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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
June 25, 2017
Be Ready for His Return
Luke 12:35-48
Introduction
Turn in your Bibles to Luke 12:35-48. This morning we return to Luke in a passage that has many similarities to what Jesus taught in other passages, in fact, some Gospel harmonies try to equate them as the same events. However, to do that you must ignore the differences in historical context and details of what is said. Such efforts are based on an erroneous idea that Jesus only taught any particular lesson once. The truth is that Jesus, like any other teacher, taught the same or similar lessons at different times. Sometimes this was to the same core group of people, His disciples. Every parent does this with their children and often with the same child.
The setting of this particular teaching is somewhere along the way as Jesus traveled from Jerusalem back to the region of Galilee. It is in some population center because a large crowd has quickly gathered after Jesus had cast out a demon healing a mute man and then had lunch with a Pharisee who had invited other Pharisees and some lawyers (scribes). No doubt the combination of the news of this miracle and the contention between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees during their lunch has contributed to the crowd swelling to the point Luke 12:1 describes it as “stepping on one another.” As He is teaching, Jesus shifts His attention from the disciples (vs. 1-12), to the crowd (vs. 13-21), and then back to the disciples (vs. 22-53), and then back to the crowd (vs. 54-58).
Jesus began His teaching in this passage by warning His disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and confirming God’s care for them so that they would be bold and courageous in the ministries they would do in the future (vs. 1-11) (See: Don’t Worry). Jesus then abruptly turned to warning the crowd about greed when He was rudely interrupted (vs. 12-21) (See: Warnings About Greed). Jesus followed this up by teaching the disciples that they would have no reason to worry and be greedy because God would take care of them and provide what was needed (vs. 22-34) (See: Don’t Worry). The section we will look at today in verses 35-48 expands on this theme by pointing out the need to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man in the future. Jesus addresses His disciples and then expands with a warning to the crowd that was listening.
Luke 12:35-48
Follow along as I read through the passage and then we will go back to look at its particular points. 35 “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” 41 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
The central idea of this section is making sure you are ready when the Son of Man comes. Throughout the gospels, when Jesus used the phrase “Son of Man” as a title, He was speaking about Himself as Messiah. His disciples would have easily understood this having heard Jesus teach that “the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins” (Luke 5:24), “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5), “the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56), “the foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58), “as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation” (Luke 11:30), “the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day” (Luke 9:22; 44), “everyone who confess Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before God” (Luke 12:8), and “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).
The coming of the Messiah as a conquering king as prophesied in Hebrew Scriptures was also well understood among them. Several of the disciples were even Zealots who were actively anticipating and desiring to bring about the return of Messiah to throw off Rome’s yoke and return the nation of Israel to her former glory as when King David reigned. So though they would not have understood the events of the ends times as we do now with the further revelation given in the New Testament scriptures, they would have understood the importance of Jesus’ words in this section about being ready for the coming of the Messiah to judge.
Blessed Slaves – Luke 12:35-38
Jesus begins the section with an encouragement to His disciples to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man so that they would be blessed. Jesus begins with three illustrations to emphasize and describe the need to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man.
The first is “Be dressed in readiness,” or more literally translated in the NKJV, “Let your waist be girded.” It is often translated in the KJV as “gird up thy loins.” The typical common work attire was a tunic and cloak with a belt, sandals and head-covering. The tunic and cloak were often ankle length which could be restrictive to the legs for movements such as running, fighting and heavy labor. In order to free the legs up for action, the material would be gathered in front above the knees and passed between the legs to the back and then half of the material would be gathered in each hand and brought around the waist or upper thighs and bound in front by either a belt or by tying. To “gird up your loins” became an idiom for being ready for action or being prepared, and so when used figuratively it can be translated as “stay dressed for action” (ESV).
“You” is emphatic in this verse and joined with an imperative and participles. It is a command that you are to be ready regardless of what anyone else does. The Lexham English Bible brings this out well translating the phrase as “You must be prepared for action.”
The second illustration connects this command to keeping your lamps burning. You must have your loins girded and you must have your lamps lit. Why use a lamp to indicate readiness? Lamps were the means of lighting at that time. To have a lamp on at night meant you were still up and available. You were still able to receive visitors. If you went out at night, you would bring a lamp to light your way so that you could avoid stumbling around in the dark. It would also enable others to see you which would be very important when you are trying to meet with others at night. Either way, a lamp would be an indicator that you were prepared even at night.
Turn over to Matthew 25:1-12 where Jesus uses lamps as an illustration of this in His parable of the ten virgins. That passage closely parallels this passage with the same emphasis of meaning.
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’”
The wedding celebrations of that time were different from our own practices of today. We usually gather at some place for the wedding ceremony and then have some sort of celebration at that same location or independently go to another location for a celebration. At that time in Israel, the groom and his groomsman would go to the bride’s house where the ceremony would take place, then the groom would lead his bride to his home with the whole wedding party following along. They would then celebrate for up to a week or more. What is being referenced here is the procession of the wedding party to the groom’s home for the celebration.
The wise maidens had their lamps lit and were able to join in when the bridegroom and wedding party came. The foolish ones were not prepared and were shut out of the celebration. Jesus specifically states that the kingdom of heaven is comparable to this. Those who are ready will be welcomed while those who are unprepared will be shut out. Are you ready for the coming of the Lord? Will you be part of the procession or will you be shut out of the celebration?
The third illustration of readiness is also related to a wedding. 36 “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.”
In this scenario the master of the home is away attending a wedding feast and his slaves do know when he will return. He could stay longer or return earlier than expected for a variety of reasons. He might have planned to come back earlier, but then he lost track of time in talking with friends. Or perhaps he planned to stay late, but ate something that disagreed with his stomach and he left early. The emphasis here is that his slaves needed to be ready and waiting so that they can immediately open the door and welcome him back whenever he arrives even if it is very late. Verse 38 makes that emphasis by specifically mentioning the second and third watches of the night. The Romans divided the night into four watches, but the Hebrews into three (Judges 7:19). The second was in the middle of the night and the third followed continuing until sunrise.
Jesus makes it a point that the slave that is found ready whenever the master returns will be greatly blessed with verse 37 describing a situation that seems incredible. The master is so pleased that he reverses the rolls and girds himself to serve his slaves a meal. That would be astonishing if these were servants. That would be like the boss serving you lunch. However, the text is clear that these are slaves. That would be like the commanding general serving the privates who are seated at a table, or the admiral switching places with the galley stewards and serving them at the officer’s mess.
Necessity of Continued Anticipation – Luke 12:39-40
Jesus gives another very pointed illustration in verse 39 before making His point in verse 40. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” Jesus’ illustration about the slaves being prepared for the return of their master was from the positive side of receiving a great blessing for being ready. This illustration stresses the necessity of being ready from the negative side of preventing loss by being prepared.
If you are not ever watchful and prepared to prevent the thief, then he will break in and steal from you. The particular word used here means to “dig through” and specifically referred to the means of breaking into a common home of that time. They were usually made of sun dried mud bricks or mud applied to a stick frame and allowed to dry in making walls and roofs. Mark 2:4 describes the friends of the lame man who dug through the ceiling and lowered their friend through it so that Jesus could heal him. This illustration would have been easily understood by those Jesus was talking to, and it applies to any means a thief would seek to enter your home to steal from you. Obviously if you knew when the thief was coming you could be prepared to prevent him from entering your home and committing his crime. In fact, you would have the police there ready and waiting to arrest him and take him to jail. The problem is that thieves do not advertise to you when they will come to break into your home and steal from you. You have to be ready for whenever that may occur. This has to be more than passive restraints such as locking the door and windows because the thief is prepared to break in. In modern times we set up electronic monitoring devices to warn us of suspicious activity with motion detectors and heat sensors that turn on lights and set off alarms. In ancient times it meant someone was up and watching. Cities would have watchmen on the walls who were to be vigilant to warn of any approaching danger (Ezekiel 33). That is the force of this illustration about being watchful and ready.
In verse 40 Jesus specifically states what they are to be prepared to happen. “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Just like the slaves waiting for the return of their master even if it is not until the second or third watch, and just like the homeowner being vigilant to be ready for a thief to come at an unexpected time, you are to be ready for the return of the Son of Man who will come at an unexpected hour. This is not an option for Jesus states this in the imperative voice – it is a command, not a suggestion.
They would not have understood at that time as much as we do now about the sequencing of events that will happen in the end times since more has been revealed in the writing of the apostles that make up the New Testament, but they would have understood this call and the necessity to be ready for the sudden and unexpected return of the Son of Man. But since we do have these additional revelations it would be good for us to quickly review the major statements made by the various writers of the New Testament about the expectation we are to have for return of the Lord Jesus Christ and what they say about being ready for it. It is upon these statements in the New Testament that the doctrine of the imminent return of Jesus is built.
By imminent return I specifically mean that though there are many things that could happen before Jesus returns for His church, there is nothing that must happen and therefore we are to be ready for Him to come at anytime including today. As one hymn writer put it, “maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, maybe soon, Jesus is coming again.” Imminence was the universal hope of the early church according to church history.
In your notes I have listed out the standard scriptures that are used in teaching an imminent return of Christ. Matthew 24:36 cf. Acts 1:7; Matthew 24:42-25:13; Luke 12:36-40; Romans 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 4:5; 15:51-52; 16:22; Philippians 3:20, 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; Titus 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 John 2:28; Jude 21; Revelation 2:16, 25; 3:3, 11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20). Some of these texts are strong and clear while others only give an inference. Some deal with the issue of expectation of coming and others with the inability to know when He will come. The question that must be asked in examining any of them is what did the writer intend to convey and what would those who first read the text have thought? I am only going to highlight a few of them from different writers.
In the text we are studying today and the parallels to this teaching in Matthew 24:42-25:13 Jesus clearly commands His disciples to be ready for His return at an unexpected time. Matthew 24 can be confusing because Jesus speaks about both His return for His church and His later return to set up His millennial kingdom. In speaking about His imminent return, we are specifically speaking about His return for His church as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 in which Paul seeks to comfort them concerning believers that had already died with the assurance that they would be resurrected and all of them would be together again in the future with verses 16-17 stating, 16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” We refer to this as the rapture coming from the Latin word for “caught up.” Please note in this passage that Paul expected that he would have been part of the group still alive at the rapture. He also expresses that idea 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and Philippians 3:20. The apostle John also expressed that sentiment in 1 John 2:28 though he was already elderly.
It is worth noting the different words used for this expectation. In Philippians 3:20 Paul states, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Eagerly wait” is ajpekdevcomai / apekdechomai) which in an intense yearning. He uses that same word in Romans 8:19, 23, 25 to express the anxious longing of creation to be set free from its current slavery to corruption and the eager waiting of the saints for their adoption as sons and redemption of their bodies which begins at the Lord’s return.
Paul uses a related word in 1 Corinthians 1:7 which speaks of “awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Awaiting eagerly” there is ajpekdecomevnouV / apekdechomenous which is an “attitude of a burning expectation.” In Titus 2:12-13 Paul talks about “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” as motivation for living godly lives. “Looking for” is prosdecovmenoi / prosdechomenoi has the sense of “await” in expectation.
Imminence is also expressed in passages stating the nearness of the Lord. Paul states that directly in Philippians 4:5 as motivation for Christian conduct. It is a common statement about the coming of the day of the Lord in the Hebrew scriptures (Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1; 3:14; Zephaniah 1:7, 14) which is a reason this idea would not have been a new concept to Jesus’ disciples.
James 5:7-9 expresses the nearness of the Lord in strong terms. “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. The phrase “at hand” in verse 8 is h[ggiken / angiken is the third person, singular, perfect active indicative of ejggivzw / engidz . The phrase, “standing at the door” in verse 9 is e{sthken / estaken which is the singular, perfect active indicative from i{sthmi / hist mi. James is speaking of action that was completed and has been remaining since before James wrote the epistle. In other words, the Lord drew near before James wrote and continues to be near, and He has been standing right at the door and continues to be there ever since. When the Father tells Him to go, He is out the door and on His way.
Related to the nearness of the Lord are the statements He makes in Revelation 2:16; 3:11 & 22:7, 12, 20, “I am coming quickly.” Each of these are the futuristic present middle indicative of e[rcomai tacuv / erchomai tachu. This is not “soon,” but “swiftly, all at once” before you could be aware and make preparations. The many statements that Jesus will return “like a thief” express the same idea (1 Thessalonians 5:2,9; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3 & 16:15). Jesus will return quickly at an unexpected time.
Rewards for the Faithful – Luke 12:41-44
Peter asks a question in Luke 12:41. “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” Jesus does not answer this directly, but His answer includes everyone by dividing them into two groups. Those that are faithful, and those that are not.
He explains the great blessings for the faithful in verses 42-44. 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
The faithful steward is ready and marked by fulfilling his responsibilities in doing His master’s will when He returns. Jesus also calls such a steward sensible from frovnimoV / phronimos meaning one who has understanding resulting from insight and wisdom. A steward is a person who has been given the responsibility and authority to manage things for the owner, and this case it was managing and providing for his household (qerapeiva / therapeia). It would be foolish for such steward to do any less than fulfill his responsibilities, yet Jesus says such a steward would be rewarded and his position would be increased to be in charge of all his master’s possessions.
This may well have brought to their minds the story of Joseph who though wrongly made a slave was faithful to any task given to him resulting in him rising to be in charge of Potiphar’s household (Genesis 39). Later, when he had been wrongly jailed the same characteristics resulted in him being put in charge of all the prisoners (Genesis 39:20-23). These positions prepared him for the position he finally attained of being responsible for the land of Egypt and second only to Pharaoh himself. God elevates those who are faithful in their stewardships to positions of greater stewardship.
Punishment for the Neglectful – Luke 12:45-48
In verses 45-48 Jesus explains the consequences upon those that are not such sensible and faithful stewards and therefore not ready for the return of their master. The specific problem was that he did not think his master would come anytime soon (vs. 45). He denied the imminency of His master’s return and then overstepped his authority to abuse the other slaves and pursue selfish hedonism. His eating and drinking to excess were examples of the larger problem of using his position to please his bodily appetites and escape from life’s turmoil and trouble (drunkeness). The consequences are severe when the master returns at an unexpected time (vs. 46). The text states he would be “cut in pieces” and “put with the unfaithful.” We might think he was executed except that he would still have to be alive to be put with the unfaithful, so in this context it would have to mean severe punishment. He is physically beaten and cast out of his position and service.
In the next two verses Jesus explains the range of punishment that could happen. 47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
The more you know and the more you have been given, the more you will be responsible and punished accordingly for failure. The less you know, the less you will be punished, though note carefully here that you still will be punished.
Application
The point of Jesus teaching in this passage is clear. You need to be ready and eagerly waiting for His coming. There will be great reward for those that are found faithful at His return. There will be punishment, even severe punishment for those that are not. The doctrine of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ is important. It is a great motivator to live a godly life of holiness and serving the Lord in the present. It is something we look forward to with eager anticipation which is why Paul describes it in Titus 2:13 as “looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” It is also a strong warning to those that deny it and pursue their own desires.
Let me add one further warning to those that either deny or are nonchalant, unconcerned about Jesus return. First, though He has already tarried long, everyday is one day closer to when He will return. All the events described in Revelation that will occur during the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy, the seven years of Tribulation, can occur very rapidly and could begin at any moment kicked off by the Lord’s return for His church. For us, the daily headlines are proclamations of the nearness of the Lord’s return. Second, even if the Lord should tarry many years in the future, for you personally, your life on this earth can end at any time. There are no guarantees you will live through today. Are you ready? If not, then get ready. We are able and willing to help you walk closer to the Lord, or if you do not know Him, to come to repentance and receive His forgiveness and eternal life.
Sermon Notes – 6/25/2017
Be Ready for His Return – Luke 12:35-48
Introduction
This takes place before a large ______somewhere in a populated area on the way from Jerusalem to Galilee
Jesus has both warned and encouraged His disciples, and ____________ the crowd about greed
Jesus begins by addressing His disciples about the coming of the Son of Man, then expands to the ________
Luke 12:35-48
Be sure to be ready for the coming of the “Son of Man” – a ________________ title often used in Luke
They would have understood the prophecies of Messiah coming as king to ___________
Blessed Slaves – Luke 12:35-38
First illustration: “Let your waist be girded” – be ready for _____________
The “you” in this verse is emphatic – _________be prepared regardless of what anyone else does
Second illustration: “Keep your lamp burning.” Be prepared even at ___________
Matthew 12:1-12 – the parable of the Ten Virgins
The ___________ maidens were ready for the wedding procession with lit lamps, the foolish were not
Third Illustration: Be like men ready and ___________ for their master to return
They were to be ready ______________the master returned even if very late during the 2nd or 3rd watch
Those slaves found ready by their master would be greatly ____________ by him
Necessity of Continued Anticipation – Luke 12:39-40
This illustration stresses the necessity of being ready from the _________________ side of preventing loss
Common homes made with sun dried mud could be “_________ through” by thieves
In ancient times someone had to be up and watching to warn / prevent danger – _________________
Verse 40 – A command to be ready for the Son of Man is coming when you ___________ expect
More revelation has been given since then, but they understood the _____________ to be ready
Imminent: many things could happen, but ___________must happen before Jesus’ return – it could be today
Standard texts related to the imminent return of Jesus Christ: Matthew 24:36 cf. Acts 1:7; Matthew 24:42-25:13; Luke 12:36-40; Romans 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 4:5; 15:51-52; 16:22; Philippians 3:20, 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; Titus 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 John 2:28; Jude 21; Revelation 2:16, 25; 3:3, 11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20
_______________to the disciples to be ready for His coming: Matthew 24:42-25:13; Luke 12:36-40
Paul thought he might be alive at the _______: 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20. – So did John
Phil. 3:20; Rom. 8:19, 23, 25: Eagerly wait” is ajpekdevcomai / apekdechomai – an ____________yearning
1 Cor. 1:7 – “Awaiting eagerly” ajpekdecomevnouV / apekdechomenous – An attitude of a _______expectation
Titus 2:12-13 – “Looking for” : prosdecovmenoi / prosdechomenoi has the sense of “_______” in expectation
The Lord is _____: Philippians 4:5 – (also Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1; 3:14; Zephaniah 1:7, 14)
James 5:7-9 – “at hand” & “standing at the door” – perfect active indicatives: action _________& continuing
Revelation 2:16; 3:11 & 22:7, 12, 20 – “I am coming quickly” – not “soon,” but ______before you can react
1 Thessalonians 5:2,9; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3 & 16:15 – He will come unexpectedly “like a ________”
Rewards for the Faithful – Luke 12:41-44
Jesus answers Peter’s question __________be addressing both those who are faithful and those who are not
The faithful steward is ________and fulfilling his responsibilities and therefore ready for his master’s return
He is rewarded with a ____________position of greater responsibilities – as was Joseph in Genesis 39
Punishment for the Neglectful – Luke 12:45-48
He did not think his master would return anytime ____________(vs. 45)
He used his position to abuse the other slaves and fulfill his ________________desires even to drunkenness
He would be severely _____________(vs. 46) – severely beaten and cast out of his position and service
The ____________you know & are given, the more is required of you, & greater punishment for failure
Application
You need to be ready and ____________ waiting for His coming
There is __________ for those who are ready and punishment for those that are not
Warnings to those who are not ready or indifferent to Jesus’ promised return:
1) The Lord has tarried long, but every day is __________ & daily headlines proclaim its nearness
2) Even if the Lord does tarry, you have no guarantee you will ________though today – are you ready to die?
If you are not ready, ___________________ – we are here to help
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Count how many times a reference is made to the Lord returning. 2) Discuss with your parents the imminence of the Lord’s return and the need to be ready for it.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Explain the context of this Luke 12:35-48. What is the meaning of “Son of Man” when used as a title in the gospel of Luke? What effect would that have on the meaning of Jesus’ teaching to the disciples? What is the meaning of the first phrase in Luke 12:35 – “Let your waist be girded” (NKJV)? How would they “gird up their loins like a man”? What was the importance of “keep your lamp burning” as a sign of being prepared? How was this used in the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25? What were wedding celebrations like in ancient Judea? Why would the slaves need to be ready even to the second and third watches of the night? What blessing would they receive if they were found ready? How would a thief break into a typical house of that time? What would a homeowner need to do to prevent it? According to Luke 12:40 – when will the Lord return and why must you be ready? What does it mean that Jesus’ return is imminent? Look up the Scriptures listed above and explain why imminence is a sound Biblical doctrine. (If you reject imminence, give your Biblical support including an explanation of each of the above passages listed above). What are the rewards for the faithful and sensible steward? What are the punishments for the unfaithful slave? Are you ready? What would it take for you to be ready? Make a plan and carry it out.
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