The Book of Hebrews answers that often asked question: "What is Jesus doing today?" Much too busy ever to take a vacation, He is doing a work so simple and so obviously necessary, that even a child can grasp it.
Through the Holy Spirit, He does something never accomplished in past ages, much as He may have wanted to do it then. Frustrated all this while, He must find a time when He does it; and that time is NOW.
He is preparing a "remnant" gathered from "every nation, kindred, tongue, and people" to be ready for His second coming. If they had been ready sooner, He would have come sooner, for He says, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself" (John 14:3). The "coming again" is contingent on their "preparing" for the "place" He prepares for them. This must involve the removal of all sin from hearts and lives. But this seems to frighten people, for they fear this means the removal of all fun from life, which they feel would be boring without sin. Or, they think it's impossibile--people can't exist without sin. It's what makes them "human." Vive la status quo.
Or (and this is a serious misunderstanding) they have the idea that getting ready for Jesus' second coming is work, work, work too difficult for anyone to do. It's hopeless anyway, so just give up.
BUT ... the same Jesus who "prepares a place" for His people is the One who prepares them for it. That's His job as High Priest. They stop hindering Him; they LET Him do it. And the motivation is not their own selfish one, it's His love for them. It's the Bridegroom who wants the wedding to come, but the Bride has wanted to delay. But she will repent.
Copyright © 2009 by Robert J. Wieland.
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