So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. — Hebrews 9:28
I remember listening to someone describe their love of a specific musician once. They talked about how they would travel all over the region to listen to this artist when they would be in the area. The reason? Each time they heard this artist the show was unique. When this friend left one show, they were already anticipating the next time they would get to see the musician.
There are a lot of times in life when we have the opportunity to experience something a second time. A lot of those opportunities are met with anticipation. There’s an excitement and a desire to experience it again. We spend our time looking at seeking that moment when the second time comes around.
That is exactly what is being described here in Hebrews. Jesus Christ came to this world once already. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Those of us living today were not here to experience that first time around. We have read about it and perhaps you can share your personal experience with Jesus’ first appearance through salvation.
But we know that He was not finished with the first trip. He told those in that day that He was going to prepare a place and would come again. The first time, He came to this world to address sin and die as the sacrifice for our sin. The second time, He is coming in victory as the Savior.
The world has enough things going on around us to distract us from our anticipation of His return. There are struggles and there are trials, but they will not last forever! Don’t stop anticipating. Stay encouraged and remember, Jesus is coming soon!