Day Four
Joy That Anticipates Christ's Return
Romans 13:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Reading
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Reading
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Devotional
Advent reminds us that Christ's story has two comings—one completed, one anticipated. Our joy looks backward to Bethlehem's manger and forward to His glorious return. This forward-looking hope isn't escapism; it's biblical realism. The same Jesus who entered our brokenness as a baby will return as King to make all things new. This hope energizes our present faithfulness and puts current troubles in eternal perspective. Wars, climate crises, and human suffering remind us that this world desperately needs its King to return. "Maranatha—Come, Lord Jesus" isn't wishful thinking; it's confident expectation. Live with urgency, knowing His return draws nearer each day.
Reflection:
How does the certainty of Christ's return change how you face today's challenges?
Advent reminds us that Christ's story has two comings—one completed, one anticipated. Our joy looks backward to Bethlehem's manger and forward to His glorious return. This forward-looking hope isn't escapism; it's biblical realism. The same Jesus who entered our brokenness as a baby will return as King to make all things new. This hope energizes our present faithfulness and puts current troubles in eternal perspective. Wars, climate crises, and human suffering remind us that this world desperately needs its King to return. "Maranatha—Come, Lord Jesus" isn't wishful thinking; it's confident expectation. Live with urgency, knowing His return draws nearer each day.
Reflection:
How does the certainty of Christ's return change how you face today's challenges?
Posted in Advent 2025: Joy
No Comments