Maranatha!

1 Cor. 16:22

As Paul was concluding his first letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “Our Lord, come! (Maranatha!)” (1 Cor. 16:22).

Maranatha is an Aramaic word which means “Our Lord, come!” or “Come, our Lord!” Paul wrote this letter in Greek and used this particular Aramaic in his conclusion. He does not even explain.

Because he did not explain, it can be surmised that this particular Aramaic word was well known and understood then.

But why would he use an Aramaic word? It is said that the earliest Christians refused to worship the Roman Emperor and were severely persecuted because of this. Many of them were murdered. In such trying times, believers found comfort in their hope for the coming of the Lord. As such, this commonly understood word ‘Maranatha!’ became a word of greetings to them.

In our present world, even though Christians continue to be persecuted, we are not so much persecuted compared to the first two centuries. In fact, we have become too much ensconced in our comforts and privileges that most of us have neglected the coming of our Saviour. We have seen too many gospels of ‘prosperity, blessings, goodness’ for the present world that we fail to see our real purpose and mission.

We fail to hope for our coming glory. Our minds have become encaged in the present world.

Maranatha! Our Lord, come! Let us renew our hope in the coming Lord. The period of grace is almost ended. Jesus is coming soon. His coming is imminent. He says, “Surely I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:20).

The world is spiralling towards destruction. We are incessantly hearing of wars, conflicts, earthquakes. It is now in crisis. It is passing away with all its desires (cf 1 Jn. 2:17). Even the most ignorant or illiterate person can see that this world will not last forever.

But the beginning of the ultimate end of all these crises is the coming of our Lord. When He comes, He will establish His kingdom, and in that time, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

That time will also usher in the destruction of those who refuse to acknowledge Him and believe in Him.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Maranatha!