be dull because He will be there and it will be His presence that makes Heaven Heaven for us. I guess even the nicest place to live in would lose its appeal if our best friend were not there – but Jesus plans to return to take us to be with Him because that is what He wants! How terrific for us!

And just in case you think I'm making too much of this little phrase in this Jn.14:3 then let me remind you that Jesus prayed in exactly the same way in Jn.17. Listen to His request in v.24:

Jn.17:24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

Jesus' return is certain and it is certainly good news for the Christian who has made his peace with God by turning from his sin and placing His trust in the Returning One. However we would not be telling the whole truth if we left it at that. Jesus had words to say to those who would not be numbered amongst His followers.

There were incredulous people in Jesus own day just as there are in our own day. There were those back then who, just like so many today, did not want to listen to His wonderful promises and who tried to set them to one side by calling them impossible. Listen to what Jesus had to say to such.

Jn.5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."

 This resurrection that is being talked about, as we've already seen, is linked to the return of Jesus Christ but there is not one outcome that is universally applied to all. The return of Jesus is very good news for the believer but exceedingly bad news for the unbeliever intent on maintaining his unbelief.

Again Jesus spoke and made it crystal clear that condemnation is the lot of those who reject Him and who refuse to receive His words:

Jn.12:48 "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day."

But before we close let me remind you of the good news! Jesus did not come into the world because He wanted to judge it He came with the stated desire of saving it! My friends you may have been rejecting Jesus and His words for many years – so many in fact that you imagine yourself to be beyond saving – but let me tell you that Jesus Christ is a Wonderful Saviour of sinners. Not a single one of those He has saved has led a life worthy of Him, not a single one deserves the blessings and rewards He promises! In fact the only people Jesus does save are those who are sinners and who know themselves to be such.

Will you not give up on your rejection of Him and put your faith and trust in Him? Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved!

Then the Return of the Lord Jesus will be a wonderful comfort and hope for you.

Let us all be ready for His return and eager for Him to come!

Amen.