BSBKJVWEBYLTASVBBEWMBT4TDBY|HymnsMusicDonate
Menu
Home  › Illustrations  › Sermon Illustrations on Second Coming Of Christ

8 Sermon Illustrations on Second Coming Of Christ

8 illustrations

The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope that motivates believers to live in expectant readiness, eagerly awaiting Jesus' physical return to earth (Titus 2:13). Illustrations often depict joyful anticipation and watchful preparation, using images of awaiting guests or longing children to emphasize the believer's hopeful and holy anticipation (Hebrews 9:28).

Welcome Back

Believers wait expectantly and prepare daily for Christ's promised return.

A farmer had an old hound dog that he cherished. One day the dog disappeared, and several weeks passed without his return. In spite of this, the farmer continued to set out fresh food for the dog every day. Finally, in curiosity, one of the farmer's neighbors asked why he continued to set out food for the dog when he obviously was not returning. "He will be back," replied the farmer. "Because he knows I am here waiting for him. And when he gets here I want him to know he is welcome back." Today we wait for Christ's return with great expectancy. We do not know the day nor the hour of His return, but we are confident that He is coming back. As we wait for Christ's return, we prepare ourselves each day to meet Him. The Promise of the Second Coming Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the second coming of Christ. Someone has reported that there are 1,845 references in the Old Testament alone and a total of 17 books that give it prominence. Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to Christ's second coming. That averages one out of every 30 verses. Furthermore, 23 of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. That leaves only four books that do not refer directly to the Second Coming. Interestingly, three of these four books are single-chapter letters which were written to specific persons on a particular subject.

Longing for His Appearance

Christians earnestly desire and prepare for the physical return of Jesus Christ.

At one time the recording engineer of the author's radio broadcasts, a very dear saint of God, was almost completely blind. Whenever I visited him and prayed with him, he always wanted to hold my hand as I prayed. He told me that did something to him. Physical contact meant special inspiration and comfort to him. I thought he would not hold my hand when I prayed with him after the restoration of his eyesight, but he still continued to do so. I think this is a perfect illustration of the earnest desire of Christians for the physical appearance of the Lord Jesus. Be Prepared A servant whose master and mistress were away was uncertain when they would return. A friend visited her and feeling rather tired went in to rest. When she got up she saw that the servant had gone to all kinds of trouble to lay the table for tea as if her master and mistress were coming home that hour. She questioned the servant whether the master and mistress were coming home that day, but her friend answered, "I have not heard, but as the time is uncertain, I always have everything ready each day." What a lesson this is for the Christian-to have everything ready every day and every hour of the day. The Patient Farmer What good will it do the farmer to be angry at the plants because they are later in yielding fruit than he thinks they should be? It won't affect the plants. It is not in his power to ripen fruits at his pleasure. Therefore, as the farmer exercises patience and long-suffering waiting for the earth to yield her fruit, so should we in waiting for the presence of the Lord. Be Ready The Lord wants us to live all the time as if today would be our last. I believe it was John Wesley who was asked at one time, "What would you do if you knew that tonight you would die?" That great preacher of years gone by said, "I would do exactly what I have scheduled to do." Could you say that?

Looking for Jesus

A child's innocent readiness illustrates the eager anticipation for Jesus' return.

A little girl had been listening while her mother's friends were speaking about the imminent return of the Lord. After some time she was missed, so her mother went in search of her. She found her looking out a window at the top of the house. Asked what she was doing she said, "Oh, Mother, I heard you say Jesus might come today, and I wanted to be the first to see Him. See, I washed myself and put on a clean dress."

Await His Coming

The second coming of Christ is a constant hope that sustains believers daily.

As that great preacher of the Word, Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, said, "To me the second coming is the perpetual light on the path which makes the present bearable. I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that maybe before morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned! I never begin my work without thinking that perhaps He may interrupt my work and begin His own. This is now His word to all believing souls, till He comes."

Flying on One Wing

Preachers neglect the vital doctrine of Christ's second coming.

Dr. Andrew Bonar told a story of a plain man in one of the Scottish Presbyterian country churches who had learned the precious doctrine of Christ's promised return for His own. He had spent a Sunday in Edinburgh to play the part of a sermon taster. When he returned to his village, the people asked him how he liked the Edinburgh preachers. His reply was, "They all fly on one wing. They all preach the first coming of Christ, but they do not preach His second coming."

Looking For An Expected Guest

Expecting Christ's return motivates holy living and readiness for His coming.

"When we expect any one, we turn our eyes that way, as the wife looks towards the sea, when she expects her husband's return." Surely, then, if we look for Christ to come we shall keep our eyes heavenward, and our minds occupied with the country from which he cometh. If we mind earthly things, it will be evidence that the coming of the Lord has no power over us. Yet a good wife does not sit idly by the sea watching for a sail, but she sets the house in order for her husband's return. She who should sit looking out of window, or studying almanacks, and have no provision made for the home-coming, would show but scant love for her lord. We should watch, but we should also stand with our loins girt, and do the duty of the hour, that when our Lord comes he may not blame our negligence in his service. If we know little of the prophecies, we can show our expectancy by keeping the precepts.

from Illustrations and Meditations · F.B. Meyer

Advent, The Second

The archangel's trumpet signals Christ's return and final judgment, evoking fear or peace.

Did you ever hear the sound of the trumpets which are blown before the judges as they come into a city to open the assizes? Did you ever reflect how different are the feelings which those trumpets awaken in the minds of different men? The innocent man, who has no cause to be tried, hears them unmoved. They proclaim no terrors to him. He listens and looks on quietly, and is not afraid. But often there is some poor wretch waiting his trial, in a silent cell, to whom those trumpets are a knell of despair. They tell him that the day of trial is at hand. Yet a little time, and he will stand at the bar of justice, and hear witness after witness telling the story of his misdeeds. Yet a little time and all will be over, — the trial, the verdict, the sentence; and there will remain nothing for him but punishment and disgrace. No wonder the prisoner's heart beats when he hears the trumpet's sound! So shall the sound be of the archangel's trump.

— J. C. Ryle

from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations · Elon Foster judgment day

Peace, on Earth

Christ's final triumph will bring an end to war and establish peace on earth.

Happy the day when every war-horse shall be houghed, when every spear shall become a pruning-hook, and every sword shall be made to till the soil which once it stained with blood! This will be the last triumph of Christ. Before death itself shall be dead, death's great jackal, war, must die also; and then shall there be peace on earth, and the angel shall say, "I have gone up and down through the earth, and the earth sitteth still, and is at rest: I heard no tumult of war nor noise of battle."

— Spurgeon

from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations · Elon Foster peace in christ

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate