Most of the people in the Christmas story were caught off guard. Mary and Joseph didn’t expect to be part of God’s plan. The shepherds weren’t looking for angels. Herod was completely blindsided. Yet God’s perfect timing brought about the birth of Christ exactly as the prophets had declared. This Christmas, as we remember His first coming, we’re reminded that His second coming is imminent—and the most important response is to be ready.
Caught Off Guard—But God Had a Plan
Pastor Josh White opened his message by reflecting on the Christmas program the church had just watched. “If you could go back in time and witness one of the events in the Bible,” he asked, “what would you choose?” Some might pick the flood, the parting of the Red Sea, or watching Elijah call fire down from heaven. But the birth of Christ? That seemed almost chaotic and unplanned.
And yet—that was precisely God’s plan. Every detail unfolded according to Scripture. The Jews had waited centuries for the Messiah, but they didn’t know He would arrive in a manger. The people playing the biblical characters in the program had no idea they were part of the most important story in human history. Mary and Joseph were startled by angelic announcements. The shepherds were terrified by an army of heaven’s messengers. Herod, the Roman authorities, and even the religious leaders were completely caught off guard.
The one exception? The Magi. They were watching and waiting. They studied the prophecies. They recognized the signs. And they came to worship.
Just as God orchestrated the first Advent perfectly, He will orchestrate Christ’s return with absolute precision.
Christ’s Return Will Not Be a Surprise to God
“The birth of Christ is only the first half of the story,” Pastor Josh said. “Jesus is coming again.”
His first coming was quiet. Humble. A baby in a barn, wrapped in swaddling cloths, visited by shepherds and foreigners. There was no royal fanfare, no grand entrance. Most of the world didn’t even notice.
But His second coming will be nothing like that.
Pastor Josh turned to Matthew 24:3, where the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His coming. Notice what they didn’t ask: they didn’t ask how to celebrate His birthday. They didn’t ask for party planning tips. They asked, “When are You coming back?”
In verse 29, Jesus describes what comes next:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
— Matthew 24:29-30
And in Revelation 19:11-16, the Apostle John records what he saw:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems… He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood… And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
— Revelation 19:11-12, 16
That is how Christ will return. Not as a helpless infant, but as the triumphant King of Kings—every eye will see Him, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
What Should We Do? Three Responses
Pastor Josh gave three urgent responses to the truth of Christ’s imminent return.
1. Expect It
From 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, Paul writes:
“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4
The world will be caught off guard. But followers of Christ should not be. We know the signs. We know the promises. We know that history is moving toward a climax. That doesn’t mean we stare at the sky waiting—it means this truth shapes how we live every single day.
2. Live Worthy of His Return
Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11:
“So then, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober… But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and a helmet for the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11
Titus 2:11-14 connects the two advents of Christ and tells us how to live in between:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
— Titus 2:11-14
While we wait, we purify ourselves. We live for Him. We are zealous for good works—not for selfish ambition, not for attention or affirmation, but for the glory of God and the spread of the gospel.
3. Accept Him
Before closing, Pastor Josh gave an urgent evangelistic appeal. He reminded the congregation that the most important decision anyone can make is to place their faith in Jesus Christ. He read Romans 10:9-10:
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
— Romans 10:9-10
He invited anyone who had never put their faith in Christ to do so right then—believing that Jesus died for their sins and rose again, and by God’s grace, receiving the hope of eternal life.
The Final Word: He Is Coming Back
The Book of Revelation ends with repeated declarations that Jesus is coming soon. Three times in Revelation 22, the Lord declares: “I am coming soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon… Surely I am coming soon.”
— Revelation 22:7, 12, 20
And the church responds: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
Christmas reminds us that God kept His promise—the first time. The same God is promising that Christ will return. Will you be ready? Not just to celebrate His birth, but to face His return?
The Christmas story is incomplete without the cross and the empty tomb—and the certain promise that Jesus is coming back to make all things new.
Scripture References
- Matthew 24:29-30 — The sign of the Son of Man coming in glory
- Revelation 19:11-16 — Christ’s triumphant return as King of Kings
- 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 — The Day of the Lord; live as children of the light
- Titus 2:11-14 — Grace trains us to live godly while waiting for Christ’s appearing
- Romans 10:9-10 — How to be saved through faith in Christ
- Revelation 22:1-7, 12, 20 — The hope of Christ’s imminent return