With the Christmas holidays approaching, many people are preparing their homes for holiday visitors. We want to be sure our homes are clean and inviting for our guests. If we know the date of their arrival, we plan accordingly. However, what if we don’t know exactly when they will arrive? What if we heard that a very important guest was planning to visit our home on some date throughout the year, but we didn’t know when? If we are serious about making a good impression, and not be caught embarrassed, we will make sure our home is continually clean and presentable every day. We keep ourselves prepared.
In our Scripture today from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus spoke to the disciples of His return to earth at the Second Coming. This is a date that most Christians are anxiously awaiting, just as we would a special, upcoming event. Jesus, though, tells us here that we don’t know when He will return, and thus, we need to always be ready.
We have all heard when various people, often religious cult leaders, set a date for Jesus’s return. Not too many years ago one such self-proclaimed prognosticator set a specific date of when he claimed he knew when Jesus would return. He boldly proclaimed to all when this event would happen. However, the day came and went. This person then excused his mistake, and said his calculations were off a bit, and gave a second date. Again, Jesus did not return then, either. There have been times in the past when whole groups of people felt it would be on this or that day, and anxiously quit their jobs and sat out waiting for Him, only to be mistaken.
Scripture warns us very clearly here that no one knows the exact date of His return (vs. 32). Jesus, because of the self-imposed limitations of the Incarnation, did not know the date of His Second Coming. The angels do not know. What makes some people think that they are so privileged as to be given that information? The Bible says no one knows. We cannot predict the exact date by certain Scripture verses, by science, or by history. Jesus has revealed certain signs to show when the day is drawing near, just as we can tell that spring is coming, or that winter is drawing near. But of the exact date, no one can tell. If we hear that someone has come up with a specific date, then we can be completely certain that they are wrong, and are either willfully ignoring or not believing the Scriptures.
Jesus tells us that in light of His approaching return, we need to be in a state of watchfulness (vs. 33). Some of you might remember the days when you were in school, and the teacher stepped out for a few minutes. She told the class to work on their assignments. There were always a few students, though, who used the time to act up. When the teacher came back unexpectedly, they were caught. Those who were behaving and doing their work were rewarded. What about those employees who think they can catch a nap when the boss steps out? When he returns unexpectedly, there is trouble for those snoozing co-workers! And there is embarrassment when our houseguest arrives, but we aren’t prepared and the house is a mess. We don’t know when Jesus will return, but He warns us to be prepared at all times.
God has given each believer our own work to do for Him, and He expects us to be faithfully discharging whatever duties He has assigned to us (Ephesians 2:10). We don’t want to be caught napping or acting up when He returns, do we? (vs. 34-36). Instead, we should remain vigilant and watch for Jesus’s return. Our watchfulness should be seasoned with prayer (vs. 33).
So many in the Church today are spiritually asleep, not knowing or realizing the lateness of the hour. Though we do not and cannot know the exact date, the clock is ticking. Our focus should not be so much on which exact day it will be, but rather on the need for watchfulness. Preparation, not calculation, is needed. We need to be prepared for Jesus’s return. When He comes, I want Him to find me doing the work that He has given me to do, don’t you?
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