I Believe in the Return of Jesus

Introduction

Story of me not being ready with my Mom.

This phrase in the Creed communicates two truths:

Jesus will come again as the Sovereign King of the Universe.

He will judge all people (living and the dead) in righteousness and make all things new.

Key Point: Jesus will return as King to judge the world in righteousness. Thus, we must be ready for his return by living as his faithful servants.

I want to briefly give some truths about what will happen before Jesus’ return and when Jesus returns. . . but then spend the bulk of our time studying Jesus’ command to be ready for his return in Luke 12:35-48.

What will happen before Christ returns.

False Messiahs will appear to deceive.

Wars, famines, earthquakes.

A Great Tribulation.

The gospel will be proclaimed to all nations.

What will happen when Christ returns

Visibility.

Judgment.

Salvation.

Kingdom.

Be Ready for Christ’s Return (Luke 12:35-48).

The Faithful Servant (v. 35-44)

Luke 12:35–40 ESV

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

The Faithful Servant is Ready.

“Stay Dressed for Action”

“Gird Your Loins” Exodus 12:11.

Put your belt on and tuck in your shirt so you can run and get to work. . . serve!

Prepare for effort, difficulty, and trouble.

For us, this means putting on the belt of truth each day (Eph. 6:14). . . it means preparing our minds for action and keeping a single minded focus on Jesus (1 Pt. 1:13).

Another synonym used is to “be awake” (v. 37, 38, 40).

Staying awake communicates faithful living.

The servant who is “dressed for action” is one is taking care of the house and keeping everything in order while his master is away.

He is “waiting” (v. 36). . . looking forward to. . . longing for his master’s return.

The opposite would be laziness.

“Keep your lamps burning”

It means to walk in the light and not in the darkness. . . to be children of the day instead of children of the night.

Romans 13:11–14 ESV

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The opposite would be remaining in the darkness and being ignorant.

Ready at all times.

In Jesus’ day, wedding celebrations could last for days. It was always unclear when they would end.

Even in the second or third watch (v. 38)

10pm-6am. . . these would be the hardest hours to stay awake and vigilant.

As if the thief could come at any hour of the night (v. 39-40).

The Faithful Servant Will be Blessed.

v. 37-38, 43.

The Master will actually have his servants recline at the table and he will serve them! (John 13:4).

He will be put in charge of the master’s entire house (v. 43-44)

If one is faithful to take care of earthly things, the Lord will place him in charge of eternal things.

“It is not the servant who is found wishing or professing, but the servant who is found “doing” whom Jesus calls blessed. . . This is not about justification but sanctification, not about faith but about holiness. The point is not what a person should do to be saved, but what ought a saved person do.” -JC Ryle

The Unfaithful Servant (v. 45-48)

Luke 12:45–48 (ESV)

45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.

The Unfaithful Servant is Not Ready

Foolish: v. 45

Instead of managing the master’s food and serving it to his guests, he eats it himself.

Instead of loving the people under his care, he beats them.

See Luke 12:19; 1 Cor. 15:32; Isaiah 22:13 as examples of a fool that describe these actions.

This characterizes laziness, selfishness, and living in the deeds of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).

sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

Rebellious: v. 47

He knows the will of his master, but refuses to obey.

The Unfaithful Servant Will be Punished

“Cut into pieces”

When Jesus returns, he will righteously judge all evil.

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Place with the unfaithful refers to Gehenna (weeping and gnashing of teeth: Matt. 25).

“Beaten” (Severe/Light)

Their are degrees of punishment in hell. . . but divine punishment none the less.

God’s punishment will always be proportionately just.

Jesus pulls no punches here but makes it plain: Those who do not do the will of God will face a terrible punishment for eternity in hell.

“The great Lord, who is full of tenderness, does not hesitate to use the sternest figure and the most terrible language, simply because he does not consult his own feelings but aims at the highest good of those with whom he deals.” -Charles Spurgeon

Response

If we believe in the return of Jesus, we will do three things. . .

Be Ready for His Return.

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (v. 48)

We are all in the camp to which “much has been given.”

“Their knowledge not used and their light not followed will only add to their condemnation.” -JC Ryle

We know the master’s will. . . the question is, we will be faithful to do it, or we will be unfaithful and reject it?

The difference between the two servants is one believed his master was coming home and the other didn’t.

If you believe Jesus is coming again to judge the world then your life will reflect your faith. . . you will live as a faithful servant.

The only way we can be ready for his return and faithful servant over his house is if we have received him at his first coming.

Whether we have or have not received Christ by faith is seen in our faithfulness to “serve him and his people in his house.”

Hope in His Return.

Jesus will make all things new.

We will be free from sin, suffering, pain, sadness, and death.

We will see his face

1 John 3:2 ESV

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

We don’t have to seek revenge because Jesus will judge all unrighteousness and right every wrong and injustice. . . his judgment is good.

We can entrust ourselves to the one who judges justly when we are mistreated.

Prepare Others for His Return.

If you knew your friend or family member’s house was going to be robbed or attacked by a serial killer, wouldn’t you warn them about it?

Penn Jillet story

The judgment of God is coming when Christ returns. . . “how much do you have to hate someone not to warn them about the coming judgment?” -Penn Jillet