Are you prepared for the day when Christ returns? Let us be prepared for that day. Jesus says to watch and be ready. How do we do this? First, trust in Jesus. Those who follow Him will be saved and have eternal life. Second, live for Him. Our actions should reflect that we are His followers. Third, tell others. Do those around you know that you are a believer? Do they know about the gospel?
Luke 12:35-48
“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 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. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
This scripture gave me a couple thoughts. In the first paragraph, Jesus tells us to prepare for His coming. Watch and be ready. Don’t just wait for Him to show up, but be ready as if He were coming to eat dinner at your house. Wouldn’t that be awesome to have Jesus at your house for dinner? Have things in order, clean up your house, and prepare to answer the door. How do we do this? Talk with Him. Pray. Read the scriptures. Jesus says that they will know us by our love. Love others. Follow His commandments. Do what is right. Be ready to answer His calling. Listen for His knock and open the door when He does.
The first paragraph also reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins who have their lamps ready for the bridegroom. Will you have your lamp lit when He comes? Jesus says to be a light to the world and let your light shine before men that they may glorify God.
Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Jesus is saying don’t wait until it is too late. Accept His free gift of salvation now. No one knows the day or the hour, or how long we will be on this earth. The time to believe, trust and follow Jesus is now. Have that oil ready. Shine your light. Be ready for Christ’s return.
The second paragraph of the parable of the servants is a tough one…and harsh. I am not sure I fully understand it. I think He is talking to the religious leaders. More is expected of leaders and teachers. God will put them at a higher standard because they are shepherding God’s people. Not all religious leaders really know Jesus. Many go through their rituals but do not really believe. Many are in it for their own gain. Those are the ones where Jesus will say, “I never knew you” as He will to the goats in Matthew 25. As with the servants, the virgins, and the goats, the evidence of their salvation is shown by what they do. We know that we cannot earn our way into heaven as the Bible says over and over again, but our actions reveal who we are. The foundation of our faith can only be in Christ. There is no other. No other God, no other person, not ourselves, no one or nothing but Christ alone can save us. Nothing we do can earn our salvation or lose it.
1 Corinthians 3:9-15
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Did you get that last part? We won’t do everything right. We will mess up, but if we are in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit in us. We are sealed. No one can take that away. We do good works to honor God, not to earn salvation. Believers will be judged for rewards. We may lose a reward, but never our salvation. God has promised that.
Ephesians 1:13-14
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
So let us prepare for His coming, first by accepting God’s grace and trusting in Jesus Christ; second, by being obedient and following what God leads us to do. For when He comes, He will take His people home and give them their crowns (https://davesdailyscriptures.blog/2017/03/08/what-crown-will-we-receive/).
Revelation 22:12-13
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
Revelation 3:11
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Prepare for the Master, for He is coming quickly, and what a great day that will be!
My Daily Scriptures 