Sunday SundaySeptember 21 The Promise After the Last Supper, - TopicsExpress

Sunday SundaySeptember 21 The Promise After the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples that He would go to a place where, at least for now, they could not go (John 13:33). The thought of being separated from the Master filled their hearts with sorrow and fear. Peter asked, Lord, where are You going? . . . Why can I not follow You now? (John 13:36-37, NKJV). Christ knew their desire and assured them that the separation would only be temporary. Read Christ’s promises to us in John 14:1-3. Apply those words to yourself. Why should they mean so much to you? Our Lord’s pledge could not have been more emphatic. In Greek, the promise I will come again is in the present tense, emphasizing certainty. It could literally be translated, I am coming again. Jesus has given us the certitude of His Second Coming. He did not say I may come again, but I will come again. Every time He mentioned His return, He referred to it in certain terms. Sometimes we make promises we later cannot keep, even in spite of our best efforts and determination. That’s not the case with Christ. Many times He proved unmistakably that His word is trustworthy. Referring to His incarnation, the Lord prophetically announced through David: Behold, I come (Ps. 40:7, NKJV). And He did (Heb. 10:5-7). The reality of His first coming sustains the certainty of His second. During His earthly ministry, Jesus promised a despairing father: do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well (Luke 8:50, NKJV). And sure enough, Jairus’s daughter was made well, although she had been dead. Christ announced that three days after His own death He would rise from the grave; and He did. He promised the Holy Spirit to the disciples; and He sent it right on time. If our Lord honored all His promises in the past, even those that, from a human perspective, seemed impossible, we can be certain that He will keep His promise to come again.