He Is With Us Always, To The End

This week we Christians begin our annual four weeks of preparing to celebrate the first coming or birth of our Lord Jesus. During these four weeks we meditate upon the several other ways by which Jesus comes or will come among us. We rejoice that he has never in fact left us, but rather remains very present to speak to us and guide us in his living Word as well as in in the sacraments of Baptism and his holy Supper. In this way he fulfills his promise to be with us to the very end of this age. And yes, this present age will come to its appointed end. Then he will return in glory with all his holy angels (Matt. 16:27; 24:30; Mark 10:37).

As has often been true, unbelievers view this prophecy as so much nonsense or they get all wrapped up in other esoteric prophecies like the Mayan calendar's prediction of the end on December 21, 2012, less than a month from the day upon which I write these words. In response to Jesus' disciples' private question about what was to be the sign of his return and the end of the age he said,

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." - Mat 24:36 ESV

Mocking those who promote about the Dec. 21 date, our pastor recently quipped in his sermon, "Can you imagine the let down for those folks when it doesn't happen? And wouldn't it be neat if just when they give up in despair, Jesus comes back on Dec. 22!"

So what about all this business of the end of days and signs of Jesus' return? Jesus told us before his own crucifixion that there would be (Matt. 24:3-31; Luke 21:5-38):

• messianic leaders promising to save the world from all its woes 
• wars and rumors of wars
• nations or kingdoms rising up against other nations or kingdoms
• terrors from the heavens
• famines in various places
• earthquakes
• tsunamis and floods
• hurricanes and tornadoes
• plagues and epidemics
• widespread drunkenness from drugs 
• persecution and murder of Christians

Sounds like today's news reports from around the world, doesn't it?

We believers sometimes panic when we hear about these things. Do not. While the list above gives us good reason to be sober about what is happening around us, we have no reason to panic. We always remember Jesus' promise just before his ascension,

"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Mat 28:20 ESV

So we go about the work he has given to us as we await his return. Moms care for their kids. Dads teach their sons to throw a baseball. Engineers design bridges, lawyers plead cases before judges, musicians create music. We join hands to feed the poor, care for the sick and weak, rescue folks from various disasters and whenever we have opportunity we share the good news about Jesus. And all the time we remain awake and in prayer, awaiting his return at any time (Matt. 24:44-47).