Holy Week // Matthew 25
Matthew 25
“Pop Quiz.” Two of the most horrifying words echoed throughout high school classrooms. Do you remember that feeling? You sit down, pull out your notebook, and chat with friends as you wait for the teacher to begin class. The teacher starts with their typical greeting to the class, but not long into their speech they say “Today is a pop quiz”. What happens next depended on the type of student you were or how well-studied you were in the course content.
Jesus is talking about his second coming here in Matthew 25 and how his people are to be ready. This is a much larger magnitude of an impact than a pop quiz in high school, and it likely draws deeper thoughts than your world history class. Jesus is laying out what it means for his people to be ready for his return. He does this through parables and imagery. After reading through, we can see that Jesus focuses on three main ideas.
Be wise and prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom.
Steward what the Lord has given you for his glory.
Love and serve those who are the least of his people.
These are the practices Jesus calls his Church to walk in between the time of his departure and the time of his return. Be ready, use what he has given you, and love his people. He emphasizes that we should not wait until we see the Bridegroom returning to get all of our stuff together, but that we should live life ready for the Bridegroom to come back any day.
Are you ready for the end? Are you ready for the return of the Bridegroom? Are you stewarding the resources that you've been given for his glory? These questions startle me for a second, like the words “Pop Quiz” but they should be taken more seriously because Jesus could return anytime, and we as Christians should be living in response to the gospel. As we approach Easter, we are thinking about Christ’s death and resurrection, on the other side of that reality, we as Christians also need to process Christ’s return. Take some time over the next few days to ponder where you are at with this personally.
I'm praying for the Church and also Resonate Church to be full of Christians that live life ready for the Bridegroom to return.
