And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.
Hebrews 9:27-28

Jesus came the first time to bear our sin and guilt, to be crucified as the atoning sacrifice that takes away the separation between us and God so that we can know Him. This was all done in fulfillment of a long list of prophecies that predicted His birth, life, death and resurrection.

After His resurrection, He promised to come a second time, to fulfill another set of prophecies as the Judge of all the earth. He rules now invisibly in the hearts of His own, but the day is coming when He will be openly recognized as the Lord of all, even by those who don’t believe it now.

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.
Philippians 2:9-11

Just as for centuries Israel waited for His first coming, so now we wait for His second coming, trusting in His Word, because God keeps His promises. The day will come.

Advent: the time of waiting for the coming of the Messiah; the time of joyful anticipation of what we know is coming; the season of hope.

Lord, thank You for the hope, the joyful assurance of what You have promised, that fills my heart today as I wait for it to be fulfilled. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles