Anticipating Christ’s Return
Anticipating, Anticipating Christ's Return, Blog, Bridegroom, Careless, Change, Character, Christ’s Return, Delayed, Door, Dream, Erik Garthe, Faith, Fault, Foolish, God, God’s Grace, Heart, His Return, Injustice, Jesus, Kingdom of Heaven, Lamps, Lord, No Longer Conformed, Oil, Parable, Profession, salvation, Satan, Second Chance, Sin, Slept, Slumbered, Suffering, Taught, Vessels, Victory, Virgins, Waiting, Warning, Wedding, Wise, world
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In a world full of sin, suffering, and injustice, it seems as if God has been outscored by Satan. Victory appears to be an unlikely dream; but you can rest assured that God is gearing up for the greatest comeback
of all time. In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus taught with another parable: to be ready for His return even if it seems delayed. When He does come, there will be no second chance. First, consider the character of the virgins—“The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom … Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” (vv. 1-4) When Jesus comes, there will be no time to get ready. Profession of faith without a change of heart won’t do. Only hearts full of God’s grace will be ready. Second, consider the fault of the virgins—“While the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.” (v. 5) Careless in waiting should not be the pattern of Christians! The warning came: “’Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ All those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps at the Bridegroom’s House.” (vv. 6-7) There was sudden distress: “And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ … the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you.’” (vv. 8-9) They didn’t care before but now they were finally interested in the oil. It was too late, yet they still tried—rushing to make things right at the last moment. Verses 10-12 are the sad reality … “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” They had put off salvation until too late. Be ready!
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
