Joel M Bradshaw

32“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard, keep awake.–Mark 13

Jesus had been talking about end-times matters. When would the second-coming of Jesus be? When would history as we know it come to an end? According to Jesus, even He couldn’t tell you. Jesus made two commands. They weren’t given to us, but since we are in the same position those disciples were in regarding timeline, these commands also apply to us.

1. BE ON GUARD. The Greek word is actually ‘to see’. It was one of the first words I learned. It’s blepo. And my friend Smittie told me, “It’s easy, JB, see a blip on the screen.” So Jesus expects us to be seeing. To be looking. Keep those eyes open. Life isn’t lived with the present as the ultimate focus, but Jesus’ return should be kept in mind.
2. KEEP AWAKE. We shouldn’t live life sleepily. Peter once described our attitudes as being ‘sober and alert’. It’s a similar idea here with Jesus.

Are your eyes open? Are you looking for Jesus to return like He promised? Do you view history leading up to that moment? Just because it’s been over 2000 years since Mark chapter 13, Jesus still could return at any moment. If so, how will Jesus find you?–JMB