Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 1:7). Amen.
It is Advent. It is a Latin word that means “coming.” That summarizes the thought of this new season of the church year. Jesus is coming.
During this stretch of Sundays, we look in two directions. We glance backwards and forwards—to Jesus’ first coming and to his second coming.
He arrived once as a baby, wrapped in cloths in a manger. We celebrate that on Christmas Day.
He will appear again as a Judge, riding on the clouds of heaven (Mt 24:30). We will see that on the Last Day.
That ultimate time is what Jesus focuses our attention on today. Be ready! Jesus teaches when. And he tells how. We read from …
Matthew 24:36-44
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, the King who comes,
There have been a string of days lately that we have put some sort of designation in front of them. We do it to mark them as special—separate from a normal day of the week. Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. For many, there has been plenty of feasting—being stuffed with turkey and cranberry. And for some, there has lots of shopping—being satisfied with deals and steals.
But what about today? I am not aware of anything catchy. So we are free to create our own. How about Advent Sunday? It is that—the first of four.
As with all those other days recently, we want to be prepared. It is important and imperative that we listen as Jesus calls out:
Be Ready!
1. Jesus teaches when (36,44)
2. Jesus tells how (37-44)
1. Jesus teaches when (36,44)
If family is getting to your house at noon for the big Thanksgiving meal, perhaps you have to get up at 4:30 to put the bird in the oven so that it is cooked properly. If the doors open at 6 PM on Thursday for Friday sales, you may have to start lining up at 2 in the afternoon so that you can file in politely. You don’t want to miss the right time. Jesus makes the same point. Be ready! Jesus teaches us when.
It had been a busy day for Jesus. It was Tuesday of Holy Week, three days before he would hang on the cross. His enemies came after him all day, their red hot anger burning against him. They tried to trick him and trap him because they wanted him dead. But they failed, one after the other.
Before Jesus and his disciples headed out of the city, the twelve commented on the beauty of the temple and it surroundings. That is when Jesus dropped the bombshell: “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Mt 24:2). They must have been shocked and stunned. What?
They probably couldn’t wait until they got to the olive grove outside of Jerusalem to ask. When? “Tell us … when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age” (Mt 24:3). In his reply, Jesus mentions the destruction of the city and the finale of the world.
He gave them some markers of the end—false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and the like (Mt 24:5-7). But here is Jesus’ answer: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mt 24:36). Is that startling? The angels we get. But Jesus? It is a marvel and a mystery. Note Jesus’ name for himself—the Son of Man (3 times). True God and also true man. As man, he didn’t always use his divine omniscience—that he knows all things. He gave up that full and constant use of that ability. That is a truth of Scripture.
The exact time is unknown. It is privileged information. But the expressed teaching is known. Jesus came at a definite time in history. We commemorate that on December 25. We know precisely when that will be—28 more days. We don’t highlight that so we can countdown how many more days there are to spend money at the mall to put presents under the tree. But to underscore that the first coming guarantees the second.
We don’t have the definite date—hour or day—when Jesus will return. That causes some to scoff, “‘Where is this coming’ he promised” (2 Pe 3:4). Everything seems so normal—one day following the last. Say what they will, we are sure. We confess it often. They are not hollow words: “[Jesus] ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).
Jesus is coming. Instead of circling something on a calendar, we serve the One who saved us—not sinning like crazy and then shaping up at the last moment. As the prophet Isaiah encouraged: “Let us walk in the light of the LORD” (Is 2:5). As the apostle Paul echoed: “So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Ro 13:12). Clothed with Christ (Ro 13:14) who turns darkness into light (Ps 18:28), we carry on, not misusing the time, but making the best of it. Be ready (Mt 24:44). Jesus teaches us when—at any time.
2. Jesus tells how (37-44)
The “when” of dining or saving helps with the “how”—as long as it doesn’t include pushing and pepper spray either in the kitchen or in the aisles. You scour ancient recipes for suggestions and search internet coupons for possibilities. All for the right moment. Jesus shares the same idea. Be ready! Jesus tells us how.
Jesus took his disciples back to the book of Genesis—to the great flood (Ge 6-9). He made a comparison between then and now. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Mt 24:37). There was a certain rhythm and routine. “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark” (Mt 24:38). Those four things were part of their continual activity. Not that they are wrong. Those are all good gifts from God—nice and necessary. But that is all they thought about. Their wicked hearts were preoccupied with them (Ge 6:5).
It is not that they didn’t have inkling, but they ignored it for 120 years. It is not as if Noah could hide that big boat—larger than a football field—in his backyard. Why would he construct such a ship when there was no huge body of water nearby? Add to that, Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Pe 2:5), exposing their sin and explaining the Savior.
But as Noah peeked down from his ladder, his neighbors were more than happy gnawing on a turkey leg and sipping a cold soda, or putting on a white gown or donning a black tux. It was their ongoing concern rather than the impending catastrophe. They didn’t believe that it would ever occur. I wonder what they thought when it started to sprinkle and then pour. Or when the water was waist high. Then it was too late when the water came and took them all away (Mt 24:39).
Then Jesus drives it home: “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Mt 24:39). It will be business as usual until the skies divide and the angels descend, And then it will be too late. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Mt 24:40,41). One will be snatched to eternal safety—the believer, the other remaining for eternal destruction—the unbeliever. It will be that fast and furious and final. That kind of talk is not to scare us, but to support us. We have nothing to be afraid of. Like David, we depend on God: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Ps 18:2). He will rescue us to be with him forever (1 Thess 4:17).
And so Jesus issues that caution: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Mt 24:42). Keep your eyes open like when you are driving—defensively, not offensively. That is not a time for some shuteye. We don’t want to get lulled to sleep, walking around like a zombie—getting up, going to school or work, and then heading back to bed. Jesus is coming unexpectedly. We don’t want to lose the urgency.
That suddenness Jesus supports with another illustration of what occurs when we don’t think it will: “If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into” (Mt 24:43; cf. 2 Pe 3:6-10).
No thief texts his business: “I am planning to stop by your house at 2:37 AM on September 4.” No robber sends an email, “I am free at 4:51 AM to go through your garage on October 18.” If he would be so foolish, we would set our alarm and alert the police. Or whatever you need to do to prevent that. So Jesus teaches how. “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Mt 24:44). Be ready—at all times.
With Advent beginning, we fix our eyes to the past and to the future—to Jesus’ two comings, to take away our sins and to take us away to heaven. And so we will keep putting descriptions before days—Cyber Monday and Taco Tuesday. (Eating and shopping apparently go together.) That is until the Last Day. Be ready. Jesus teaches us when and how. It is for our Father to say. It is for us to pray: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Re 22:20). Amen.
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Ro 16:27).
November 27, 2016
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