Introduction

The times and people now are in deep trouble. The Corona virus affected almost all nations, sooner governments and economy will collapse, and someone said, there could be no return to normal. Thousands are dying daily, officials, doctors, police are pressed hard, families are in deep fear. Because of this, one head of England declared a one world government to rule the world and try to solve the problem. This will be the start of the series of events that will lead to the rising of the antichrist, who will offer help, then, the Lord Jesus will come again. We already saw signs of His coming in Matthew 24- wars, rumors of wars, poverty, earthquakes, etc. How should we, Christians prepare for this? Let's look at Luke 12:35-48, and analyze verse by verse.

1. verse 35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

The first admonition is being dressed ready for service, and keep lamps burning. In Israel, usually, they celebrate more than a week of wedding celebration, but the groom is not yet present, the visitors will wait for him to come. The Lord Jesus, our groom, is coming, but we don’t know exactly when He comes. That’s why we need to be ready always. How? Ready for service. Meaning as we serve Christ by living according to His will, serving others with the Gospel, helping the poor, the sick, we are getting ready for Him. We don’t sleep and relax, but do His will. That’s being ready. Lamps burning means our life is living in the light, not in darkness. Sin is dark, and we need to go to His light by living in righteousness. That makes us ready.

2. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. If we are ready always when Jesus comes, the verse says Jesus will take off his kingly garment, put on an apron’s cloth (to serve), will let you sit at the table, and serve you food to eat. WOW! The king of kings will serve you, because you served Him while on earth.

3. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Be ready always, because we don’t know the exact day or hour the Lord Jesus is coming.

4. 41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

The Lord is warning this not only to the disciples but to all of us, His real children.

5. 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?

A faithful servant is like a manager whom Jesus commanded to give food allowance to the other servants. What is this food? Is it not the Word of God? So we, who are in disciplemaking, are urged to share the Word of God (food) to the lost, and continue to have BS to those who accept, so they eat the Word (food), always, so they grow. Are all of us doing that regularly? If so, we are called faithful servants. We just don’t hear and read His words, we obey and share them to others. Find someone today, to share His word, and follow him up in BS, so you are feeding that person with spiritual food.

6. 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Another reward for faithful servants is that he will be managing Gods resources/ possessions.

7. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

There is a warning in this verse. Not all who call themselves Christians are really true Christians. This person, calls Jesus his master. But he does not prepare for His coming. Instead his life shows he does not love God, nor other Christians, he has many vices, etc. He seems to call himself a Christian, but he is not a real one as shown by his behavior. Jesus will punish him.He is an unbeliever in heart.

8. In the end, man reaps what he sows. There will be punishments awaiting those who never prepare for His coming.47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

ARE YOU READY WHEN JESUS COMES AGAIN? If you are excited and expecting and happy in anticipation, then you are ready. But if you are sad, afraid that He will come again, you are not ready. It's time to really return to the Lord and evaluate your life. Is Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, real in your life? Is He your Lord and Savior? Is your life changed since you have Him? Are you living in His power and victory? Are you serving Him? Please pray about this. This is the most important decision in your life. All else will pass.