2 Peter 3:8-14 [Advent 2]
Pastor Ron Koehler
Grace—Tucson, AZ
December 10, 2023
Christians are Always Ready for the Last Day You are absolutely dreading this family Christmas get-together. You know you should feel happy about it—it’s Christmas! But you know there will be awkward conversations. Your parents sharing their favorite embarrassing anecdotes from your childhood. Your super-weird uncle. The list of things that make you not at all excited about going is long. But someone who knows you well and realizes the importance of you being there tells you that you have to understand some things about the family and go into it with the right attitude. They’re right, of course. I mean you’re right too, Uncle Maynard is super-weird. Nonetheless, the right attitude goes a long way as you prepare for that day to arrive. Uncomfortable family get-togethers are not on the same scale as the fire and destruction and melting away of the entire planet and universe on Judgment Day, I understand, but preparing for the inevitable End with the proper attitude is absolutely mandatory. That’s what our friend, the Apostle Peter says to us. He tells us that the Lord will return—Jesus will return as King of kings on the Last Day. There are some things to know about that day, and some preparation is needed. Peter helps us with that this morning as we learn or are reminded that:
Christians are Always Ready for the Last Day 1. Because we understand what God is like (8-9) 2. Because we know how all this ends (10, 12b) 3. Because we are looking forward to the End (11-12a, 13-14) 1. Because we understand what God is like Have you ever tried to figure out what time is like to God? You know, what it means that he is eternal. Or you think about how Genesis says that God created things one day at a time, but your mind travels some winding paths, influenced by things that nonChristians tell you about evolution, and you think, “Maybe those were each just really long days—like millions of years instead of 24 hours. Maybe this here in 2 Peter really makes that a possibility! For the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” Not to travel too far down your winding, wondering path with you, but you should know that there are at least a couple very simple responses to that idea. When God says that there was evening and morning the first day (and so on), he is literally describing to us 24-hour days. That’s just the beginning of that path. The other simple answer is that Peter is not talking about a day EQUALING a thousand years (which wouldn’t be enough for your wonderings anyway), AND he’s not talking about creation.