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Chances are, you’ve probably heard someone say Jesus is coming back in the next fifty years or so. Statements like these can cause a lot of anxiety, especially for those of us in younger generations. After all, we haven’t lived much of our lives yet, and as Cupbearers the fact that we haven’t been able to do many great things for God can really discourage us. But God doesn’t want us to despair. Instead, He wants us to prepare.
No One Knows When
Jesus talks about His second coming in Matthew 24. He gives a very important point in verse 36: no one knows when He’s coming back, not even Jesus Himself. Only God the Father knows. Many have taken the verses about “not knowing the day or hour” Jesus is coming back to mean we could still know the decade or even the year, but His point was that we really don’t know when He is going to come back at all. He did give some signs to look out for, but many of these signs have been occurring ever since He gave this speech to His disciples 2000 years ago. There’s nothing wrong with making speculations, but it is critical that we remember no one knows when Jesus is coming back.
Birth Pains
As mentioned above, Jesus did give us some things to watch out for: physical turmoil and the persecution of His followers.
The physical turmoil He mentioned was in the form of earthquakes, famines, wars, and rumors of wars. Wars and rumors of wars should make sense because we know that our world continues to degrade into sin over time. Hatred will become more and more widespread, and governments will wage war on each other more and more frequently.
Jesus also mentioned that as the end times draw near, all nations will persecute and kill His followers for their faith. Many will walk away from the faith, and false prophets will pop up everywhere claiming to be the Messiah and deceiving people. But in the midst of all of these troubling events, the whole world will know the Gospel, even if they don’t believe it. That’s why reaching those unreached by the Gospel is so important. We are literally working towards Jesus’ return.
It’s Gonna be Obvious
When Jesus comes back, it’s going to be really, really obvious. Contrary to all the jokes we tend to make about “missing the rapture,” no one will have to wonder if Jesus has come back or not. Everyone will see it. Jesus specifically warns against trusting people who say things like, “Jesus came back! He’s in this room over here” or “I saw Jesus in the woods behind my house a few minutes ago!” When Jesus comes back, all those who have not put their trust in Him will see Him coming in splendor and glory, and they will mourn. But as Christians, we will see Him and rejoice.
Our Response
And that’s our response- to always be ready. It’s hypocritical to spend so much time trying to figure out when Jesus is coming back that we don’t prepare for His return. We need to share the Gospel, be diligent in the tasks He’s set in front of us, and study His Word so we aren’t deceived by false teachers. He could come by the time You’re finished reading this article, but if He doesn’t, your responsibility is to act like He’s coming tomorrow but not expect Him to come tomorrow. Prepare, but don’t despair. Jesus will come in God’s perfect timing. Get ready!
What would you do if you knew Jesus was coming tomorrow? Post it in the comments, then go do it!