Mat 24:42, “Watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes.” Beyond the Lord's return or the rapture, this is an exhortation to vigilance because God can surprise us positively (and not only negatively) at any moment. He may appear unexpectedly under any disguise to bless us. If we fail to recognise Him or are not ready to receive Him like the foolish virgins (25:1-13), well, that will be our bad.
We must be even more vigilant that we do not know when our darkest hour or night of darkness will fall on us. Throughout chapters 24 and 25, Jesus repeatedly insisted on the need to be watchful. Unfortunately, His words entered in one ear and came out in the other because the guys saw no danger on the horizon; and yet… Jesus went to Gethsemane with three of them to pray; but on three occasions, He had to wake them up and remind them that it was not the time to sleep but to watch and pray (26:36-45). Had they done so, they could have understood the spiritual dimension of the events; they could have found the strength not to deny or forsake the Lord at this crucial time; and they would not have tried to use carnal weapons (cutting somebody’s ear with a sword) in a spiritual warfare. We must watch and pray because we do not know when the Lord will come or when trials will knock on our door; but one thing is sure: they will come.
Mat 26:29, “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Oh! Will we be drinking beverages in Heaven? In Mk 12:25, Jesus told the Sadducees that after the resurrection, people will not marry again, but will be like angels in heaven. Do angels or spirits drink? Mystery, mystery of the kingdom… “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (Jn 14:2). Oh! The Father lives in a house into which there are many mansions. Do spirits or angels live in houses? Another mystery and food for thoughts for those who imagine heaven as a dull and boring place. Seek and you shall find/understand…
Mat 26:51-53, “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” The scene takes place at the time of the arrest of the Lord. It reminds us that we must not always call upon the heavenly hosts or call the fire down from heaven on our enemies (real or imaginary), like Boanerges, the sons of thunder (Mk 3:17). All is not resolved with a display of flesh or power. We do not have to reply to every attack, question or provocation. Indeed, when Pilate questioned Him regarding the accusations of the clergy of the time, Jesus did not answer; but He replied when asked if He was the king of the Jews (27:11-14). “There is a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak… a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” (3:7, 8) In fact, Jesus goes on to ask Peter who had drawn the sword (vs. 54), “How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" He perfectly knew who He was and what was written about Him. Do you know what has been written, said or prophesied about you? Are you capable, like Jesus, to refuse to go in a certain direction or do certain things because it would be going against the fulfillment of your destiny or of a prophecy concerning you?
Mat 27:19, “While he was sitting (Pontius Pilate) on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream."” God does not speak only to Christians. He can also use dreams and visions to speak to non Christians. He did so with Pilate’s wife, the Pharaoh in Joseph’s days, Nebucadnezzar and some others. The Magi who came to worship Jesus were obviously neither Jews nor Christians; yet, God spoke to them through the vision of a Star. When we consider the sorts of channels which God can use, we must be careful throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Test everything; hold fast what is good (1Th 5.21).
God bless you!
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