1/6/15- Epiphany and Coming

"Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen. (Rev. 1:7)7“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” (22:7)12“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 22:12,13)17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev. 22:17)

20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20)

Thoughts: Today is Epiphany- which celebrates the Manifestation of Jesus Christ.  Traditionally Epiphany celebrates that Christ showed himself- to Simeon and Anna in the Temple, to the magi, and to celebrate the first miracle of Jesus (turning water into wine).  But Epiphany is not just about the past.  There is a sense in which we recognize Christ comes or manifests himself to us all now, and one day He will come at the end of history and everyone will see Him at once.  Just as we celebrate advent by his first coming- looking forward to his second; we also celebrate that Christ manifest himself when he walked on this earth- but the ultimate epiphany is when He comes back.
      "I am coming soon" is a verse found in chapter 1 of Revelation and three times in chapter 22.  Soon is a relative term.  A day is as a thousand years in the face of a creation 13 billion years ago.  The lesson is that the church should always have an eye out for her Lord.  We should always live with an expectation that God is near and that He will come at the perfect time.  He does not give a date but gives hope.  God is more patient that we are but He will come at the proper time when all who will repent will, and all who come to God will come.
      Epiphany is about coming.  God comes to us so that we may know Him.  But He also invites us- to respond to the call of the Spirit and the church (the bride), to come.  He also encourages us who hear and have the opportunity to respond to do so.  He then encourages those who thirst for hope, faith, and love- who see the need to come.  God came to us first- but calls us to come to Him.  At the end we will all see Him and stand before Him.  He will manifest Himself to us all.  

Prayer: Come Lord Jesus.