Rev. John Kasper, superintendent of the Central Bay and East Winds Districts, asks us to consider Jesus’ second advent and whether we’re ready.
JOHN KASPER
Superintendent, Central Bay District and East Winds District
My daughter, Faith, sent me the picture above on December 12. Elora, not quite four and the third-born, decided it was important to be as ready as possible so that when Mom and Dad said it was time, she would be ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s for Christmas.
So, Elora got her travel backpack ready, helped her two-year-old sister, Kavanah, get hers ready, and set them beside the front door. Then, when her older siblings came home from school, she convinced Verity, six, and Titus, eight and a half, to pack their travel bags as well. The family was not leaving Rockford, Illinois, for Michigan until December 23. Titus knew this full well, as he had created his own “Advent calendar” in the shape of a Christmas tree, marking off the days not until Christmas but until the day they would leave for our house.
In truth, Grandma and Grandpa Kasper were just as excited about having the whole family home. And our hearts were warmed even more by knowing how excited our grandchildren were to visit.
During Advent, we are reminded to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus. I know there is a lot of excitement in the church with all the special worship services, events, and celebrations. We should make a big deal out of Christmas. After all, Jesus came in the flesh, lived among us, showed us how to live in relation with God and one another, and then offered his perfect life in our place so that we might know and have the opportunity to be fully restored in relation with God as it was always intended.
Often overlooked, or at least not given the same attention, is that Advent is also a call to anticipate Jesus’ glorious return. What is best is yet to come. In the early church, believers expected Jesus to return, even in their lifetime. There was an urgency to be ready, to have their travel backpacks ready so they could meet up with Jesus at a moment’s notice. I am concerned that we lack that same sense of urgency.
The new year is already several weeks in. Christmas and all the excitement, decorations, parties, and special worship services that accompany the holiday are but a memory now. I know that my grandkids’ travel bags have been unpacked and neatly put away for the next trip.
Be honest. Are you pretty much back to business as usual? Has the excitement of Jesus’ coming and the hope it has given over the generations come and gone until next year? Has the anxiety that seems to be increasing at an ever more alarming rate in our world set in and left you feeling hopeless? If so, even if you gave some thought to Jesus’ second coming during Advent, you are likely looking up and saying, “Any time now would be just fine, Jesus.”
But is this what it means to be ready? My grandchildren were so excited about going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house that they packed their travel backpacks eleven days before they knew they would be going, just in case they might leave at any time. How excited are you that Jesus could come at any time? Does anyone know how excited you are? Or maybe they do know, and it’s not very much.
Maybe that’s why Jesus is not yet ready to return. Maybe we’re not ready for Jesus to return. If we were truly ready for Jesus to return, wouldn’t we be so excited that everyone would know? Everyone my grandkids encountered after Thanksgiving Day knew they were going to our house because the grandkids told them. Do the people you encounter know your excitement about Jesus coming? Do they know why? Do they know that Jesus wants to come for them, too?
I mentioned that my wife and I were as excited about our family coming to our house as our grands were about their visit. I believe God is just as excited, likely even more so, because Jesus came the first time, making it possible for us, in this earthly life, to be in a relationship with God in part and then completely in our eternal life. I am certain of God’s excitement because Jesus spoke of the celebration in heaven “over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10, NIV).
Jesus came, and he is coming again. In the meantime, we are to be here, faithful in the in-between, so that those we encounter, those who don’t understand who our bags are packed for, have a chance to encounter the joy, hope, and love of the One who was sent to be God with us, by means of God through us. We need to live our lives in anticipation of Christ’s return in a way that allows others to experience his hope today.
Our grandchildren knew when they were coming. We don’t know when Jesus is coming. Don’t let not knowing negatively impact the excitement. Instead, let us live with even more urgency. I implore you with Jesus’ own words, “So you, too, must keep watch! [Be excitedly ready!] For you do not know the day or hour of my return” (Matthew 25:13, NLT).
The ministry of our district superintendents is made possible thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on January 30, 2026