Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard…
…the day of the Lord will come like a thief. (2 Peter 3:10)
Summary: Peter wants us to know what Jesus told him, that the day of the Lord’s return will be a surprise. Now we have to figure out what to do with that information.
Do you like surprise parties? They can be a lot of fun. At least half of the fun is in planning and getting everybody together to surprise the person you want to surprise.
Another kind of surprise is the unwelcome surprise. When I go to the dentist and he says that I need a new crown, that is an unwelcome surprise. Another unwelcome surprise is coming home to find that a thief has been in the house.
Peter uses this metaphor to explain how much notice we will get before the “day of the Lord” appears:
Zero. None. Nada.
Jesus says:
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24: 42-44)
If you think that the earth and the sky will always be here, think again. If you have assumed that the sun will always come up in the morning just because it always has, you might want to think about that again, too.
A thief is an unwelcome surprise.
When the day of the Lord arrives, the earth and everything in it is “laid bare.” For those who are vested in worldly things, it will feel like their world has been stolen from them. For the others, those who call Jesus Lord, it will be a good surprise.
The day of the Lord can be a good surprise if we plan for it. We do not know when it will come, but we know that it will come. We can be ready if we use Peter’s seven-point plan for those who have faith. To our faith add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Add a little of each of these every day and the coming of the Lord will be here before you know it.
Application: Expect the unexpected. Be prepared for the Lord’s return.
Food for Thought: What other examples might be used to explain when Jesus will return?
Jesus uses several other examples. Included in those are Matthew 25: 1 – 13; Matthew 13: 24 – 30, 36 – 43; Matthew 13: 47 – 52.
Thank you, Rich!
I added a link to your references for easy access.
01-23-2022, 2 Peter 3:17a Pt.VI, What other examples might be used to explain when Jesus will return?
A guard posted to guard our hearts and minds. We must live in a state spiritual readiness, and assurance, prepared to meet Christ 24/7.
People were concerned about events in Asia and I was assigned to one of three Battalions of the Fourth Marines in Hawaii. Each Battalion had 1500 Marines and we would rotate every 3 months into “Mount Out Battalion status” for a month.
As “Mount Out Battalion” we would have all paperwork updated, shot cards, Last Wills, address of next of kin verified, etc.. Every piece of equipment of every man was prepared and laid out for inspection by our Battalion Commander and his staff. We packed all our civilian clothing and dress uniforms separate from our field uniforms and lived out of our sea bags for the month. The married personnel were allowed to go off base but all single men remained on base. No matter what time it was, the entire Battalion could be loaded onto trucks and headed for a transport ship at Pearl Harbor within I hour of being called up.
It’s amazing what commitment, discipline and training can do. All believers today are called to live in “Mount Out Battalion” status. We are to be separated from the world, exercising our liberty to do Gods Will until He calls us to Himself.
Ron,
Thank you! That is an outstanding example. I can’t think of a more vivid example of being ready. I appreciate the list of things you would do, too. It is a good list for us civilians to review and make sure we are ready whenever we are called home.