Matthew 24

Devotional:
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. (Matt. 24:36,44)

Does verse 36 seem a bit odd to you? If Jesus is divine, why doesn’t he know when he will return? Jesus is God incarnate, but Jesus also voluntarily submits himself to the Father’s supreme Godhead authority; he willingly surrenders to the Father all prerogative and knowledge regarding his second coming, including its timing. That being the case, you mustn’t let any self-proclaimed expert try to tell you when Jesus will return, because only the Father knows. And especially because we cannot know the day and hour, we must be ready for His return at any time.

Pray it:
Jesus, I thank you for this puzzling and powerful statement that you don’t know the time of your return. Help me remember that I can never know the time but to live ready for it to happen at any time – and to look forward to that day. Come Lord Jesus, come! Amen.

Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?