The Coming of the King

by J.C. Ryle

For most of us, Advent is synonymous with Christmas. After all, don't our Advent calendars count down to December 25th? Isn't Advent a time to think about the birth of the baby in the manger, the angels and the shepherd? It certainly is. Advent means the coming of the special baby who was laid in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. But J.C. Ryle would also remind people of the "Second Advent" when Jesus will come again. On that day, Jesus will return to our world, not as a baby but as the unmistakable King of kings and Lord of lords.

Genres: Christian, Christmas, Devotional, Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2022

About the author

(John Charles Ryle) Ryle started his ministry as curate at the Chapel of Ease in Exbury, Hampshire, moving on to become rector of St Thomas's, Winchester in 1843 and then rector of Helmingham, Suffolk the following year. While at Helmingham he married and was widowed twice. He began publishing popular tracts, and Matthew, Mark and Luke of his series of Expository Thoughts on the Gospels were published in successive years (1856-1858). His final parish was Stradbroke, also in Suffolk, where he moved in 1861, and it was as vicar of All Saints that he became known nationally for his straightforward preaching and firm defence of evangelical principles. He wrote several well-known and still-in-print books, often addressing issues of contemporary relevance for the Church from a biblical standpoint. He completed his Expository Thoughts on the Gospels while at Stradbroke, with his work on the Gospel of John (1869). His third marriage, to Henrietta Amelia Clowes in 1861, lasted until her death in 1889.

Reviews

[KateP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5. I’ve enjoyed other JC Ryle devotional but took me a while to get into these advent readings but they got more uplifting as the season went on. The focus at the start of them seemed to be to look out to the people around you to warn them of judgement which was challenging. The rest of the readings included some gems on God’s promises and encouragements on the faith of the shepherds and wise men as our examples to follow - we have more evidence to worship Jesus than they did. Speaking more personally, I was unwell a lot of this advent season and found Ryle’s readings a bit too gloomy. Was probably more in need of lighter/joyful readings this year and have enjoyed Piper’s ‘Dawning of indestructible joy’ immensely in previous years. But overall good to read something new that challenged me in a different way.

[Selina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half - absolutely blimmin terrifying. The second half - somewhat more affable (if a book can be!) Plus it was fairly simplistic which is what I need 😂 Always nice to share an Advent book with friends.

[Emma S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great devotional. Just the right length for a pre-bedtime reflection, and I enjoyed how one passage is studied over a period of a few days. The prayer at the end of each day added in by the compiler, is helpful. This is probably one of the best Advent devotionals I’ve read.

[Allison Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for Advent preparing us for the 2nd coming of the King.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 25-day Advent devotional, compiled from Ryle's "Expository Thoughts", and edited by Mary Davis. The devotional is split into two parts, looking at the two advents of Christ - beginning with his second coming, and then returning to his first coming as Christmas approaches. Each day has a Bible passage to read, a reading from Ryle, and then a suggested prayer at the end. This is not a light-and-fluffy devotional - Ryle is clear on warning of judgement, and exhorting us to repentance. But Ryle challenges us with the heart of a pastor, and ultimately wants us to grow in our wonder and worship of the One who was laid in a manger and will one day come again. We'll be giving out copies to people in our church this Advent.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Advent stuff that uses Jesus’ First Coming as a springboard to remind us of his Second. God’s people still wait expectantly.

This little devotional does that straight up - but the tone didn’t quite work for me. The unvarnished warnings of Jesus’ return were a bit of a soul-slam at Christmas. I actually blame the editor rather than Ryle (sorry!). Ryle’s writing is brilliant and sensible and uncompromising and eminently quotable - and all it needed was to pop his meditations on the Christmas story at the beginning, before skimming our eyes upwards to the horizon of his return. Instead we opened with apocalypse; a bit like starting Christmas Day with an ice bath.

[Debbie Bratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my Advent devotional for 2022 and I greatly appreciated the daily readings, reminding me that I am to live in light of the second Advent every day, not just at Christmas time. I also appreciate that many of the prayers included in the daily readings prompt me to pray for unbelieving family and friends.
The readings were short, so it is lacking if you’re looking for something deep, but even short readings moved me to ponder the truths about Christ’s first and second coming and how that should impact how I live today: with a heart of worship for Him who is worthy!

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read anything by J C Ryle. The compilation was well chosen. The editor’s added prayers at the end of each reading were beneficial.

[Mike Vowels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great advent devotional. JC Ryle is a gifted writer and helps the reader prepare his/her heart for Christmas.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful devotional book for advent focusing on waiting for the second coming of Christ as we remember God’s fulfilled promises in His first coming.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ended 2024 and 2025 with a JC Ryle book, my guy🤍

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the emphasis on Christ's second coming in this advent devotional since most I have read only focus on the first coming/incarnation. 

Interesting lines:
There is no sin too bad to be pardoned - the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. There is no heart too hard and wicked to be changed - the heart of stone can be made a heart of flesh. There is no work too hard for a believer to do - we may do all things through Christ strengthening us. There is no trial too hard to be borne - the grace of God is sufficient for us. There is no promise too great to be fulfilled - Christ's words never pass away, and what He has promised He is able to perform. There is no difficulty too great for a believer to overcome - when God is for us who will be against us? The mountain will become a plain. (p. 39)

Let us be willing to go anywhere, do anything and be anything, whatever be the present and immediate inconvenience, so long as God's will is clear and the path of duty is plain. (p. 40-41)

...a thankful spirit. It has ever been a mark of God's most distinguished saints in every age. David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New are remarkable for their thankfulness... Let us rise from our beds every morning with a deep conviction that we are debtors, and that every day we have more mercies than we deserve. (p. 42-43)

[John Hayward · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading the one-page extracts in "The Coming of the King: 25 readings for Advent" from JC Ryle's "Expository Thoughts" (and additional short prayers by Mary Davis) was like listening to a top preacher's 25-minute sermon in just one-minute-a-day segments—not how the preacher intended the material to be heard or read. A line in which Ryle quoted Baxter (p.27) seems relevant to the new age of medical interference in which we live: "To do no harm is the praise of a stone, not of a man." He calls (p.42-3) for what I too regularly seek to model, "We too shall do well to...cultivate a thankful spirit. It has ever been a mark of God's most distinguished saints in every age. / Well would it be if our prayers and supplications were more mixed with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)." Truly, too, "A true Christian should never be greatly moved or disquieted by the conduct of the rulers of the earth. ... They should regard every king and potentate...as a creature who with all his power, can do nothing but what God allows and nothing which is not carrying out God's will" (p.51).

[Becca]

This review is 100% my own opinion!

I enjoyed this daily Advent devotion and felt it got me into a good routine of spending some time studying the Bible daily. Although the devotions were brief, I personally found that they covered the Advent and Christmas events in enough detail for an overview. I think further, deeper study could be built around this devotional if required but it was nice to spend some time remembering the true meaning of Christmas and the second coming of Jesus one day.

I didn’t rate this book as it was a daily devotional and I’m not sure if I would study it again yearly as I’ve worked through it this year, but it would be good to refer back to at later dates.

Overall, I enjoyed this devotional and would recommend it for Advent - further study could be built around it if necessary, I found the writing easy to follow and it definitely got me in the habit of studying the Bible daily. Hopefully I can carry this habit through into 2023!

[Joel Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t quite get into these readings - maybe because I’ve been reading Ryle’s commentary thoughts all year in the gospel devotional! I appreciated the focus on the second coming but they could have been much more hopeful than in this book. Probably due to the editing instead of writing especially.

Anyway, it was encouraging by Christmas but I probably won’t go back to this one.

[David Muir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just a few well kent readings to take us to Christmas, but a serious consideration of, not just the first advert, but the second too from, J. C. Ryle. You can get a flavour of his preaching from this quote:

“We walk by faith and this faith leans on promises, but on those promises we may lean confidently. They will bear all the weight we can lay on them.”

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryle, as always, is eloquent, warm, and stirring. I felt that the format was a bit awkward. I think the difficulty was that Ryle didn't write an Advent devotional - The editor had to pull together the most relevant (sometimes tangential) sections from his Gospel commentaries.

[Megan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This advent reading doesn't start with the typical advent story but with Christ's second coming and judgement. It was an interesting way to start the season that I was not really expecting but it did make for some good reflection.

[Bethany Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite advent book. It focuses on Christ's second coming more than his birth. If you're looking for something different for next year you may enjoy it.

[Phil Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great passages and insight. Helpful as a daily reading.

[Joelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this for my Advent readings this season.Not my absolute favorite, but full of important truth.

[Brent Osterberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryle's simple and clear observations lead to simple and clear applications. A pleasure!

[David Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short bit thoughtful advent Devotional great for all. Believers or not.

[Jonathan Forster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short studies. Interesting choice of focusing in the beginning on the second coming.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and challenging Christ centred adverb devotional which I felt got better as it went on.

[Keziah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less of a study and more of a thought for the day. Decent as a pre-bed read during Advent

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite Christmas devotional. I love the written prayers at the end of each day's reading.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really enjoyed this simple advent guide. The daily readings were perfectly suitable for our family and I appreciated that they included scripture that followed the Christmas story. I also enjoyed the prayers at the end of each day. I'd easily gift this to anyone looking for an advent guide!