Jesus once said about his second coming…
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:32-37 NIV
Jesus shared this parable with his disciples after they had visited the Temple in Jerusalem. When one of them commented on the grandness of the building Jesus told them not to be impressed with man-made things, because one day all things would be destroyed at the end of the world. Of course, Jesus’ commentary made them question him about when the end would come.
Jesus then revealed to them many signs that would point to the end being near, but that he could not give them an exact time about when these things would come topass because only the Father knows the time-line. The culmination though would be that the “people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. Mark 13:26-27
And then he told them — BE READY FOR MY RETURN! Keep watch and be about kingdom business like a dutiful employee would be about his employers business — even if the boss wasn’t around to supervise. He warns them — “If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.”
The lesson for you and me today? Live in expectation of Jesus coming back, and make sure to be about His kingdom’s business when he does. I truly do not want Jesus’ return to catch me sleeping. I can honestly think of nothing better than to be elbows deep in serving Jesus the moment he comes back.
How about you? Are you ready for Jesus to come back? How much of your time do you spend being about the business of the Kingdom of God? Jesus’ return will be sudden and without warning, but… the One who came back from the grave IS coming back to gather his church for Eternity. Let’s be ready!
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