RETIREDFAN1 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Parables on the Second Coming of Christ The early disciples longed for the return of ChristI Corinthians 16:19-24 Revelation 22:20-21 The term “maranatha” is a transliteration of the Greek, which was in turn transliterated from two Aramaic words. It literally means, “Our Lord come!”They were looking for and hastening the day Jesus returns. II Peter 3:10-12 Today, we are going to look at five parables which teach about the second coming for which we are to eagerly long.First let’s look at the parable of the doorkeeper. Luke 12:35-38 Mark 13:33-37 The man here is leaving on a trip to a far country. This is Jesus. Some day he will return. The actual time for his return is not known and can occur at any hour. The servants have been all given tasks, but we focus on the duty of the doorkeeper. He is a man guarding the entrance to the house. He represents us. We are to always be ready. What impression would a guard make if his master returned to find him sleeping at the post? So we, too, must always be prepared. We should never give up. Hebrews 6:9-12We must stand firm, even when we are not closely watched. Philippians 1:27Next let’s look at the parable of the homeowner. Luke 12:39-40 Matthew 24:42-44Here the homeowner is us. Once again we are warned that the Lord’s return will be like a thief. This is not to say his coming will be unnoticed. The destruction of the universe will not go unnoticed. II Peter 3:10 It will just be unexpected. If we knew in advance when our house would be burglarized we would be doing all sorts of things to be prepared. Yet, here the Lord is letting us know in advance. The thief will come. That point is guaranteed. We just don’t know when. Therefore we must always be prepared. I Thessalonians 5:1-11We must watch ourselves. II John 1: 8Next let’s look at the parable of the steward. Luke 12:41-46 Matthew 24:45-51Here the master of the house is leaving for an extended time. The master is our Lord Jesus. He has left his servant with duties to perform. The servant is us. The problem is that after a while, the servant slacks off when the master doesn’t appear as soon as expected. In fact, he neglects his duties, and falls into unrighteous ways.Many people think they have plenty of time. There is no urgency in making preparations now. It is like the teenager who wants junk food now, even though a healthy meal will be available a little bit later.We know junk food is not as good for us, but part of the appeal is that it gives immediate pleasure. Temptations look appealing because they are available now. Heaven is still a long way off. We know living righteously is better for us, but sin gives immediate pleasure.What we need is more endurance. Hebrews 10:32-39Notice there is peril, not just embarrassment, to the unfaithful servant.Next let’s look at the parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 25:1-13The young women represent members of the church. II Corinthians 11:2Some of them made preparations in advance for a longer wait than expected. Others made preparations, but did not have the means to endure. The sudden coming of the bridegroom is the sudden return of Christ. The foolish women were prepared at one time, but they now realize they are inadequate. They could not borrow from the others because each of us must stand on our own merits. Come judgment, weak brethren can’t borrow faith or righteousness from the strong members of the congregation.Attempting last minute preparations will not work. So many people give solace to themselves in believing they can work out matters later. The Lord’s words, “I do not know you,” teaches us that there is no second chance. Luke 13:23-27“Lord, I was baptized. I went to services at times, especially at the beginning.” A good start doesn’t mean we will finish. Matthew 13:20-21We are told to be faithful unto death. Revelation 2:10Finally, let’s look at the parable of the talents. Luke 19:11-27There are many lessons that can be gained from this parable.The nobleman is again Christ who leaves to receive a kingdom. Daniel 7:13-14Some refuse to have the nobleman as king, they are later slain. Again, the servants are given duties while the nobleman is gone. They represent us. Each servant is rewarded for faithful effort. The one who was punished had made no effort, despite knowing it was expected of him.So what have we learned from this study of some parables dealing with the second coming of Christ? Christ’s coming will be sudden and at an unexpected time. Therefore, we must always be prepared. We must be willing to endure. We must not slip back into sin. We must continue to work. Hopefully we’ll be watching and waiting, hastening the return of our Master. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now