How Can I Be Ready for Jesus' Second Coming? - Matthew 24

Matthew 24 - NIV 

Enduring Word Commentary

Verses of the Day

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.

Commentary

Oftentimes we rely on the book of Daniel, or the book of Revelation for our theology on the end times when Jesus will return. In chapter 24, Jesus devotes the whole chapter to teaching the disciples about his second coming. He had already told his disciples three times that he was going to be betrayed, condemned, crucified, and then be raised from the dead in three days. They were understandably worried about what would happen after that. 

Jesus gives them and us several principles about His second coming, which will guide us as we anticipate his return in great and promised glory. 

1. No one knows the day or time Jesus will return, not even the angels or Jesus himself. It is only the Father in heaven. Therefore, anyone who predicts the day Jesus returns will not be correct. There is one thing in common with any previous so called prophets who has predicted the day of Jesus' return. They were all wrong. 

2. False prophets will come claiming to either be the Messiah, have secret knowledge about His return, or try to deceive God's elect. When Jesus comes back it will be very clear and everyone will know without a shadow of doubt. Jesus compares it to lightning in the sky that lights up the east from the west. It will be a light show which never could be created by man.

3. Wickedness and evil will increase in epic proportions until he returns. People will betray and kill each other. Christians will be persecuted and killed. Nations will turn against each others as will family members. You may say that is already happening, and you would be right. Yet in a sense it has been happening all throughout history. There will even be natural disasters like earthquakes and famines. But these are only birth pangs, or signs that the end is near. 

4. Jesus is going to return in great and promised glory. Jesus says all will mourn when they see the him coming on the clouds. What does it mean they will mourn? Is this believers or unbelievers?

But those who are believers will be caught in the clouds with Jesus and his angels. The dead in Christ will be raised from the dead. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

So how should we prepare for Jesus' Second Coming? 

Jesus summarized this in two words, "Be ready!' What does it mean to be ready? 

1. Be ready at anytime. This means we shouldn't try to time Jesus' return. This especially true for those who have put off receiving or following Jesus. Or, those who have fallen away.  Jesus uses the metaphor that he will come like a "thief in the night". If you have ever been robbed you were probably surprised, but hopefully you were prepared. 

2. Be doing the things Jesus told us to do. That one is pretty clear. In Matthew 28 he give the Great Commission to the disciples, which you should be the marching order for every Christian and every church. Summarized it means, "Be a disciple of Jesus and make other disciples of Jesus." Be faithful with the time, talents, and treasures Jesus has entrusted you. I think you probably have a pretty good idea if you are ready or not. 

Application

1. If Jesus were to return today, would you consider yourself "ready"? 

2. What would you need to change in your life to be ready? Why wait?

We are saved by grace through faith so this is not about works. I am referring to being faithful with what God has given you, including the gift of faith. The bible promises that those who are faithful in this life, we will be given rewards in heaven which include responsibilities to rule with Jesus. 

Prayer for the Day

Jesus, thank you for teaching what it means to be ready for you to return when the Father chooses the day and the hour. Help us to be ready by doing the things you have clearly given us to do. Help us to focus on things that have eternal value, not things that have only temporal value. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit who will help us to do all the things you have called us to do. We can't wait to meet you Jesus. Amen. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Matthew 18:6-9 Causing to Stumble

Causing to Stumble 6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Reflection: Matthew reminds us today that we don't live only unto ourselves. Our actions have repercussions on others either directly or indirectly. This is especially true for children and youth, who are impressionable. I still remember when I was...
Read more

Luke 8 - The Key to Exponential Growth!

Image
4  While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:   5  “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.   6  Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.   8  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” Click Here to Read Luke 8 This is a very familiar parable for Christians.  We have heard it many times.  It is a simple parable in some senses, but worth delving into time and time again because its principles are so important.   What I would like to focus on today is the last line, which says the seed came up and yielded a crop hundred times more than was sown.  At the end of t...
Read more

"Everything in Moderation" ...Is that in the Bible?

1 Corinthians 6 12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. You have heard the saying, "Everything in moderation". While that may be true in some sense, it really depends what that "everything" is. Crack cocaine in moderation? Sex with a prostitute in moderation? A glass of wine in moderation? A Big Mac a day in moderation? You see the point! While that may seem like an extreme argument, Paul is trying to snuff out a problem in Corinthians church. The problem was people were dabbling in sexual immorality and saying it was okay. Since they were forgiven what would it hurt to engage in a little bit of fun. But when you read the list of the things in the verses above...
Read more