How Is Jesus' Second Coming LIke a "Pop Quiz"? - Matthew 24:26-44

The Day and Hour Unknown

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 

Jesus has taught extensively on the signs of the end times, and now he addresses when these end times are going to happen.  I.e. When exactly will the Son of Man return? On what day?  But before he does so, he offers a proviso.  He says, no one but the Father knows when that day is going to come, not even him or the angels in heaven.  He then makes a comparison to the flood in Noah's day, when destruction came when no one was thinking it would come.  Jesus talked about everyday things like eating and drinking, people being given in marriage, and men and women working in the fields. Bottom line: Jesus will come when people least expect it when they are going about their everyday lives.  

So, we see somewhat of a seeming contradiction.  Jesus gives all the signs of the end times, and the quotes from Daniel about the exact number of days, but then says no one knows when this is going to happen.  So what gives? 

For one thing, if everyone knew the exact day Jesus was coming, we would all fall into one of two camps.  One camp would work as hard as they could to reach as many people as possible before the day of Jesus' coming.  The other camp would use the excuse that Jesus wasn't going to come until such and such a date, so why worry about it until then. It sort of like the pop quiz in school.  If teachers give pop quizzes people had to do their homework on a regular basis, but when you only have a final you can try to do all the reading and cram the night before the exam. God knows human nature. 

By not letting people know the exact date and time, all Christians need to be alert at all times.  We should live every day knowing that Jesus could come at any time.  While he tarries, we have a chance to reach more people for him.  

“Suetonius tells us that it was a piece of Julius Caesar’s policy never to fore-acquaint his soldiers of any set time of removal or onset, that he might ever have them in readiness to draw forth whithersoever he would.” (Trapp)

Why do you think no one knows when Jesus will return except God the Father?  Do you want him to come soon, or would you like there to be more time for your unsaved family and friends to come to Christ?  Why did Jesus give us the signs of the end times, but not the time itself?  Do you believe we are in the end times now?  Are the signs here?  Are you ready for Jesus to return?  If not, what would you need to change in order to be ready?  Why wait?