A Waiting Attitude
A Waiting Attitude, Assurance, Attitude, Authority, Blog, Busy, Character, Christ’s Imminent Return, Christ’s Return, Christians, Days of Noah, Delays, Different, Disciples, Drinking, Eating, End of the Earth, Erik Garthe, Expectancy, Faithfulness, Father, Fig Tree, Given in Marriage, God’s Plan, His Coming, Holy Spirit, Hour, Illustration, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Judea and Samaria, Kingdom, Labor Pains, Lord, Lord’s Return, Marrying, No Longer Conformed, Parable, Power, Preoccupation, Preparedness, Priority, Qualities, Ready, Routine, Seasons, Serving, Signs, Stewardship, Teaching, Times, Wait, Warning, Watch, Watchfulness, Witnesses, world
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Matthew 24:32-51 exhorts us to have the right attitude as we wait for the Lord’s return. The concept of “waiting” is like serving tables, being busy. First, recognize signs in God’s plan—“Now learn this parable
from the fig tree:” (v. 32) Understand that when the fig branch “puts forth leaves” only a short time remains until summer. Likewise, when the final labor pains of Christ’s return begin, His coming “is near—at the doors!” (v. 33) We have the assurance of Jesus Christ Himself that whatever He declares will come to pass. Second, be ready for Christ’s imminent return—“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (v. 42) In Acts 1, when asked about His return one more time, Jesus answered and gave His priority. Question: Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (v. 6) Answer: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (v. 8) In verse 7 Jesus introduced the answer to their question: “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Our Text here in Matthew emphasizes the character Jesus expects of His disciples … faithfulness; watchfulness; stewardship; expectancy; preparedness—He taught all these qualities in these verses. Why? Christians should be different than the world. The illustration He uses is “as the days of Noah were,” (v. 37). Jesus focused on the preoccupation with routine activities, i.e. eating, drinking, marrying, given in marriage, etc. They received plenty of warning, but weren’t concerned and were swept away. Jesus then told a parable, teaching to be ready in case He comes sooner than anticipated, and to also be prepared in case He delays longer than expected.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
