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"The Return of the
King: The Second Advent" |
December 19th, 2004 |
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Luke 19: 11-24
- While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a
parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the
kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
- He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have
himself appointed king and then to return.
- So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put
this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
- “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to
say, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.’
- “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for
the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what
they had gained with it.
- “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten
more.’
- “ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because
you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten
cities.’
- “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’
- “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’
- “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I
have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.
- I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what
you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’
- “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you
wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out
what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?
- Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came
back, I could have collected it with interest?’
- “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him
and give it to the one who has ten minas.’
Matthew 24:1-8, 14, 21-27, 30-33
- Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came
up to him to call his attention to its buildings.
- “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the
truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be
thrown down.”
- As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to
him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and
what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
- Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
- For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and
will deceive many.
- You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are
not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There
will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
- All these are the beginning of birth pains.
- And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
- For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning
of the world until now–and never to be equaled again.
- If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for
the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
- At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’
or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
- For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great
signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible.
- See, I have told you ahead of time.
- “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do
not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe
it.
- For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the
west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a
carcass, there the vultures will gather.
- “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,
and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
- And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will
gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to
the other.
- “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get
tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
- Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near,
right at the door.
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