Jesus Will Be Glorified by Our Joy

For many Christians, the second coming of Christ feels like a distant theological event mysterious, even intimidating. We know it's important. We confess it in our creeds. But we often don’t long for it. We rarely think of it as a source of joy.

But what if Jesus’s return wasn’t just the end of the age but the beginning of your greatest happiness? What if the second coming isn’t just about Christ receiving glory, but about you experiencing fullness of joy in that glory?

That’s exactly what Scripture teaches. And it’s a central insight that connects the doctrine of the second coming to a truth often called Christian Hedonism that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

Christ Is Coming for Glory

The apostle Paul makes it stunningly clear that Jesus’s return is about His glory. In 2 Thessalonians 1:10, Paul writes that Christ will come “to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” Christ’s second coming is not a random date on God’s calendar. It’s the moment when His majesty, power, and beauty will be revealed in ways no one has ever seen before and we will respond not with fear, but with awe.

But here’s the twist: His glorification and our marveling are not two separate events. They are one. He will be glorified by being marveled at.

Marveling Is Worship

What is “marveling”? It’s more than intellectual acknowledgment. It’s a visceral, emotional response of joy, wonder, and delight. Think of how people react at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or when the sky erupts with the northern lights, or when a child is born. Marveling is a kind of pleasure a response of the heart when it encounters greatness.

In that way, marveling is worship. And it’s the kind of worship that Jesus desires when He returns not merely singing or kneeling, but delighting, rejoicing, standing in breathless awe of who He is.

Glory and Joy: Two Sides of One Purpose

This brings us to a profound truth at the heart of the universe: God designed all of creation for His glory and our joy at the same time. The more we rejoice in Him, the more He is glorified. And the more He is glorified, the more joy we experience in Him.

That’s why Jesus is coming again not just to be seen, but to be marveled at. Not just to be vindicated, but to be treasured. And in doing so, He will be glorified by the joy of His people.

This is why Paul’s theology is so explosive. The same Jesus who is exalted above every name is also the One who died to make you happy in Him. This is not wishful thinking. This is the heartbeat of Christian worship.

How This Changes Our Longing

Many believers don’t think of the return of Christ in joyful terms. For some, it feels like judgment. For others, it’s vague, confusing, or simply irrelevant to daily life.

But Paul says that believers are marked by one very specific trait: they love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). This is not casual admiration. It’s a deep, longing love a yearning for the Beloved to return. And this kind of love flows naturally from Christian Hedonism. Because if Jesus is your greatest treasure, then of course His return is your greatest hope.

And what fuels that love? The knowledge that when He appears, your joy will be complete. That you will see Him not only as Judge and King but as the One who satisfies your soul.

More Than Ham and Eggs

Paul says Christ will come “to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at.” Are these two separate events like ham and eggs? No. They are more like “diamond” and “jewel.” The marveling is the glorifying. He is glorified through our joy.

Think about this: when we are stunned by Christ's beauty, overwhelmed by His majesty, and flooded with joy at His appearing, He is exalted. That’s Christian Hedonism at its finest.

God designed salvation this way on purpose. He gets the glory. We get the joy. And in our joy, He gets even more glory. This is what makes God’s self-exaltation loving. He’s not exalting Himself at our expense He is exalting Himself through our happiness in Him.

This Is Why He Came

This isn't a random bonus feature in theology. It’s the very reason God created the world: so that His glory would be known and enjoyed. From creation to redemption to the final return, God has been pursuing one goal His glory in your joy.

When Jesus returns, every obstacle to your happiness in Him will be removed. Every longing fulfilled. Every tear wiped away. You will not marvel at Him and wish you had more. You will be overwhelmed with gladness, and that gladness will be your glorified worship.

Don’t Miss the Joy

The second coming is not just a theological checkbox. It is the final crescendo of Christian joy. And if that doesn’t move you, if you find yourself indifferent or disinterested, perhaps it's time to return to the central question Do you treasure Jesus?

Do you love His appearing?

Because those who do will not only see His glory they will share in it (Romans 8:17). And they will marvel. And He will be glorified.

So let your heart long for that day. Let your joy now be a taste of the joy to come. And let your life be shaped by this glorious truth: Christ is coming again and your marveling will be His glory.

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