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LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST

Text: 1 John 2:28

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST

All of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus shared a strong sense of anticipation of the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. They held on to this belief with all their heart.

“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears,
we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
1 John 2:28

1. “And now, little children”

a) The phrase “little children”

i) In the absence of a series of addressees this phrase is a general reference to the recipients of John’s letter.

ii) The adjective “little” was added by the translators to express the affection of John.

b) “And now”

i) John was calling attention to the immediate moment.

ii) This was one of the ways where John changes the subject of focus subtly.

2. “That when He appears”

a) The focus was on the Return of the Lord Jesus.

b) “When” may also be translated “whenever”.

i) The focus is not so much on the time of His return.

ii) The focus is on the event of His coming.

c) “When He appears”

i) The word “appears” means “to make manifest”.

ii) When Jesus returns His glory and majesty would be wonderfully manifested.

3. Would we be able to have confidence when Jesus returns?

a) We can have confidence when we “abide in Him”.

b) We would not need to be ashamed at His return then.

4. Great significance in abiding in the Lord

a) We will be fruitful when we abide in Christ.

b) We would not be deceived and drawn away by false teachers.

c) The Spirit of God within us will help us to remain steadfast and faithful to the Lord right up to the time of His return.