Luke 12:35-38

Luke chapter 12, reading verses 35 through verse 38, let your loins be girded about and your light’s burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Therely I say unto you that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so blessed, are those servants. May God bless to us his holy and sacred word this morning. While on the expedition to the South Pole, Sir Ernest Shackleton, who was a British explorer, left a few men behind on Elephant Island while he went elsewhere. And he promised that he would return to get them. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked his way to the island. He was able to get there. But suddenly, as if by a miracle one day, the icebergs moved out of the way and he got a path into the island, went in, hurriedly got the men on board the ship and left. And just as they got out of the passage to the island, the icebergs Berks came back together again. So it was a pretty narrow escape. Contemplating this, he said to his men, it was fortunate. You were all packed and ready to go when I got there. And they said, well, we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea began to clear vice, we had everything packed and ready to go. They were ready and watching for him to come back. Now, our Lord here, in this long passage, verses 35 through 48, is dealing with the subject of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and being prepared for that occasion. In the preceding verses, you remember the Lord spoke against worry and being threatful and having anxiety, sinful anxieties about our life in this world. But here, Jesus exhorts you to prepare for eternity, prepare for his return, for his return, which will usher in the eternal state. Jesus would soon die upon the cross, and he would be resurrected, spend a short time. with his disciples here on earth. Then he is going to send up into heaven and sit at the right hand of the Father and reign as king. But he promises those that he left behind that he’s going to come back. Just like Shackleton said, I’m going to come back and get you. Our Lord says, I’m coming back. In the meantime, he provides some instructions about what were to do, how we’re to live. before he comes back again. When we’re talking about being ready for Christ return, let me begin by saying this, you must be ready for the coming of Christ. Now, the Lord has promised to personally return. Now, in Scripture, there are what we call judgment comings of the Lord, where Christ says he’s going to go. come and you’re going to meet out punishment to those who are disobedient or evil doers. For example, for the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation chapter 2, verse 5, he says, remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come under thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except I’ll repent. Now, evidently, somewhere along the line, Christ did remove the candlestick because that church is no longer there. He says this to the Church of Pergamos in chapter 2, verses 15 and 60. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaidans, which thing I hate, repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Again, this is a a judgment coming. He doesn’t personally appear, but he comes and judges on these occasions. The book of Revelation, and a lot of it, deals with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And Christ promises that he’s going to come and every eye shall see him when he comes on the cloud and brings judgment. And they also, which pierced him. The very ones who crucified our Lord Jesus Christ is, I’m coming again, and he’s going to meet out judgment upon them. And all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, as Revelation 1-7 tells us. In Matthew 10, 23. But when they persecute you in this city, Jesus says to his disciples, flee to another. Verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man become. These all are judgment comings that we’re talking about here. However, our text is talking here about Christ’s personal, visible return, what we call the second coming of Christ. That the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trump of God as we read in 1. Thessololians 416. Acts 111. This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. Just as he visibly personally left the earth, he’s going to visibly and personally return to the earth. Or as Titus 2.13 says, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. These are passages along with 2. Peter Chapter 3 that we could mention. The parable of the nobleman going to a far country to receive a kingdom and then he’s going to come back. Again, all those stories and accounts, that’s a Luke 19 story, parable. All these, and many others, refer to this literal, personal, visible return of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ will as certainly be here again in glory as he once was here here in humility, and and shame, for he has promised that he is going to return. When L.T. Talbot left Australia years ago, he said to his mother, Mother, if God spares me, I will come back to see you. And for years she waited. If anyone asked her, Mrs. Talbot, what are you waiting for? She would always reply, my boy is coming back home again. And suppose this person said to her we’re coming back, what do you mean? Surely you don’t expect a personal, visible, actual coming, do you? Yes, she would reply. That’s the way he’s coming. Possibly our friend might have said this. Did you ever get letters from him? Did he ever send you gifts? Well, That is what he meant when he said he’s coming again. Mrs. Telbert would have answered why that isn’t what he meant, for he said he would come back again. Some years later, her son did return, walked down the gangplank, off the ship, the steamer. He says, Mother, I’m home. One day Christ is going to return, just as he promised he would. And we would. will get to see him as he is. This doctrine of the second coming of Jesus Christ is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. There are many who deny this doctrine, but I think it’s pretty clearly taught in the scriptures. You can’t miss it as you read through the scriptures. That’s pretty obvious in my opinion. So in order to prepare for it, The first thing, we have to actually believe he’s going to come, right? As he repeatedly said. So the Lord has promised to personally return. And so we have to believe that. Secondly, the great plan of redemption requires Christ Christ to return again. You know, as part of the divine plan, Christ came once to provide a sin offer. As he came the first time to redeem. his people, he comes the second time, declaimed the inheritance that he bought. He came once that his heel might be bruised according to Genesis 315, but he comes the second time because he’s going to crush Satan’s head and all his enemies will be trampled under his feet and broken like potter’s vessels. Psalm 2 seems to indicate to us. He came once to wear crown of thorns. But he comes the second time and he will display the diadem of universal dominion that was given him when he went to heaven to reign as king over this universe. He came the first time as the Savior man. He’s going to come the second time as the judge of all men. He came the first time and was despite and rejected of men, he comes the second time to be glorified in his saints and be admired by all them that believe. Know this, that the whole scheme of salvation cannot be perfected if Jesus Christ doesn’t return again. The whole history of paradise being restored requires Christ resurrecting the dead, and renewing of this sin-cursed earth so that we have a world in which dwelleth righteousness, new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. The first coming is only half the story. The second coming completes the story for us. So you must be ready for the coming of Christ. He’s promised he’s going to return, and if we look at scripture, he has to return. in order to complete this work of redemption. Now secondly, the Lord bids you here in our text to watch for him. Now, you are to be like a servant being ready for his master to return. And he mentions a wedding here in Luke 12, and also in Matthew 25, in the parable of the Ten Virgins. Both of those occasions are the same idea. So watching implies keeping yourself in a serviceable condition. He says in verse 35, let your loins be gird about, or girded about. Now, the Romans, the Greeks, the Jews, and most of those in the Palestine area. Male and female, alike wore long, loose, flowing robes. Now, these are often ornamental and very beautiful, but they’re not very convenient for active exertion. You couldn’t run or walk briskly in them without being tripped up by your robe. So to be free for any type of exertion, you’d have to gather up the upper your upper garment of the robe and fasten it around your waist with a belt or a girdle of some sort. Do you remember the story of Elijah when he was on Mount Carmel and he defeated the prophets of bail and they hadn’t had rain for three and a half years and finally when the people recognized that Jehovah was the true and living God, the Lord promised he’s going to end the drought. He’s going to send the rain. Everyone needed to get down off the mountain before it started raining. It was going to come down in torrential downpours. Be a heavy rain. So Elijah says to King Ahab, prepare thy chariot and get thee down that the rain stopped thee not. So as the heavens became black with clouds and wind, wind, Ahab got into his chariot and headed down. And we read this, the hand of the Lord was on Elijah. And he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jesra. He tied up his robe so he could run down on the side of the mountain. That’s the idea of our text. Hence, this is sort of a figured way of saying to us, be prepared to work for Christ and until he returns. Exert yourself. So you’re not to be idle here, but you are to be engaged in your Heavenly Father’s business. Nor is this all physical. Your mind also is to be fully engaged in the service of Christ. Listen to what Peter says. 1. Peter 2. Excuse me. 1.1.13. Girt up the loins of your mind. Get your mind. Get your mind actively engaged. Be sober. Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought onto you at the revelation or the coming of Jesus Christ. So Christ demands that you work for his kingdom. As you watch for his come, you stay active, is what he tells us here. Watching also implies waiting with your light spurning. He says here in the second part of verse 35 and your lights burning. In the latter part of verse 36, he says here about, he’s going to return for the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Now, this is best explained, I think, by the parable of the ten virgins. If you look with me at Matthew chapter 12, I’m excuse, Matthew chapter 25, I think it is. Let me see here. Let me read here the first 12 verses of this. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened under ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise, five were foolish. They that were foolish, their lamps, took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish and otherwise give us of your, oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they were ready, went in with him to their marriage, and the door was shut. And afterward came also the other version saying, Lord, Lord, opened us, but he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. And as he says in verse 13, watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the son of man coming. Now the visible church here is compared to ten virgins who are waiting for Christ, the bridegroom, to return. By the way, this seems to built on the Song of Solomon. The whole idea of the virgins and the bridegroom and so forth seems to be built on that book in the Old Testament. Some were wise and they made preparation for the bridegroom’s return. Because they had oil in their lamps. Others were foolish and were content with an outward perfection of faith, but they didn’t have any oil in their lamp. We could say that the oil represents the saving graces of the Holy Spirit. The wise were furnished with the saving graces of the Spirit, faith working by love, repentance, mortification of sinful lust, walking in newness of life and so forth. Their lights were brightly burning, for they sought to glorify God. But those destitute of inward grace, have lamps of outward profession. They lay back boil. And therefore are not concerned to glorify God while while they’re here in this life. Now, if you are to watch for the Lord, it ought to be with your lamps or lights burning. Honoring Christ, having the grace of the Spirit in your life. Are you making your light to shine before men, as we’re told by our Savior? Do you think that your conduct and character are an example to those who are your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, so forth? May you stand with your lamp trimmed, your light shining brightly as you wait for Jesus Christ? So, Watching implies waiting with your lights burning. Thirdly, watching implies you being ready to welcome him. That when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Verse 36, and the very same thing is mentioned, it seems here in verse 38 as well. If he come in the same thing, he comes here in the same thing, as mentioned, as mentioned, it seems here in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants who are prepared. You see, are waiting. Suppose you were on a journey. Suppose you were out of town for quite a while. You’ve been absent from home. You know what it is to come home, and your wife and children are all waiting for you when you show up. You’ve written them letters, maybe you talk with them on. the phone maybe you FaceTime them over the internet or something like that. But all of that is nothing compared to your personal presence. So they’re looking out for you. And if there is a delay, they’re going to wait up for you because they want to see you. And so there they are waiting. Maybe it’s 11, maybe it’s 12, maybe it’s 1 o’clock before you get home. You wouldn’t come home and expect the house to be dark. and everybody asleep, you’re quite sure that they will be up. They’ll be awaiting your arrival when you come. So in a similar manner as one of Christ’s servants, he would be displeased to find your lamp gone out and you fall in asleep when he comes again. But if you are awake and your lamp is trimmed and burning brightly upon his return, how pleased your master will be. And then you will not be surprised. You will not be in any disorder and thus ashamed when your master comes. You will cheerfully welcome him at the first knock on the door, so to speak. Or even go forth to meet him as he’s coming up the walkway to the house. Now Christ may come on an unlikely time. He may come at the second or third watch, it says here. Now, in the New Testament, Roman soldiers would set watches to guard the camp at night. So the New Testament seems to have adopted the Roman army’s watch times of which there were four. The first watch was 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The second watch was 9 p.m. The second watch was 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. The third watch was 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. And the fourth watch was 3 a.m. 6 a.m. Thus you find when Jesus walks on the water and goes out to the ship, he does it in the fourth watch of the night, according to Matthew 1425. He does it between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. That’s pretty late, isn’t it? But the point here is whether Christ’s, arrives early or whether he comes late. His servants are to be ready to welcome him when he comes. So watching implies you being ready to welcome him. Now, you will be rewarded for watching for Christ. Verse 37, blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he comes, shall find watching. Verily I said to you, he shall gurd himself, he shall gurd himself. and make them sit down to meet, and we’ll come forth and serve them. Those who are faithfully watching for the Savior to return shall be treated with great joy, condescension, honor, and kindness by our Savior. In Roman custom, it was not unusual for the bridegroom, to actually serve at his own wedding. And it seems that the masters of families, sometimes on special occasions like holidays and things, would serve the whole family, including the servants. Something of this nature, this condescension, Jesus showed, remember at the last supper? What did he do? He laid aside his upper garments. He raised his upper garments. He rose from the table or the supper, took a towel, and guarded himself, and he poured water into a basin, and he washed the disciples’ feet. Now, some see in this verse that I just read here, verse 37, it’s merely symbolic that it’s a state of happiness and joy that we’re going to enter into. Dare we imagine that Christ will actually wait upon you and I as faithful service? Now, Christ solemnly declares this. He says, Verily I say unto you, mark this thine as truth, I’m going to do this. Keep in mind, Jesus Christ is no ordinary servant. If you look at Luke 2227, for whether it is greater, he that sitteth at a meal or he that serve it. Is it not he that sitteth at me? But I am among you as he that serveth. Interesting, common. What is pictured here in Luke 12, evidently is going to occur at the second coming of Christ, in perfect accord with his glory, and majesty, Jesus Christ, evidently, is going to wait on his faithful servants in some capacity. No wonder his servants are said to be blessed. Christ is a wonderful Savior that he would do something like this for us. Well, Shackleton’s men at the South Pole expected him to return and earnestly watched and prepared for the occasion. The Lord has promised to personally return, and his faithful servants believe him and prepare and live in accordance with his promise. Your duty is to watch for Christ, because Christ always will keep His Word. So we should be prepared and watching for his return. Let’s close with a word of prayer.