2 Peter 3:3-18
With the world as crazy as it is these days, there’s a natural inclination among Christians to kick back and ponder the end times and Jesus’ return and the Rapture and the Antichrist and all these dark, frightening things revolving around the end of the world. There are lots of problems that attach to this phenomenon. One is that the world is crawling with false teachers who make outlandish claims about the end times. Although Jesus tells us that even though He doesn’t know the day and time of His return, there are plenty of false teachers out there making bank on crazy predictions about the end of time that get lots of publicity but that so far have been 100% wrong.
Because, well, we’re still here.
I think that the Bible does a great job, especially in the New Testament of preparing us to read the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ with an understanding that makes it a message of hope and joy, not some Hollywood disaster movie. I think that’s probably the reason why the Bible closes with Revelation. But to receive that message in the way it’s meant to be received, we need to read what comes before.
In the second of his New Testament letters, the Apostle Peter blesses us with some insights into the last days that, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, should give you some comfort as it relates to what happens when Jesus comes back.
I want to encourage you all to take a deep dive into these verses, they’re found in 2 Peter 3:3-18. But before you do, think about these key points that come from what Peter shares with us here.
First is beware of scoffers. The world around us these days are loaded with them. These are people who will mock you and insult you over your faith in Jesus. They’ll say things like, “If Jesus is so all about saving His people, what’s He waiting for?” Peter points out that these scoffers deliberately reject Jesus, disregarding His Word, failing to credit Him for creation and writing off His Word as a collection of fairy tales and fables. Peter urges us to keep our distance from scoffers because in the end they will know nothing but destruction.
There are times though when even the most devout Christian will wonder what Jesus is waiting for. Peter reminds us that Jesus is not working on Eastern Standard Time. He’s not checking His Rolex to see if the end is nigh. Jesus says, “I AM”. Not “I WAS” or “I WILL BE”. Jesus is constant and not bound by time as we know it. Peter points out that to the Lord, “A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.” Whenever Jesus returns for us, He’ll be right on time.
Biblical truth tells us that on that day, the earth and all creation will melt under the heat of an unimaginable fire and that will be a time of judgment and it’ll be awful.
But…
Peter points out that for those who are with Jesus there is no fear of fire and judgment because we’re going to be spared all that and instead share in the glory with Jesus of what comes after, “…new heavens and a new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”
And that sounds wonderful, but it still begs the question. With the state of the world being what it is, what is Jesus waiting for? The answer is simple and is a prefect demonstration of Jesus’ love for all of us no matter what.
“Our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.”
Listen, Jesus is not looking to come back driven by fire breathing vengeance. He wants to come back and enjoy eternal paradise with as many of His sheep who want to dwell there with Him. As believers it’s up to you and me to be reaching out to those lost sheep and invite them to share in what we know – That Jesus is better than anything the world has to offer.
Peter closes the chapter with this perfect exhortation. Take it to heart, trust in it, put it to work in your life. Then, any mention of the end times won’t stir up anxiety for you but instead it will remind you of the hopeful expectation you have in Christ Jesus.
You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.