“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come”

Matthew 24:42

In some of Jesus’ final teachings to His disciples, He gave them a specific warning that we must heed today. “37. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, 39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be … 42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:37-39, 42).

Remember back for a minute to Noah. You can read the events in Genesis chapters 6-8. Specifically remember: “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God said He would destroy man and beast. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). We can read that God described Noah as a just man, and Noah walked with God (see Genesis 6:9). God told Noah to build an ark for his family and two of every animal. Noah obeyed. It took him about 100 years to build that ark. That means that everyone around saw what Noah was doing. See what we can read in 2 Peter 2:5: “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” This means that while Noah was building that ark, he was warning people (preaching) of what was coming. He may not have fully understood what was about to happen, but he warned the people nonetheless. Notice that in Genesis, God revealed that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth … only evil continually.” Jesus helps us understand that in this wickedness “they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage” until the day that Noah entered into the ark. They were just living their normal lives. However, God told us (in His Word) that the people were living wickedly. Moreover, they had no idea that a flood was coming to destroy them and the whole earth. Nevertheless, Noah knew. Moreover, while he was building that ark, he warned people.

Now, think of today. We know that when Jesus went back into heaven after His resurrection, He left us the promise that He would return in like manner (Acts 1:11). Right before Jesus gave that promise, He told those who believed in Him to be witnesses for Him. Christians are to proclaim the Gospel message (that Jesus lived a sinless life, died for sinful man, rose from the dead, and will one day take us to heaven with Him) to a lost world. A world that is full of people who eat, drink, and marry— just living normal lives. Nevertheless, a life without Jesus is a life that God sees as one that is wicked, and that every imagination of the thoughts of the hearts is only evil continually (remember Genesis 6:5).

What did Jesus tell Christians to do?

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). Watch means to “keep awake; be vigilant; awaken; figuratively to rouse from inactivity.” From what are we to awaken? From what inactivity are we to rouse? In what are we to be vigilant? We must do just as Noah did. Wake up and become preachers of righteousness! How do we do that? A preacher in this context is just one who delivers a message. All we need to do is warn people of their eternal separation from God by sharing with them the Gospel message of Jesus. Christians are to live lives pleasing to God. They are to hold the truth, that Jesus is the only Way to heaven! “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 16:6).

Are you watching?

Have you warned anyone today?