Mark 13:32-37

Passage

Jesus then tells us that nobody knows the Day of Judgment except the Father.  Not us, not the angels, not even the Son!  Jesus then advises us to be on guard.  He tells us to be like servants who are left in charge of their jobs by the master of a house.  We need to stay awake and have our jobs done so that whenever the master should return He finds us in a place of being praised.  Jesus then gives us a command: Be vigilant.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus is teaching His disciples an honest lesson.  The Day of Judgment was not that day.  Nor has it been any day of the past 2,000 years since Jesus taught.  But that doesn’t actually change anything.  We need to be prepared to live every day as if the Day of Judgment is tomorrow.

If you knew that Jesus was coming to judge the world tomorrow, would that change how you lived today?  If that would change how you would live today, what does that tell you about how you should be living today versus how you would normally plan to live today?

Second Thought:

Jesus also says that even He doesn’t know the day.  We should really be careful of this.  Some people read this and assert that Jesus is saying that He cannot know the day.  If Jesus cannot know the day, then clearly the conclusion to be reached is that He’s not God.  Thus, we need to be careful.  This is not at all what Jesus is really saying.  It isn’t that Jesus cannot know the day.  It is that He doesn’t know it.  This is actually a statement of trust.  Jesus is placing that knowledge and control solidly into the hands of the Father.  He doesn’t need to know it.  He’s got a job to do, and picking the Day of Judgment isn’t a part of that job.

What does this statement say about your relationship with God with respect to trust?  What does this line of thinking say to all of those people who desire to “decode” the Bible to try and figure out when Christ is returning?

For the record, this is actually how the Trinity works.  The Father knew there needed to be atonement, but it was the Son’s job to handle it.  The Father and the Son know that people need to be protected and guaranteed until we arrive in salvation, but they give that task to the Holy Spirit.  Therefore it really does make sense that Jesus does not feel the need to control when the Day of Judgment happens.  Judgment is the work of the Father.

Third Thought:

Be vigilant.  Do what is necessary to stay prepared.  Be aware of potential danger.  Stay awake.  Watch out for situations that may cause us trouble.  This is how Jesus ends His talk with respect to the coming of the Son of Man and the coming of judgment.

What does it mean to you that Jesus says to be vigilant?  What can you do in your life to remain vigilant?  What can you do to help others around you become or remain vigilant with respect to the coming of the Son of Man?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 14: 1-2