Matthew 24:29–51 (NKJV)
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days… they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (29-30). Jesus gives us a general description of His second coming but does not give us the exact timeline for it. In fact, He tells us repeatedly to stay ready for His return for the precise reason that we do not know when that will be, and that He will come at a time that we “do not expect” (44).
When He does finally return, we can rejoice, as He sends His angels to gather us from all points on the globe. He promised to rise from the dead, and He vindicated His word when He rose from the dead; and He promised to return, and He will vindicate His word when He returns, because His “words will by no means pass away” (35).
For those of us who have received His salvation in faith, Jesus’ return is accomplishing our full salvation, but for the impenitent, His return is a fearsome prospect of judgment. The signs of His return will be unmistakable. Thus, the need is not to predict the time of His return, but always to stay ready for it by living in faith in Him.
Christ tells us that His return will be sudden, and since we cannot calculate when that return might be the only option we have and His instruction to us is to eagerly watch at all times for His imminent return. This means we are to constantly live in our baptism daily, repenting of sin daily, and receiving His forgiveness daily. As with His supper, so with His return, only by living in faith are we “truly well prepared” to receive Him.
Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, show your mercy to your humble servants. We put no trust in our own merits. Do not deal with us with your judgment, but with your forgiveness; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
