“When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return.” ― A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope.
If we accept A.W. Tozer’s statement that when He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him, how do we prepare for the second coming of Christ?
The return of Jesus Christ could be imminent; that is, His return could occur at any moment. We, with the apostle Paul, “look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed” (Titus 2:13). Knowing that the Lord could come back today, should we stop what we are doing and wait? There is a big difference between knowing that Jesus could return today and that He will return today. Jesus said, “No one knows the day or hour…” (Matthew 24:36). We don’t know when He will return. But until that day, we should continue serving Him.
The Second Coming is a motivation to action, not as a reason to cease from action. But we also need to be prepared to wait. The first Christians longed for Jesus to come in their lifetime. Believers today feel the same way. But we also need to wait for Christ’s promise, “I will come again” ( John 14:3 ESV).
Jesus compared this waiting time to the experience of servants whose master had left them in charge of his home and property while he was away on a long journey: “You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning” (Mark 13:35–36).
Do you want to be prepared for Jesus’ second coming? Then live like His first coming mattered. Jesus spoke parables about His return. In Luke 19:11-27, He told about a nobleman who traveled to a far country to become king. This nobleman called ten of his servants and “divided among them ten pounds of silver.” He said.”Invest this for me while I am gone” (v. 13). After an unspecified duration, the nobleman returned as king and summoned his servants to give an account of their faithfulness. The first two servants had been productive with what was entrusted to them. But another servant had done nothing. He wrapped money in a cloth and hid it. His mistake was not acting on what he professed to believe. He professed something about his master but didn’t live by his profession and lost his reward (vv. 21-23). The lesson for us is that God expects all His servants to grow and use what they have been given as much as possible. The silver or the money represents the gifts, talents, and opportunities God gives us to save and love Him and others.
The apostle James reminds us to “…be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:7–8).
Discussion Questions:
- Practically speaking, how can we be totally “Ready” for the return of Jesus?
- What practical and simple ways can we invest our time, talent, and treasure for eternity?