The Crown of Righteousness

“Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but also to all those who love His appearing.” (2Timothy 4:8)

Before His crucifixion, Jesus comforted His disciples. He knew that they would be very confused and troubled by the events that were to happen. He tells them, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (John 14:1-4) And since His ascension, the saints (believers) have been waiting for Jesus.

Jesus gives us a glimpse of life with Him in eternity. We will be in the Father’s house. There are many mansions in His house. When we think of mansions, we think of big opulent buildings. But the word that was translated mansions actually just means a place to stay or a residence.  So, there are residences in the Father’s house where we will stay. And Jesus is preparing these residences for us. Then He will come for us so that we can be with Him. In a simplified way, this is the way it will be.

But are we waiting for Him? Life is so engrossing, it’s hard to separate from it. Even when intentionally trying to separate our love from it, we find ourselves too involved with it. But Jesus is coming. I’ve heard in my spirit, “...sooner than you think...”  Of course, I know my soon is not like the Lord’s soon. Our time reference is so different from the Lord’s. He is in eternity. We are not. But whatever timeline we may think that Jesus is coming for us, it’s “...sooner than you think...” Again, the question is, are we waiting for Him? In times of trouble and hardship, we cry out for Him to come to put an end to our suffering. But at other times, we forget.

What return are we waiting for? It’s the rapture. Jesus will return for us and capture us in the air. In reality, He will not return to earth until the Second Coming to triumph over His enemies on earth to rule and reign. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we shall ever be with the Lord.” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17)

And for all that are waiting for His return, there is a crown of righteousness which the Lord will give to them. This is the only reference to the crown of righteousness. We are the righteous ones, but not through any credit to what we have done or anything intrinsic.  It’s the righteousness of Jesus.  We are only righteous by the righteousness of Jesus. “But now a righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, toward all and upon all those who believe...” (Romans 3:21-22) We have nothing to glory about, but of the Lord Who was faithful to redeemed us, to forgive our sins, to wash us and purify us with His blood, to declare us justified and right in the eyes of God, to reconcile us to the Father and to make us alive forever more. “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption; so that, according as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (1Corinthians 1:30-31)

Jesus is returning for His beloved brethren. This is the rapture and resurrection of our bodies which will be changed eternally. And like Paul we all will receive a crown of righteousness because He has clothed us with His righteousness, undeserved, so we glory only in Him.  Jesus warns us to take care that no one takes that crown from us while we wait for Him. “Behold, I come quickly. Hold fast to that which you have, so that no one may take your crown.” (Revelation 3:11) He warns us because there is the possibility that it might happen. So, we wait for His coming being careful to rest only on Him to keep us until He comes for us.