At our Bible study on Thursday evening, we looked at the topic of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, particularly in the Gospels. George Sweeting tells us, ‘ONE IN EVERY 30 NT VERSES REFER TO THE SECOND COMING! – More than a quarter of the Bible is predictive prophecy. Approximately one-third of it has yet to be fulfilled. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of promises about the return of Jesus Christ. Over 1,800 references appear in the Old Testament, and seventeen Old Testament books give prominence to this theme. Of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there are more than 300 references to the Lord’s return – one out of every thirty verses. Twenty-three of the twenty-seven New Testament books refer to this great event. Three of the four other books are single-chapter letters written to individuals concerning a particular subject, and the fourth is Galatians, which does imply Christ’s coming again. For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are eight on Christ’s second coming.’ It’s vital, therefore, that we look at this subject, given its importance in the New Testament writings.

Through Scriptures in Matthew 24 & 25, Luke 21 & John 5:28-29, John 6:138-40 and John 14:13, we see that although we do not know when Jesus will return, we are to live in anticipation and expectation of this return, which will be in glory, surrounded by angels, coming on the clouds. The reference to clouds reminds us of the pillar of cloud (symbolising God’s presence) which guided the Israelites through the wilderness and how the Lord appeared to Moses from the dense clouds (see Ex 16:10, Ex 19:9, 16-17, Ex 24:15-16, Ex 34:5). We are told that the glory of the Lord filled the temple (‘When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.’ 1 Kings 8:10-11) Jesus will come again in triumph and glory.

The Apostles’ Creed tells us that  Jesus ‘will come again to judge the living and the dead.’ (see John 5:29) It seems there are two judgments to come: the first judgment will be based on whether people have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and will determine our eternal future; the second will be for believers and is a judgment of rewards, not punishment (see 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Cor 3:11-15). The fact that Jesus is coming again should motivate us to live holy, pure lives and should fill us with joy in the trials of life, because when He appears, we will be like Him (see 1 John 3:2) The cry of our hearts should be ‘Maranatha!’ – ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’ (Rev 22:20)

Matthew 6:9-15 gives us as disciples a framework for prayer. He gives us more information about forgiveness at the end of the prayer, underlining its importance for us. Matthew takes us beyond our everyday world of bartering and bargaining and reminds us that forgiveness, although freely given, is inextricably bound up with repentance. “Unless we let go of the things that hold us back in our relationship with God – our selfishness, our lack of love, our clinging on to old resentments and past hurts – there will be no room for forgiveness.” (“Sharing The Easter Story”, P 62)

The Lord’s Prayer reminds us of the limitless love of God, but also shows us that we need to place ourselves constantly within the scope of that love.

In John 4, we see the story of how a conversation with Jesus can not only transform the life of an individual, but how that individual can then reach out to a whole community. Telling the story of what Jesus has done for us and inviting others to come and see are all vital parts of living out faith.

The woman in the story was shunned by her society because she did not live according to the rules, and no doubt this was not only personally difficult for her but also left her feeling both shame and resentment. Yet when she realised that Jesus was the Messiah, the one sent by God, she did not keep this news to herself. She did not let resentment prevent her from wanting others to know Jesus too. Often, we hold back from speaking of Jesus to other people out of fear but sometimes also (like Jonah) because we think they don’t deserve the good news or to be forgiven. When we truly realise what Jesus has done for us, though, this becomes a greater motivator to share the good news with everyone. Knowing that we are forgiven sets us free to live a life of forgiveness and to want others to know this forgiveness too.

One of the most remarkable stories of forgiveness in the Bible occurs in Genesis 45:4-8 and Genesis 50:15-21, the story of Joseph forgiving his brothers. The story of Joseph (known to many who never read the Bible from the musical which focuses on his multi-coloured coat!) takes up a large part of the book of Genesis and gives us family rivalry and its consequences as well as showing us how Joseph’s integrity holds up under tremendous temptation and pressure, eventually leading to his political success in saving the world from famine. God’s presence with Joseph throughout all his trials reminds us that a life of faith won’t be trouble-free but will be part of a much bigger plan! It’s Joseph’s conviction that God is working for good in every situation that enables him to forgive his brothers for their part in his misery (selling him into slavery because of their jealousy when he was just a teenager.)

Joseph certainly had to work through anger and resentment before he could come to the place of lived forgiveness. No one should think that forgiveness is easy, but it is possible to forgive when we realise that what others mean for evil, God turns to good. Wherever we are on the journey of forgiveness, if we keep this fact (Gen 50:20) at the forefront of our minds, we will be given the grace to let go of the bitterness and resentment and move forward.

Forgiving other people is difficult. They tend to make the same mistakes over and over again, as Peter expressed in our passage today (Matt 18:21-35). I tend to feel his tone was exasperated as he asked Jesus how many times he needed to forgive someone – seven times?! It seems that he felt he was being more than generous in this!

Jesus talked about unlimited forgiveness, telling a story about two men and their debts. One had a large debt and begged for mercy; the slate was wiped clean, and he was given a fresh start. Yet this same man, when faced with someone who owed him a much smaller amount, would not show mercy. It would have cost him much less to settle the debt, but his attitude was one of unforgiveness, something which ultimately led to punishment.

Forgiven people should forgive people. That’s the nature of God’s kingdom. Paul says, ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ (Eph 4:32) We forgive ultimately because we have been forgiven. Forgiveness is a process, something that will always be required in this life, but because we have received such great forgiveness through Christ, we have the motivation and power to forgive others also.

This week in our Lent readings, we are looking at the theme of ‘forgiving.’ Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian faith: Christians are people who are forgiven by God and who forgive others. Forgiveness doesn’t depend on restitution; it is a choice we make, a process that is ongoing in life, for we will always do wrong and need forgiveness and will always be wronged and need to forgive. Our reading today (Genesis 18:17-33) may seem to have little to do with forgiveness, but in fact, in this passage, we see Abraham and God in conversation about the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. God talks of judgment for sin (necessary if life is not to descend into anarchy); Abraham pleads for forgiveness and mercy.

The intimacy of relationship which this conversation shows is striking. Abraham communicates God’s mercy back to Him, reminding Him of His character! Far from being offended by this, God seems to encourage him to go even further, as Abraham asks for mercy for any righteous people in these places. We may well find it hard to believe in God’s desire to forgive and show mercy, but Abraham shows us that he knew God well by this time. When we show mercy and forgiveness to others, we are reflecting God’s character to a world which desperately needs these things.