7 Comforting Portraits of Christ Our Savior. We will see…

• Jesus As Our Advocate With The Father (2:1)
• Jesus As Our Propitiation (2:2)
• Jesus As Our Abiding Place (2:6)
• Jesus As Our Anointer (2:20 & 27)
• Jesus As Our Christ and The Son of God (2:22-23)
• Jesus as Our Great Promiser
• Jesus As The Coming One

Review

In our study of 1 John 2, we have looked at six of the seven portraits of Christ our Savior. The first portrait of Jesus Christ is as our advocate with God the Father (2:1). We saw that the word advocate is paraklhton (parakleton) which means one who pleads another’s cause before a judge. Jesus Christ is our advocate. He stands at the right hand of God pleading with Him to forgive our sins.

The second portrait we saw that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins (2:2). The Greek word translated propitiation is ilasmov hilasmos which means to appease, satisfaction or covering; the fulfillment of a demand. Jesus Christ took the punishment for the believer’s sin. God is fully satisfied with what Jesus Christ did on the Cross. It fulfilled God’s demand that sin must be punished.

Then we moved on to the third portrait of Jesus being our abiding place (2:6). The word abide is a translation of the Greek word menein menein, which means to continue permanently or without intermission, to remain in the same state. It is important to abide in Christ because the life’s blood of the Christian life is Christ! If you do not abide in Christ you cannot produce true fruit in your Christian life.

The fourth portrait of Christ we looked at was Christ as our anointer (20 & 27). The Greek word anoint and unction crisma Chrisma which means "something smeared on; an ointment, salve or balm." It is used here and other placed in the New Testament figuratively of being given the Holy Spirit. When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, He immediately anoints that person with the Holy Spirit. That is, Christ sends the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer.

The fifth portrait, Jesus As Our Christ and The Son of God. Jesus indicates the humanity of our Lord, while Christ means ‘Messiah, anointed.’ This indicates His deity. Jesus of Nazareth is the God-man, the Christ, the Mediator, the Messiah, the Son of God and Savior. What a wonderful and comforting portrait for all who believe Savior.

The sixth portrait represents Jesus as our great promiser. What has been promised is Eternal life! God has promised us eternal life and this life is in His Son Jesus Christ.

Focus – The final portrait that we will look at today is…

• Jesus as The Coming One (2:28)

"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 2:28

In this verse, our Lord Jesus Christ is presented as the Coming One, and obviously he is coming for believers. How thankful I am that our LORD came the first time. Galatians 4:4-5 tells us why he originally came -- "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." When Christ came the first time he came to purchase our pardon and bring us into his family. (see 1 Peter 1:18, 19, 23, John 1:12, and Galatians 3:26). Praise the Lord for what He accomplished on the first time he was here. And, when that work was accomplished, Christ returned home to His Father’s house. Let’s turn to Acts 1:9-11 "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Jesus Christ is coming back again, a second time. I think the Apostle John remembers the words our Lord spoke, which are recorded in John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Friends, I know we live in trying times. And I know that it is hard for us to remember that this is just a temporary stop on the continuum of time. You need to remind yourself that this world is just our temporary home. We are strangers and pilgrims, here but for a brief time (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a place for us, and when the time is right, He will come again and take us home to be with Him for all of eternity. I like the way the writer of Hebrews puts our Lord’s first and second coming together. We read in Hebrews 9:27-28 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many [the first time He came]; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

I want to pull up at this passage in Hebrews for a moment and park. First the phrase "he shall appear a second time…" is to be understood of Christ’s visible and personal appearance, which will be a glorious one; he will appear in his own glory, and in his Father’s glory, and in the glory of the holy angels, and in the glory of his power, to the joy of all believers! But, what about the phrase "without sin unto salvation." What does that mean? We know that Christ did no sin (1 Peter 2:22). We know that he knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). In fact, in him was no sin, period (1 John 3:5). I believe what we are talking about here is this. Christ was made sin for us! Therefore, when He comes the second time (remember there are two phases in His second coming; the Rapture phase and the return to earth phase), it will be without sin imputed to Him, without being a sacrifice for sin, and without sin upon His people that are Raptured up, and then come back to earth with him. But, I also want you ponder this thought. Not only will Christ appear "without sin" itself, but also without any thing like it. That is, without any infirmities, which though not sinful are the effects of sin. For example, He does not get weary, neither is their any need to sleep. He shall meet those whom He shall raise and change, and take to himself. This change, when we get our glorified bodies, when the sin nature is completely eliminated, when we become immortal and when we will be eternally in the presence of our Lord is the salvation referred to in Hebrews 9:28. It is the full possession of our promised heavenly inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4). Indeed, Jesus is the coming one, coming for his children.

• How Can You Be Ready For The Lord’s Return?

Before we look again at 1 John 2:28, I must speculate that there are some hearing this message that have never trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior. I turn your attention to John 5:24-25 Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." Your choice is condemnation in Hell or Eternal Life with Christ. What is your choice?

Now, back to my question – how can you be ready for the Lord’s return? Return to 1 John 2:28 "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." The Christian can only be ready for the Lord’s return if they are abiding, that is living in fellowship with the Lord. If you are a believer, and you are living in sin, you will be ashamed at His coming. However, if your sins are confessed and you are in fellowship with the Lord, you will have confidence when you meet the Lord. If there is something between your soul and the Savior Christian, get it right with God today!

Let’s review the 7 Comforting Portraits of Christ Our Savior. We have looked at…

Jesus As Our Advocate With The Father (2:1)

Jesus As Our Propitiation (2:2)

Jesus As Our Abiding Place (2:6)

Jesus As Our Anointer (2:20 & 27)

Jesus As Our Christ and The Son of God (2:22-23)

Jesus as Our Great Promiser (2:25)

Jesus As The Coming One (2:28)