EAGERLY WAITING FOR JESUS

We live between the times, the Cross in our rear view mirror as we move forward in time toward our Savior’s second coming, fixed at God’s timing in our future. Saints are, in a word, “waiting” for their Lord’s return to fetch them to their forever home. The writer of Hebrews, after speaking of the greatness of our Lord’s redemptive sacrifice ushering in the “new and better covenant” of the New Testament (Chapter nine), commented  in verse twenty-eight on how we should be waiting through the use of the Greek word  apekdechomai. This compound word means to watch for, to wait for, expect, to be about to receive, and expresses the saint’s lifestyle of patient expectation based on our Blessed Hope. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time…” (NKJV) Stated in the present participle apekdechomai expresses continuous action into the future, a continuously expectant lifestyle. The Amplified Bible captures the full force of the Greek text: Christ will appear a second time to “those who are eagerly, constantly, and patiently waiting for and expecting Him.”

Christ Himself is the content of our expectation, our only hope of eternal salvation. Apekdechomai therefore characters Christian life – our “waiting” – as one of expectation of the greatest climatic event the world will ever witness, an event which gives this life and the whole of creation true meaning. And, do not let the elephant in the room go unnoticed! Christ will appear only (implied) to those who eagerly, constantly, and patiently wait for and expect Him. This truth is borne out by many scriptures and parables. As the Apostle Paul said, the Crown of Righteousness is given to “all who have loved His (Christ’s) appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

EAGERLY… CONSTANTLY… PATIENTLY…

WAITING FOR AND EXPECTING HIM!