Keeping Watch

“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”  Mark 13:33

The Christmas season is a wonderful time to reflect on the Second Coming of Christ. As the advent candles are lit, we can pray as the people did in the days of old—with hope of the Messiah’s coming. The Messiah… just what did that mean to the Jewish people?

The Messiah was going to be the Deliverer of Israel. From the time that Abraham was first promised descendants as numerous as the stars (Gen. 15:5), this race has been targeted for destruction. Why? It’s because the Jews were the carriers of the Christ-seed. If the hoards of hell could take these people out, then the salvation of the world would not come to pass: Jesus would never be born. This is why the nation of Israel has been persecuted for thousands of years. We know the plans of Satan failed (and they will in the End Times, too). Jesus was born, and His mission fulfilled—He conquered death! Yet today, Israel is still the aim of attack in the Middle East. So, it’s no wonder why this nation longs for the promised savior to deliver them from this constant threat!  

What does the Messiah mean to the rest of us, the Gentiles? Salvation comes from a Jew, Jesus Christ. What the Jewish people have not understood, however, is that it was God’s plan all along to save the entire world: Jews and Gentiles. Jesus’ first coming was to establish His spiritual kingdom on Earth to spread the good news that all can be saved. His Second Coming will be the end of the Day of Salvation, and the beginning of His rule on Earth—Israel’s final promise of deliverance. No longer will Jerusalem be the aim of the enemies’ attacks! Peace will finally come, and Jesus will be Lord of lords, and Kings of kings.

Here is how to “Think Divinely” — Stay alert, first and foremost, in cultivating your relationship with Jesus. This is the best way to recognize His coming.

Thanks for reading! May God bless your Christmas celebration and New Year!