"No one knows"

Matthew 24:36-44



Pastor Tom Johnson, November 28, 2010

This morning we hear Jesus’ words about “the hour of the coming of the Son of Man.” He compares this event to the days of Noah when the world carried on as if nothing were going to happen. And then the flood came. And God preserved for himself a people and a boatload of creatures to begin anew. Movie makers love these doomsday scenarios. Right now in theatres you can watch a movie about the threat of darkness taking over the whole universe. Or, in another movie, there is the threat of eternal winter. There are plenty of movies with comets and asteroids crashing into the earth, alien invasions, global warming, global freezing, zombie world wars, nuclear holocausts, and viral epidemics. A year ago, the world’s end was predicted to happen according to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar. There is as much talk today about the end of the world as there was in Jesus’ day…perhaps more. Perhaps we have more to worry about and more uncertainty about our future today. There are some very real threats to our planet and our future as the human race.

But Jesus leads us away from this anxiety and fear. He does not want us speculate or worry about the future. He wants us to get busy with the present. He says, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” This saying raises more questions than it answers. How could the day and hour of His return be so top secret that even He does not know when it will be?

Jesus likens His arrival in human history to a thief’s arrival at night. There is no way to know when the thief will come during the night. Likewise, there is no way to know exactly when Jesus will come back in human history. Just as the master of the house must stay awake and alert all night to be ready for the thief, so we must be spiritually awake and ready for the Lord’s return. We are to be ready for Jesus’ return. We don’t know when—but we know who, what, where, why, and how. And that is enough to cast out our fear and anxieties.

We know who—the eternal Son of God, the One who came from heaven to earth out of love for the whole world, the One who died and rose again to conquer death and sin, the One who said He will come back again as our triumphant King.

We know what—He has told us what to do in the meantime—to make disciples of all the nations, to teach, to baptize, to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love one another as he has loved us.

We know where—he will appear to humanity everywhere—His glory will be seen in every corner of the globe—his power will be displayed on the face of the whole earth.

We know why—he comes back to bring us final deliverance from death, the devil, this world’s injustice and brokenness, and even our own sin. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. He will make all things new.

We know how—the angel told the disciples that He will come back just as He ascended into heaven—in the clouds—in great glory—he will reappear as dramatically as he said ages ago when he ascended to the Father.

We know who, what, where, why, and how—we just don’t know when. Jesus encourages us to live our lives in readiness and alertness—to be spiritually awake and prepared for this world to be transformed by his return. We are not truly living our lives as God wants us to if we don’t live our lives in faith that he will return one day. The reality of who Jesus is and what this world will be will intersect one day in time.

At some point in human history, everyone will know that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings. There will be a day and an hour when this world will never be the same—there will be an end to the world as we know it—there will be a new beginning to this world that will transform our lives forever. Jesus wants us to live our lives as if his presence will break through into our experience at any moment. He wants us to stop our speculation and begin living in the moment—prepared and ready for great arrival—not that he is absent. He is simply not here as fully as He one day will be.

This season of Advent reminds us that Jesus has come. He speaks to us in His Word. He has made us children of the heavenly Father through baptism. And His Body and Blood are present with us in the bread and wine of Communion. He is with us this morning and one day he will come in even greater glory. And when he does, he will make all things new. This is our comfort. This is the assurance that we have a good and gracious God. He comes for us. He comes to bring us to our eternal home. And so we pray, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”