ESOCS Devotional 16 December 2024 – Take Heed, Watch and Pray
MEMORY VERSE: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares … Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:34, 36 KJV
TEXT: LUKE 21:29–38
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. 38 Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.
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In our text today, Jesus has been preparing His disciples for what is to come. Jesus strongly challenged His disciples to not get distracted by the things of this world but to be alert at all times so that His return will not come unexpectedly like a trap.
This parable is of a fig tree. In those days, people would have been familiar with the cycle of a fig tree to be able to tell by the coming of the leaf of that tree that summer was around the corner. When we see blossom on a tree today, we know that in all likelihood summer is not far off. The parable helps us understand the purpose of the signs. Just as the new leaves on a tree signify the coming summer; the signs of Luke 21 signify the end of the world and the return of Christ.
Similarly, Jesus is saying, these events that He has been describing mean that the kingdom of God is not far off too. This is true, in verse 32, both for the more immediate prophecy of the sacking of Jerusalem and also, in verse 33, for the words that He has spoken about the very end that will never pass away even when heaven and earth do.
In verses 34 – 38, what are we to learn from these prophecies of the end? Take heed (21:34), watch and pray (21:36). This instruction was long remembered (1 Peter 4:7) and is a word to carry with us still today. Taking care of how we live and what kind of example we set. We also do not know when the “day” – whether of ultimate judgment or of the end of our personal lives – will be coming. What we do matters, in times of crisis and times of peace. We are to stay awake, not become drowsy with ease or lulled to somnolence by the cares of this world (21:34). And we are to pray that God would give us strength to escape all the challenges that are to come (21:35).
Among us, I would guess that belief in Christ’s return is near 100 per cent. Yet, I wonder how much the awareness of His return affected your life this past week. Did it figure out how you spent your time? Did it fill you with hope as you faced a trial or crisis? Did it enable you to resist temptation, as you thought about what it will be like to stand before Him on that great day? Did it determine how you spent your money, as a steward who will give an account? Or did you even think at all about Christ’s soon coming, as you went about your week? If the second coming of Jesus Christ is not a major factor in your normal Christian life, you are missing one of the most powerful biblical motivations for godly living.
Are you sensing that you are more alive to the things of God today than yesterday? More alive this year than last year? If we are not awakening, we are likely sleeping into drowsiness. Pray that God would awaken us and revive us so that we might be alert to things of God, follow Him in our lives, and have the strength that we need to serve Him fully.
- What caution have you put in place to enable you to be conscious of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ?
- Lord, awaken me and revive me so that I will be alert to things of the Kingdom.
Further Reading: Isaiah 61:1– 12; Zechariah 14:1–19; I Thessalonica 4:13–end
ESOCS Devotional 16 December 2024
