Living Our Lives in the Light of Jesus’ Second Coming: 5 Day Bible Plan With William Porter Ihe Atụ

Day Two: Keep Watchful

In the midst of all of Jesus' teaching, compassion, and miracles during his ministry on earth, we have in the Gospels one dramatic discourse just before the Holy Week stories. In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks with prophetic insight into the end time events that occur at the close of history. He warns his disciples about trouble, persecution, world suffering and conflict in the Middle East; he promised that as things were at their worst, then he would come in glory to save his people. Throughout his dramatic teaching, Jesus calls for his followers to be watchful. To be watchful means to stay spiritually alert to the events in the world around us. It includes the qualities of prayerfulness, of steadiness in our faith and of awareness of the signs of the times. Jesus said that we would not know the day or hour of his return, so we have to be ever watchful (Matthew 24:42). He said, however, that we would know the signs of the season leading up to his return. (Matthew 24:32–33). If there was an indefinite delay to his return, that was no excuse to fall asleep; instead, like those waiting for an ancient wedding procession at night, we needed to maintain a watchfulness in our faith (Matthew 25:13).

Some people love to be the early responders to things – those who hover on the internet to buy a bargain holiday or music event ticket the moment they are for sale. Even during the pandemic some people always seemed ahead of the game. Early on in the uncertainty of lockdown we would go to the shops to stock up, only to find empty shelves of favourite items, for others had sensed the warning signs and bought ahead of time. 

Jesus doesn't want us to panic at troubling things in the world, but he does encourage us to stay alert. He doesn't want us to be deceived by the latest religious fad or rocked by challenges to our faith, but he does expect us to stay awake and notice signs that point to the nearness of his coming. How far off that may be is always open to question; but as biblical prophetic signs increasingly indicate the kind of situations Jesus foretold, we hear his words of encouragement and warning – keep watchful!

Reflect: Do I take Jesus' teaching about the end times seriously? Would I describe myself as a sleepy saint or a watchful saint? What would staying spiritually alert to the world around me mean for me practically?

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you love us enough to give us signs and warnings in the Bible about the end times and your second coming. Help me never to panic when things in our world seem troubling or out of control, because I know that you are always in control of history. Help me to keep watchful in my faith, and to be alert and prayerful as things draw closer to your glorious return. In your name I pray. Amen.