1 Thessalonians 1:10 - Waiting For His Son From Heaven

Paul says they were waiting “forHis Son from heaven.” The word “wait” does not mean that they were sittingaround doing nothing. Biblical waiting is an attitude of expectation. It meansliving every day with the realization that Jesus Christ could return. Remember,these Thessalonian believers were young Christians. Paul had only been withthem for a short time. Yet one of the truths he had already taught them was thereturn of Jesus Christ. That tells us something about how important thisdoctrine is. In fact, the return of Christ is mentioned in every chapter of 1Thessalonians. At the end of chapter 1, we are waiting for His Son from heaven.At the end of chapter 2, Paul speaks of being in the presence of our Lord JesusChrist “at His coming.” At the end of chapter 3, he speaks of “thecoming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” Chapter 4 containsthat wonderful passage where Paul tells us: “For the Lord Himself shalldescend from heaven with a shout…” And in chapter 5, Paul speaks againabout “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So the return of Jesus isnot a minor subject in this letter. It is woven throughout it. But notice Who we are waitingfor. Paul does not say we are waiting primarily for an event. He says we arewaiting for “His Son from heaven.” We are waiting for a Person. We arewaiting for Jesus. The One Who loved us. The One Who died for us. The One Whorose again. The One Who promised, “I will come again.” Paul then remindsus that God “raised Him from the dead.” Our hope in Christ's return isconnected to the resurrection.Jesus is not in a gravesomewhere. He is alive! The same Jesus Who died on the cross and rose from thegrave ascended into heaven, and one day He is coming again. In Acts chapter 1, as thedisciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven, two angels said: “This sameJesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner asye have seen Him go into heaven.” My friend, Jesus is coming again. Wedon't know the day. We don't know the hour. But we know Who is coming, and thatshould affect the way we live today. If we really believe Jesus could return,it should encourage us to live holy lives. It should cause us to forgivequickly. It should motivate us to share the Gospel. It should remind us not tobecome too attached to the things of this world. And it should give us hopewhen life becomes difficult. Then Paul closes the chapterwith these wonderful words: “Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrathto come.” There is judgment coming upon sin, but for those who have trustedJesus Christ, there is wonderful assurance. Jesus has delivered us. Oursalvation rests not in what we have done for Him, but in what He has done forus. He took our judgment upon Himself on the cross. He paid the price for oursins, and because we have trusted Him, we can face the future not with fear,but with hope.  I love how this entire firstchapter fits together. These believers had a work of faith, labor of love, andpatience of hope in verse 3. They received the Word in verse 6. They becameexamples in verse 7. They sounded out the Word in verse 8. They turned to Godfrom idols to serve the living and true God in verse 9. And now, in verse 10,they were waiting for Jesus to return. What a testimony! And what a pattern forus today. Receiving the Word. Living the Word. Sharing the Word. Serving theLord. And waiting for Jesus. My friend, perhaps today would be a good day toask ourselves: Am I living as though Jesus could come today? Because oneday—perhaps sooner than we think—our waiting will be over. Jesus is comingagain!