Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42 NIV
If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. Mark 13:36 NIV
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. Luke 21:34 NIV
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 1 John 2:28 NIV
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all felt it necessary warn us about the return of Jesus and all four make it very clear that He will come back at a time when we are not expecting Him.
Matthew says to “keep watch,” in other words, don’t let Him catch you off guard. Satan is good at distracting us and lulling us into a mindset that forgets the Lord could return today. That can be a problem if it leads us into complacency or worse yet, into sin.
Mark warns us to be sure He doesn’t find us “sleeping” when He comes.
Luke plainly tells us that unless we are careful, that day will close on us “suddenly like a trap!” Why? Because our hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life. In other words, unless we take active measures and extra care, Jesus will come and instead of being ready to greet Him, we will be trapped in our sin and preoccupied with the worries of life, and there will be no chance to remedy the situation.
John, not in his gospel, but in his first letter, encourages us to “continue in Him.” God honors consistency and endurance. He wants us to continue walking in Him, day after day after day, always ready for His return. We’re not to just look forward to it, but we are to live differently, simply because today could be the day we meet Jesus face to face. John says if we can do that, when Jesus comes we will be confident and unashamed.
So how about you, are you ready to meet Jesus today? If He comes this afternoon will He find you watching, confident and unashamed? If not, don’t risk the day closing on you suddenly like a trap. Do what ever it takes to prepare for His return right now. Don’t wait, for He could come in the next five minutes!