The King is Coming

The New Testament gives us a vibrant picture of the hope we have in Jesus. He has life (and life abundantly!) for us in the here and now, but he also has extended that promise into eternity.

As we live out our days—the mundane, the ordinary, the highs and lows — why does it seem so hard to remember that we have a King who is returning? Sometimes it can feel like the hope we should be clinging to has been laid to the side, a stunning reality that we forgot to notice. “The King is Coming” is a song that is meant to refresh our memories, to remind us of the hope and promise that lie at the center of our faith. We have a King who currently sits enthroned on praise in heaven, but who has promised that He will physically return to the earth to make His permanent dwelling place amongst His beloved creation.

Jesus’ resurrection is a foretaste of the reality that He intends to extend to every created thing— we will all share in the glory of the Resurrected One. He is not going to make all new things, but make all things new. This drastically impacts our faith in Jesus, because we are not only living our lives for another time and place, but for the here and now.

Our everyday moments should reflect that we believe our King is returning. John the Baptist had a prophetic role to play in “preparing the way” — he laid the groundwork for Jesus to be realized as Messiah and to reveal the mission of the Kingdom of Heaven. We, too, have a prophetic role as the people of God. We are to prepare the way by living our lives as if the earth belongs to our Lord, and that He will return to finish the good work He has begun. How do we do that? We remember that in the midst of a culture where a lot of kings are put on thrones, we serve King Jesus, and He sits on the throne of our lives. We live this truth by how we direct the affections of our heart—we follow our Messiah even when that contradicts the trends of society.

Christ’s return will usher in heaven on earth, a New Eden, where death no longer has a foothold, and we get to live alongside our Creator as was originally intended. We foreshadow this blessed assurance by remembering our Lord and living our lives in a way that says, “Amen, Come Lord Jesus.”

Reflection Questions:

1. As you reflect on your life in Christ, is it marked by confidence, hope, and eager anticipation? Do you find it easy or difficult to remember that Jesus’ reign is not just a conceptual idea but an embodied reality? Read through Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, and Revelation 21:3-5. Just like the Apostle Paul said, “Encourage one another with these words.
2. Listen to “The King is Coming” and reflect on what preparing the way might look like in your own life. Bolster your faith with the truth about who Jesus is and that He is coming back again!