Be Ready – Matthew 24:36-51

CBS television network describes its show “Undercover Boss” as “a reality series that follows high-level executives as they slip anonymously into the rank-and-file of their own organizations. Each week, a different leader will sacrifice the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their operation.” If you’ve watched any episodes you’ve seen some employees demonstrating real loyalty to the company and others who aren’t. What would your boss observe in you?

Jesus is teaching about his second advent and when that will happen. The “boss” is coming to earth, but He will not be disguised. Yet we will not know when He is coming. How will He find us living when He comes?

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:36-51 ESV)

Jesus now deals with the implications of the uncertainty of the exact time of his return.  We will know the general season (verses 32-35) but not the day and hour.  In fact, even Jesus, at this point, did not know the exact time of his return, only the Father.  This is further evidence that the Trinity is a distinction of persons, not one person playing several roles, and that Jesus, during his time here, did not exercise his deity, not even his divine knowledge, but depended instead on the Father and Spirit to lead him.  There are two consequences Jesus draws from not knowing the time of his return:

(1) Unbelievers will not feel the need to repent.  Just as during Noah’s day when he no doubt told people of the coming flood, so even though we tell people of Jesus’ coming they will see no evidence of it and not knowing when it will happen will choose to live life as usual.  But when it happens suddenly, people’s day as usual will be completely turned upside down, as they are taken in judgment.

(2) Believers need to be ready for Jesus’ return at any time.  If we are faithful to our responsibilities as members of God’s coming kingdom we will always be ready for whenever He returns and as a result we will be rewarded.  Those who are not ready will show that in fact they are not believers but only pretenders and will suffer hell just like the other unbelievers.

Are you expecting Jesus’ return?