In a manner of speaking, followers of Jesus are like the Memphis Belle. We make our way through perilous times as we live in a sinful and fallen world. We age, get sick, break bones, endure disappointment, suffer crushing defeats, and sometimes are persecuted for our faith. Christ doesn’t offer us an easy path to everlasting life, but in his work of salvation, he promises to bring us home one day and then fully restore us – body, soul, and spirit.

There’s less in Scripture about the resurrection of the wicked than there is about the glorification of the just. Nevertheless, the Bible gives us enough information to know that those who reject Christ are physically resurrected one day and separated forever from God.

No matter how people consider death, we can’t escape the truth that one day we breathe our last. But what then? Everyone who’s thought seriously about this question has an answer – or at least an opinion.

In previous columns, we looked at the nature of Christ’s return. He’s coming personally, physically, victoriously, powerfully, and suddenly. Now, we turn our attention to the reasons for his return. First, Christ returns to establish his kingdom in fullness.

The apostles Paul, James, and Peter all record warnings about the suddenness of Christ’s return. In each case, the authors stress the need for followers of Jesus to live ethically and expectantly.

In the previous column, we looked at a first-century Galilean wedding as the context for Jesus’ parable of the 10 virgins. Jesus tells the parable to prepare his followers for what’s ahead. After his imminent suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus returns to his Father, prepares a place in heaven for believers, and then calls his bride to meet him at his return.

There are well over a hundred parables in the Bible, but the most beloved are the 30-plus parables Jesus shares with us. While he’s not the first to use this form of teaching, Jesus endows his parables with unparalleled originality and spiritual depth. Several of Jesus’ parables address the suddenness of his future return in glory.