Each day of Holy Week Jesus would come into Jerusalem teach in the temple, then retire to the Mount of Olives where he continued to teach those eager to understand themselves, God and how to live in this world.
Jesus’ message to His followers was very different than what He shared with the Pharisees. He mainly spoke to them about being prepared for His return. He didn’t go into the gory details about the imminent events of the next three days—His arrest, crucifixion and burial. He didn’t even spend most of His time preparing them for the third day—His Resurrection from the Dead!
Those events, so familiar to us, perhaps needed to be experienced by them first before their significance could fully be grasped.
Those events, so familiar to us, perhaps needed to be experienced by them first before their significance could fully be grasped.
Rather, Jesus used these last moments of face to face ministry and interaction with His followers to prepare them to carry out their part of God’s plan for the redemption of the world. He was handing off the baton to them and now us. He made it very clear that our job is to share the Gospel and to live our lives ready for His return.
He tells us to live like the wise servants in the Parable of the Talents, using whatever God has given us—whether great of small—to further multiply His Kingdom. He expects these to be discovered and used not buried and forgotten.
He taught the Parable of the 10 Virgins, 5 were ready with enough oil to burn their lamps until the Bridegroom came while 5 were not ready to meet the bridegroom because they did not have oil in their lamps. Oil represents the Holy Spirit in Scripture.
He gave them the sign of the saved in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats which is feeding, clothing and giving to those in need. Jesus’ true followers will be His hands and feet to meet the needs of others. When we serve others in this way, Jesus tells us that we are truly serving Christ Himself.
Jesus gave a few details about the Signs of the End of the Age and let us in on the knowledge that even He does not know the day of His return. He doesn’t need to know that specific day. The only One who knows the exact day it will take place is God. Jesus is content with “the unknowing” and we should be too.
Jesus’ second coming marks our final freedom from the effects of sin. It should play a predominant place in our thoughts each day. One twentieth of the New Testament speaks about His return. There are over three hundred references to His second coming in the Bible. Twenty-three of the twenty-seven New Testament books speak about His return.
As you prepare your heart for Easter ask yourself: “Am I preparing my heart for His return? How do you live that reveals that you are preparing to meet Jesus? How have you used the gifts He has given you?
(Matthew 24-26:5)
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