If you have been coming to church for a few years you may have noticed something. As we roll into Advent, and we count down the weeks until Christmas Eve and the first coming of Christ, there are always a few scriptures thrown into Advent that deal with the second coming of Christ. It's as if the first coming and second coming of Christ are tied together. I like what I heard someone say recently, that the second coming of Christ is us. When we show love to our neighbor, who may not know much about Jesus, what that neighbor sees in us is Jesus, making a second appearance. The second coming of Christ is literally, us.

In Luke 21:25-36 Jesus tells his people that times are going to be bad when he comes a second time. Sea levels will be rising, fires raging, and families all over the world will be running away from wars and persecution. Well, sounds like today. Do you suppose that Jesus will come a second time into this world as you and I? That depends upon whether you and I will choose to be Christ-like. You see, there are two options; you can be worried and afraid, or you can be watchful and Christ-like. As the saying goes, you can be part of the problem, or you can be part of the solution.

Jesus knows that his disciples are worried. They see the great temple that Jesus predicts will be destroyed. They are caught up in all the bad news. So, what does Jesus do. He tells a parable about a fig tree. He says, “Look at the way the trees of this world keep on doing good and making figs, and apples, and acorns. So, you should be. Watch for me and don’t get caught up in the bad news. For now, you are the second coming of Christ.”