Christianity has historically taught that Jesus will come back bodily to earth at some unknown point in our future, when he will resurrect the dead and usher all humanity into a final judgement. For all the debate that surrounds eschatology (the doctrine of last things) these three essentials—the second coming, the general resurrection, and the final judgement—have been generally affirmed by all Christian traditions.
But what does this yet-future return mean for us in the present? Why should we care that Jesus will return physically to earth one day? Let me suggest a threefold significance of this future hope.
First, the promise of Christ’s return changes the way we appreciate physicality today and in eternity. Too many Christians fall into an almost Eastern mysticism when it comes to the human body, believing that the body is nothing more than a housing for an eternal soul. This misunderstanding carries something of the ancient Gnostic overtones. What we do with our bodies is less important than what we do with our souls because our body will waste away while our soul will last forever.
In fact, the Bible places a high emphasis on the human body. Humans were created as enfleshed creatures and, even in the resurrected state, we will take on physical bodies. In 2 Corinthians 4:7–5:10, Paul writes of the earthly human body that passes away being replaced by a heavenly body that continues forever. The earthly body is a tent that will give way to a heavenly building. While we are in this body, we groan, not so that we can be released from the body, but so that we can take on a new body. We do not want to be “naked” or “unclothed” (i.e. disembodied) but to live in our resurrection body. Our ultimate hope is to be absent from this body and to be present with the Lord in our future, eternal body. If we understand this text, it will help us to appreciate that the body is more than simply a container for the soul.
Second, the promise of Christ’s return changes the way we relate to our sinful inclinations. In Titus 2:11–14, Paul teaches that the salvation we have been granted in Christ trains us “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” while we wait “for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Since he “gave himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works,” we should pursue purity in this life. At his return, he will finally judge and banish all sin. If we believe that, we should make whatever steps we can right now, by his grace, to overcome sin in our lives.
Third, the promise of Christ’s return teaches us to be steadfast and immovable in our faith. After talking about Christ’s return in 1 Corinthians 15:50–57, Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain” (v. 58). The return of Christ will be a time of vindication for Christ and for his people. Believing in that future vindication should enable us to stand firm for him in the present even when our faith is maligned and ridiculed.
As you anticipate Christmas and its celebration of Christ’s incarnation, allow the thoughts of Christ’s return to earth to shape your appreciation of your fleshliness (in light of your resurrection body), your pursuit of purity (in light of ultimate victory over sin), and your embrace of steadfastness (in light of ultimate vindication of your faith).