John Piper "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" Chapter Thirteen

“For as the lightning

flashes and lights up the sky

from one side to the other,

so will the Son of Man be in his day.

But first he must suffer.”

LUKE 1 7 : 2 4 - 2 5

The Lord Jesus [will be] revealed

from heaven with his mighty angels

in flaming fire.

2 T H E S S A L O N I A N S 1 : 7 – 8

THE APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Excerpts from the Chapter:

“At his first coming, Christ partook of flesh and blood so that “through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death . . . and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15). He will appear a second time to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Hebrews 9:28). The time is coming when faith will be swallowed up by sight. For now, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). But at the last trumpet, when the dead are raised and we are changed in the blink of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), spiritual and physical seeing will coalesce into one overwhelming apprehension of the glory of Christ.”

“But there is a glory to come that we do not now see. Paul calls it “our blessed hope”—“the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). First there was the suffering of the Son of Man and the revelation of its glory only to the eyes of faith (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23). Then, at the end of the age, comes a glory for all to see with the natural eyes. “As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer” (Luke 17:24-25). Glory—this is the way the inspired writers speak of that event again and again. “The Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him” (Matthew 25:31). Not just some of the angels. All of them, “numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11). Heaven will be left without a single angel.”

“And what will the display of all this glory be? It will be “the voice of an archangel, and . . . the trumpet of God. . . . The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 6:14). It will be the fire of judgment. “The Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). All nations will be gathered before him, and every unbeliever “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Kings of the earth and lowly slaves will hide themselves “in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains” and will cry out to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from . . . the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:15-16). “The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). “Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (Revelation 1:7).”

““In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye . . . we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore” (Revelation 21:4).”

“Jesus asked at the Last Supper, “Who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). And so it will be to all eternity. Why? Because the giver gets the glory. Christ will never surrender the glory of his sovereign grace. “Nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything” (Acts 17:25). He created in order to have beneficiaries who magnify his bounty. And he will bring history to an end as the everlasting Giver. From beginning to end his aim is the same: “the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6). Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us love his appearing. “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).”

A P R A Y E R

Forgive us, Father, for our indifference to the coming of your Son.

We have not kept our lamps of expectation burning or bought the oil of eagerness in hope for the Bridegroom to return.

We have bought a field and gone to look at it.

We have bought oxen and spent time ooing and aahing over their height and weight.

We have married a wife and desired her more than the coming of your Son. O Lord, forgive us.

We are sorry for the dishonor that our wandering affections show to you and your servant, Jesus.

But, Lord, we are eager to change. And we come to you for help.

Incline our hearts to Christ.

Open our eyes to the glory of Christ.

Make the appearing of our great God and Savior a “blessed hope” in our hearts—a happy hope, a satisfying hope.

Break our addiction to this world.

Cause us to set our minds on things that are above where Christ is seated at your right hand.

Work in us the command of Peter to “hope fully in the grace of God that is coming at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Free us from the anxieties that come from too much dependence on earthly circumstances.

Form us into a radical band of risk-takers in the cause of love because we know that this mortal flesh will put on immortality and this body of lowliness will be transformed into a body like Christ’s glorious body.

We love you, Father.

We love your Son’s appearing.

Grant us to live out this hope in the freedom of self-sacrifice to the glory of your great grace.

In Jesus’ name,

amen.