The Son of Man Will Come with Power and Glory

by Tracy Siegler

But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;  the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’  “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.  (Mark 13:24-27).

The world pushes its Christmas on us.  Lists – gifts to give, parties to attend, things to buy, goodies to make, decorations, cards, who is visiting whom, and when, and for how long?  Do all you possibly can to make sure everyone is as happy as possible!  Christmas is coming! 

Christians push the world’s Christmas aside.  During these weeks we remember that God came to this world long ago to live among humans.  Our joy is deeper though, because he will come again!  It won’t be a silent night when he comes the second time.  It will be a horrifying time for those who do not know Jesus, but for his people who are still on earth it will be an awesome sight – Jesus’ great power and glory will be on display for all to see, and he will be gathering his people from all corners of the earth.  This time the angels’ message of peace will only be for those whose hearts, by grace, are already his.

The world’s Christmas looks for the perfect gift – the perfect decorations – the perfect experience of wonder – the perfect act of charity to warm the hearts of others. But we Christians are looking for Jesus.  We are looking for him to come as he promised he would.

·         In what way could your Christmas celebrations be a representation or reminder of Christ’s second coming?

·         How could you talk about Christ’s second coming with those who are focused on “the world’s Christmas”?

Lord Jesus, it is good to remember and celebrate your first coming to earth to live among us.  Thank you for humbling yourself to be born as a lowly human baby so that you could live perfectly in my place and die for my imperfections.  As I commemorate your birth, keep your second coming on my mind as well.  Help me to be always ready to see you in glory.  Come, Lord Jesus!  Amen.

Tracy Siegler, wife of an Air Force pilot and mother of two elementary-aged sons is a member at Christ Alone in Fort Worth, TX and serves on the WELS Women’s Ministry Committee.  

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During December, here on The Electric Gospel we are featuring devotions penned by writer friends of mine for a devotion booklet called, The Coming of Christ: Promise Made, Promise Kept.  Tracy's devotion (above) is included in the booklet.   If you want to access an online version of the whole Advent devotion booklet, you can access that at the Seasonal Devotions page of MLC publications.