Matthew 24:36-44
First Sunday in Adventย -ย 27 November 2016
Rev. John Derme
For many people, one of the features of this time of year that we call "the holidays" is having visitors. When I think about Thanksgivings and Christmases from my childhood, family coming to our house was always such a big part of it. And in that month between the two holidays, my mother often made it a priority for us to see people that we didn't often see at other times of the year. Now that my immediate family lives a ways away from any extended family, and since I work on holidays, we are always blessed to have out-of-town visitors at this time. My sister is here for Thanksgiving. My mom will be here for Christmas.
We are always happy to have family visitors now. Before they arrive, my kids ask day after day, "When is she going to get here?" My childhood memories of family on holidays are all wonderful. I remember thinking, "I can't wait for them to come!" But now that I am one of the adults, I understand that it takes a lot of work to get ready for a visitor.
Not only at this time of year, but also all year long, we are all anticipating a visit from Jesus. It is important for us to be ready for his visit at all times. Unfortunately, many people are not ready. Today Jesus works to prepare us. So to prepare ourselves, let's ask the question, "When will Jesus come?"
We see the answer to the question in our Gospel of the Day from Matthew 24. At first, it seems that there isn't really an answer. Jesus says that nobody knows when the last day will be. Sometimes people claim that they have figured it out and that you should follow their teachings. Don't believe them! They don't know when the last day will be! If they say they do, then they are contradicting Jesus' true words!
Not only do no human beings know, but no angels know, either. They will be the workers who gather people up at the last day, but still they are only servants of the Lord and not in charge of the operation.
Jesus even says that the Son of God, he himself, did not know. Keep in mind that when Jesus spoke these words, it was during his state of humiliation, that period of time in which he did not make full use of his divine glory and power so that he could live and die for us. At his resurrection, Jesus was exalted, once again taking up the power that was always his. So now he is making use of all his divine attributes, including knowing everything. So it is safe to say that, in our time, Jesus does know when the end will be. But during his humiliation he didn't, and if Jesus didn't, then no other human being knows either. Only the one who knows everything knows when the last day will be.
God the Father knows. He is the one who has set the times and days for the universe he created. He not only knows the day, but as Jesus said, he knows the very hour. He knows exactly when Jesus will come. He has designated it as part of his plan of salvation, to rescue us from this sinful life and take us to eternal life. Nothing can change what God has decided.
Jesus compares his coming at the end of time to what happened at the beginning of the flood. Your December newsletters are available today. I'll direct you to the devotion in the newsletter for what it was like at the flood and what that teaches us about what it will be like at Judgment Day. But Jesus' overall point is that. just as many people were not ready for the flood and were taken away in judgment, so also those who are not ready for Jesus to come at the last day will be taken in judgment.
One unfortunate thing about Jesus' words here is that they are often misused to support the idea that sometime before the last day, all the believers on earth will be caught up in the rapture. According to this idea, they will be taken to heaven, and the unbelievers will be left behind. That can't be true for a couple of reasons. First, Jesus is talking about people being taken away in judgment, not to heaven. Second, he is talking about the last day here, not some time before the last day. Jesus' words are a warning to us: You do not know what day he will come. Be ready for it always, so that you will not be taken away.
He's like a thief. He doesn't tell you when he will come. If you knew ahead of time when a thief would break into your house, don't you think that you would get ready? Jesus says that you would do something to stop him, of course! But the thief doesn't tell you when he is going to break in. He surprises his victims. Jesus isn't coming to hurt you or take your things. He actually wants to save you. But you still need to be ready at all times, because like the thief, he doesn't tell you when he is coming.
Jesus warns you about his coming at the last day, because he cares about you. He wants you to be ready to go to heaven with him. We need Jesus to tell us about his coming, because otherwise we wouldn't be ready for him. Then his coming would be far worse than an unexpected holiday guest. All those who are not ready for Jesus' coming at the last day will be judged guilty for their sins, because they do not trust in him as the Savior. You and I have heard his warning. Don't get lazy and forget his words, or you too will be judged guilty and lose your place in heaven.
Jesus doesn't want to judge you guilty. He is coming to take you to heaven. But since he knows that you and I wouldn't be ready on our own, he has come to make us ready. So the answer to our question, "When will Jesus come?" isn't so simple as to say, "Nobody knows." He already came! He gave up full use of his divine power and entered his state of humiliation when he became a human being. This is the coming we celebrate in about a month at Christmas. He came to get us ready by doing for us what we could never do. He earned for us the perfection that we need so that we can go to heaven with him. He died for us to pay for all the evil we have done that would keep us out of heaven.
Jesus also came to tell us everything we need to know about his second coming. Apparently, the time of his coming isn't something that we need to know. Actually, it is better for us that we do not know. What would you do if you did know exactly when Jesus would come again? I know what I would do. I would plan to get ready for it at the last minute. Knowing what day wouldn't do me any good, though, if I would die before it comes. But even if I would live that long, I would get lazy and forget how important it is to be ready for Jesus to come. I would never get myself ready after all. This actually does happen to people all the time. We probably all know someone who has said, "I'll get serious about my faith later, when I get older." But then they fall away from faith and don't come back. Jesus is trying to help us by not telling us when he will return. Since he could come back at any time, as far as we know, he is preparing us to stay ready now and always!
Not only has Jesus come in the past to get us ready for the day when he will come. He also comes in the present to get us ready. So again, we see that there is another answer to our question, "When will Jesus come?" Every time we hear his Word that he speaks to us in the Bible he comes to us. He shows us our sin and shows us that he is our Savior. Jesus once came to each of us through his Word connected to water in Baptism. Every time we confess our sins and hear his Word of forgiveness we return to the promises he made in our Baptism and he comes to us. Every time we receive Communion in faith, we receive his Word attached to bread and wine, we receive his own body and blood. He comes to us to strengthen our faith in what he has done for us. Confess your sins, hear his Word, and receive his Sacrament often. This is how he comes to you now. This is how you prepare for his coming at the last day!
Jesus doesn't just come to us as a holiday visitor. He came to live with us on earth, he comes to live in our hearts through his Word, and he will come to take us to live with him in heaven! When will Jesus come? We do not know when he will come at the last day. But we do know when Jesus came to prepare us for heaven by living and dying for us. And we know when Jesus comes now to get us ready for the last day. Be ready for his coming!