The Coming of Christ (Part 1) | New Covenant Truth

Devotional

Day 1: No Stone Left Unturned

The destruction of Jerusalem’s temple in AD 70 wasn’t merely historical—it marked the end of an age. Jesus warned that every stone would be thrown down, a vivid image of divine judgment closing the old covenant. This event fulfilled prophecy, shifting worship from physical locations to the inward reality of Christ’s kingdom. The temple’s fall signaled God’s faithfulness to establish a permanent, unshakable dwelling with His people. Its rubble became the foundation for a new way of encountering God: not in buildings, but in spirit and truth. [16:38]

“Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’”
(Matthew 24:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you placed your confidence—in external religious structures or Christ’s finished work? How does the temple’s destruction challenge you to worship beyond physical rituals?

Day 2: Worship Beyond Mountains and Temples

Jesus told the Samaritan woman that true worship would no longer hinge on geography. The old covenant’s physical symbols—Jerusalem’s temple, Mount Gerizim—were temporary shadows. AD 70’s judgment finalized the shift: worship now flows from Christ’s indwelling Spirit and revealed truth. This isn’t about emotional sincerity but recognizing God’s presence within believers, making every heart a sanctuary. The rubble of sacred sites became the launchpad for a global, spiritual kingdom. [27:16]

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. […] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’”
(John 4:21-24, ESV)

Reflection: Do you still associate God’s presence with specific places or routines? How might your daily actions change if you fully embraced being God’s mobile temple?

Day 3: The Urgency of a Closing Age

The apostles lived with acute awareness of Christ’s imminent coming—not as a physical return, but as covenantal fulfillment. James compared their generation to farmers awaiting harvest, urging patience as judgment neared. This wasn’t about escaping earth but stewarding time wisely amid collapsing systems. Their letters pulsed with urgency: love well, avoid distractions, and hold fast—the old world was passing away. [44:03]

“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”
(James 5:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: What “earthly attachments” distract you from eternal priorities? How would living with James’ urgency reshape your relationships and decisions?

Day 4: Clouds of Judgment, Not Physical Return

Christ’s “coming on clouds” (Matthew 24:30) invoked Old Testament judgment imagery, not literal descent. Just as God “came on clouds” to judge Egypt (Isaiah 19:1), Jesus’ AD 70 judgment on Jerusalem confirmed His reign. This covenantal arrival closed the old order, vindicating believers who endured persecution. The clouds symbolized divine authority, not atmospheric phenomena—a warning against misreading physical expectations into spiritual realities. [01:03:09]

“Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.”
(Isaiah 19:1, ESV)

Reflection: How does redefining “Christ’s return” as covenantal judgment change your view of current crises? Where do you need to trust His unseen reign today?

Day 5: Living After the End

Believers today inhabit the fulfilled kingdom—the “new heaven and earth” inaugurated at the old covenant’s end. Fear of future tribulation misunderstands AD 70’s finality. Hebrews 10:25’s “approaching day” referred to Jerusalem’s fall, not our future. Now, we manifest Christ’s victory by loving boldly, resting in finished work, and rejecting doomsday anxiety. The end came; we’re free to build, plant, and feast in His lasting peace. [01:13:10]

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
(Hebrews 10:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: What fears about the future still trap you? How can you shift from waiting for Christ’s return to expressing His present reign through radical love?

Sermon Summary

Christ’s coming is placed within the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan, not in a future physical event that believers must still wait to see. The kingdom does not come with ocular evidence, because Christ reigns now and believers reign with Him in a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. Jesus locates His coming within the generation standing before Him, saying that some would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

The word parousia means arrival and presence. Christ’s coming, therefore, was not His physical descent back onto the earth, but His covenantal coming in judgment and vindication. Christ came to bring the old covenant to its close and to establish fully the new covenant reality that the apostles had been carefully transitioning the church into.

Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 connect the disciples’ question to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Jesus gives signs: wars, famine, pestilence, false prophets, persecution, and Jerusalem surrounded by armies. History records those very realities in the years before AD 70, when Rome besieged Jerusalem, destroyed the city, and brought down the temple so thoroughly that no stone was left upon another. The gold melted into the cracks of the stones, and looters tore the stones apart to get it.

AD 70 was therefore not merely a historical tragedy. The destruction of the temple marked the end of the old covenant age, with its sacrifices, priesthood, temple system, and Mosaic order. Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman came into fullness: worship would no longer be tied to Jerusalem or a mountain, but would be in Spirit and truth. Christ now makes His home in believers, and worship rises from the reality of His indwelling presence.

Paul, James, Peter, and John all speak with urgency because they lived in the generation Jesus identified. Paul says the form of that world was passing away. James says the Judge was standing at the door. Peter says the end of all things was at hand. John says it was the last hour. The “end of the world” was the end of that age, the old covenant dispensation, not the end of planet earth.

Cloud-coming language is judgment language. Isaiah says God came on a swift cloud against Egypt, yet no physical appearance was seen. Christ’s coming on clouds likewise speaks of judgment and glory, fulfilled when Jerusalem fell and those who pierced Him still lived.

Christ did not delay. Christ came on time. The new covenant kingdom is here, Christ is resident in believers, and fear has no place where God already dwells with His people.

##

Key Takeaways

1. Christ’s coming was covenantal, not physical. Parousia means presence and arrival, but Christ’s arrival did not require ocular evidence. Christ came in judgment and vindication to close the old covenant order. Christ’s reign is therefore a present reality, not a postponed hope. [08:48]
2. AD 70 ended the old age. The destruction of Jerusalem removed the temple, sacrifices, and priesthood that belonged to the old covenant. The fall of the temple was theological fulfillment, not just political disaster. The new covenant kingdom stood fully established in Christ. [26:17]
3. Spirit and truth replaced sacred geography. Jesus removed Jerusalem and the mountain as necessary locations for worship. The Spirit and truth delivered through Christ and His apostles became the believer’s place of worship. Christ now dwells within His people rather than being approached through a temple system. [29:49]
4. Apostolic urgency belonged to their generation. Paul, James, Peter, and John spoke of an end that was near, at hand, and already approaching. Their urgency makes sense within Jesus’ forty-year timeframe. Their words should not be turned into endless fear for generations born after that fulfillment. [43:36]
5. Christ’s presence frees believers from fear. Christ in believers is no longer merely the hope of glory but the reality of His presence. God’s tabernacle is with humanity now. Life can therefore be lived confidently, usefully, lovingly, and in fellowship with Christ in God.

## [68:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - The Kingdom Has Already Come
[05:25] - The Coming of Christ and AD 70
[07:36] - What Parousia Means
[10:40] - Jesus Gives the Timeframe
[16:01] - Signs Before Jerusalem’s Destruction
[22:02] - Jerusalem Surrounded by Armies
[25:24] - Why AD 70 Matters
[27:32] - Worship in Spirit and Truth
[35:01] - Judgment and Apostolic Transition
[37:04] - Paul, James, Peter, and John Say It Is Near
[53:43] - The End of the Age, Not Planet Earth
[58:22] - Coming on Clouds as Judgment
[64:47] - Living in the Fullness of Christ
[76:02] - Christ Came and the Kingdom Is Here

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 24:33-34
“So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” [10:40]

John 4:21, 23-24
“Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” [27:32]

Matthew 16:27-28
“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” [13:29]

Observation questions

In Matthew 24:33–34, what does Jesus say His listeners should recognize when they see “all these things,” and which generation does He identify? [11:04]
In Matthew 16:27–28, who does Jesus say would still be alive to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom? [13:43]
What events does Jesus connect with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, including the warning about Jerusalem being surrounded by armies? [18:36]
In John 4:21, 23–24, what two locations does Jesus say will no longer define worship, and what will define true worship instead? [29:49]

Interpretation questions

How does Jesus’ statement about “this generation” in Matthew 24:34 shape the way the signs in Matthew 24 are understood? [12:03]
Why does the destruction of the temple carry covenant meaning, rather than being viewed only as a political or military disaster? [26:27]
How does Jesus’ teaching about worship in Spirit and truth show the difference between old-covenant worship centered on a place and new-covenant worship centered in Christ? [30:00]
If “coming on the clouds” is biblical language for judgment and vindication, as seen in Isaiah’s language about Egypt, how does that help explain Christ’s coming in relation to Jerusalem’s fall? [59:37]

Application questions

Fear about future disasters, global events, or the “end times” can easily take hold of believers. Where has fear shaped the way you think about God, the future, or everyday life? How does Christ’s present reign speak into that fear? [01:10:13]
Since worship is not tied to a particular city, building, mountain, or special atmosphere, what could it look like for you to live consciously as someone in whom Christ dwells during an ordinary week? [31:01]
Christ’s kingdom is described as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. Which of these is most needed in your current circumstances, and what would a practical expression of it look like this week? [03:20]
If Christ has already fulfilled His promise and His kingdom is present, how might that change the way you speak with others about the gospel—from a message of postponement to a message of finished work? [01:12:28]
The reality of Christ’s presence frees believers to study, work, serve their communities, love others, and remain in fellowship. Is there one useful and loving step you have been delaying because of fear, uncertainty, or a sense that life is only about waiting? [01:06:18]
When difficult circumstances arise, what helps you remember that God is not distant from you but dwells with His people? How can the group help one another live with greater confidence in that reality? [01:08:25]

Sermon Clips

82s

#CovenantFulfillment

“Parosia, which we said is the phrase, the coming of Christ was covenantal, friends. It was covenantal. It was not physical. The coming of Christ was covenantal. It was not physical. And the signs were the pestilences, the famines, the walls, and the bringing down of Jerusalem, and the temple where Jesus said no stone will be left upon another. I've explained to you how things happened, and we'll build on that even next week. So this coming of Christ, the covenantal coming of Christ was fulfilled in the year of our Lord with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple therein. And this marked the end of the old covenant age and the full arrival of the new covenant kingdom. Therefore, we the believers are not waiting for what has already happened. We live in the new kingdom now because Christ came.”

47s

#WorshipInSpirit

“That is what he was meaning. So that now he is seated in them. So now what we learned last week, that he that believes in me, I and my father will come and make our home in them so that now you're worshiping from within. Praise the Lord. So worshiping in spirit and in truth is not necessarily worshiping in sincerity, but it is worshiping from the knowledge of the truth and the spirit that is within you. Meaning, you, the believer, at all times, you worship in spirit and in truth, not in Jerusalem or on the mountain.”

47s

#KingdomNow

“And we saw that in that kingdom, Christ reigns now. He's not reigning later. And we reign with him. We are not waiting to reign at a later time. This kingdom is unshakable. That is the church that Jesus said he will build and the gates of heads shall not prevail against that kind of church. We also asked ourselves that how do we live in this present kingdom? We said that we live in walking by walking in the reality of this kingdom. The reality is righteousness, peace, and joy in the spirit of God.”

Ask a question about this sermon

EWORMI Ministries This sermon · AI assistant

What did Christ’s coming accomplish in seventy AD?

How does the new covenant reshape Christian worship today?

What does the end of the age actually mean?