The First and Second Advents by D. James Kennedy

Today’s devotional reading for: THURSDAY, DEC 1, 2016

The First and Second Advents

… That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. —Philippians 2:10-11 Devotion: During the Advent season—Christmas time—we remember the Advent of the Son of God. The term “advent” is taken from the Latin, ad ventre, which mean “to come to.” We remember that over 2,000 years ago, the eternal and uncreated Son of God came to this world, which He had fashioned with His own hands. At Advent, we are reminded that there is another Advent of which the Scriptures speak. He who came once will come again. He who came as a tiny and weak babe in a manger will come as a conquering king with clouds of glory. He who came in humility, seen only by a few shepherds, will one day come in great splendor and majesty and every eye shall see Him. This is a great truth of the Scripture. We live between the first and second comings of Jesus Christ. Note how He impacts history. We count time according to how many years ago He was born, and history is marching toward His return—the climax of all history. At the first coming, we saw His humility. At the second coming, we will see His glory. As we go through the Advent season, which calls to mind His first coming, let us also remember to prepare ourselves for His second coming. Question to ponder: How does His second coming add meaning to Christ’s first coming?