Jesus Comes as a Healer Before He Comes as a Judge
The Jews of Jesus’ time expected their messiah to come both as a judge and a healer, but Jesus’ ministry focuses almost exclusively on the healing part. Why is that? It’s because even the best of us doesn’t measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. Jesus must come and do a work of healing so that we can withstand his judgement, so God splits the Messianic mission into 2 phases. (We’re presently between phase 1 and 2).
This work of healing is God’s work of sanctification. That’s where God reorients our hopes away from worldly stuff (like money, power, reputation, health, sex, etc). Instead, he teaches us to desire his intimate presence and his reign in our lives. If we do this, we will experience his return as the fulfillment of our greatest hope. If we don’t, we will experience him exposing our greatest hopes as vanities, which will feel like an undoing of ourselves.
So take the opportunity to yield your life to go now, so that when he comes he will be the realization of your deepest hopes.
