….We wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us…. Titus 2:13-14

The Bible says plainly that Jesus will return to earth one day, to put an end to evil and to set up His government. The Jewish people were hoping for that the first time Jesus came to Earth. But the purpose of the first coming was to do away with sin through Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26).

            After Jesus’ resurrection, He spent 40 days with His disciples on Earth before He ascended into Heaven. The Bible book of Acts recorded that “[Jesus’ followers] were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven'” (Acts 1:10-11).

            When Jesus returns, He will bring the fulfillment of His Kingdom on earth (I Corinthians 15). Why is Jesus waiting? 2 Peter explains: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

            Sometimes it can be hard to live between looking forward to Jesus’s return and doing life on Earth. We can wait for and hasten Jesus’ return by encouraging one another to take hold of the repentance Jesus offers now. We are living in what I like to call the Storytelling Gap.  This time is a time to tell the story of Jesus.

Resource reading: 2 Peter 3:1-18