HOST: Ron House
SPONSOR: Start2Finish
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
This is a challenging text that has led to many interpretations and even false teachings. It would be impossible, in the few words that this thought allows, to adequately expound on all that has been said or thought about this passage. Nevertheless, the overall meaning of the text is pretty clear and provides a powerful lesson and exhortation for us. However, one might understand the details of Jesus’ words, His message is clearly summed up in two words: Be Prepared! It is easy and natural for us to become comfortable in our lives and in this world and to see both as permanent and reliable. But Jesus reminds us that they are not. One of the central messages of this text and of the entire Bible is that this world is temporary. There is coming a day when Jesus will return, not to live or reign on the earth, but to bring this world to an end and to sit in judgment over all humanity. When that day comes, Jesus warns in this passage, there will be no more time or opportunity for preparation. Our eternal fate will be sealed. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for that day, being ever watchful for our Lord’s return!
How should we prepare ourselves for Jesus’ return?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!