The Lord is going to return. Fact.

With sudden greatness...

Few expected the Messiah to come when He did; maybe none expected Him to come how He did. You and I know that all of prophecy collectively expected Jesus to come when and exactly how He came. It's one thing to put all that together AFTER it has happened.

But, come Jesus did, and, I'd say, with sudden greatness. Maybe few men were watching, but the host of obedient angels were watching His every move, and the very moment Jesus arrived, the angels were there to greet and worship Him (see Luke 2:13-14).

And, when the Messiah came, everyone expected the fierceness of a conquering army led by an emperor-like soldier-leader. People expected Messiah to conquer Rome -- or the Persians, or Greeks, or Chaldeans, or whoever was up-to-bat as the world power at the time. It's no wonder they missed the Warrior King who smashed the bonds of sin and killed the killer, death.

But, come He did...

The prophets predicted it, warned of it, and described it; Malachi said, "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years." (Malachi 3:1-4 ESV)

However, no one was ready. The Apostle John said, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." (John 1:11 ESV) Failure to receive Him, according to Jesus is the very nature and severity of the chief sin; He even said that when the Holy Spirit would come, revealing this failure to each human heart would be His chief role: "And when [the Spirit] comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;" (John 16:8-9 ESV)

Jesus will return. We have all the instructions and descriptions. We have prophecies about His second coming. We have warnings about how we should look for Him, how we should receive Him and how we should be prepared to face Him.

Are we ready?

Do we believe?

With sudden greatness, again, He is coming.

This time, there will no be time to decide whether we will receive Him, but only the mission for Him to receive His own. Are we ready for this sudden greatness again? Friend, believe on the Lord Jesus, receive Him, that when He returns, He might receive you. Disciple, check the oil, judge yourself, be found serving and watch that eastern sky...