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Remain Watchful
My phone is ringing, pick up my phone, and on the other end of the phone someone says, “Luke, this is your conscience. You're missing your final exam.”
Luke 21:34-36
True story, about 20 years ago, I was a college student here on Bethany campus, and I’d been studying hard late into the night because the next morning I had final exams. And before you know it, I am woken up out of a fast sleep. My phone is ringing, pick up my phone, and on the other end of the phone someone says, “Luke, this is your conscience. You’re missing your final exam.” In my sleepy stupor. I didn’t quite know what was going on. I said, “what? What? Who is this?” And the voice said, “this is your conscience. You’re sleeping through your exam.” And suddenly it dawned on me, I have a final exam to take! I slammed the phone down. Thankfully, my college professor took the time to look up my number, to call me, because he didn’t want me to miss that exam to get a bad grade. I’m so appreciative of that time when he did that for me.
Have you ever done something like that? Have you ever slept through something important or missed some deadline of something that was important? You failed to remember something important that can get you into big trouble. You can end up suffering for that kind of mistake. In this season of advent this is a theme that we also find where we want to remain watchful and not sleeping. We don’t want to fall asleep or slumber. We want to remain vigilant and watchful, especially as we consider the fact that our Lord Jesus is soon coming. Jesus himself, he speaks about this and he gives us a warning. Much like my college professor who called me and wanted to make sure that I would make it there and take that test. Our Lord Jesus also gives us a warning in these verses from Luke chapter 21.
“Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)
Jesus wants you to be prepared. He wants you to be prepared for that day when you will get to stand before him. When you will be face to face before him. And so he wants us to remain vigilant and to be looking towards him and to be knowing him as our Savior. He was the one who came into this world and the one that we are welcoming at Christmas time. And it’s such a joyful time for us as we are getting excited and ready for Christmas to come. Because this is our Savior who has come into this world for us. What good news this is for you and me. Our Savior has come. He has lived a perfect life for you and me. He has gone to the cross to pay for every single one of our sins, so that when the day comes and we get to stand there before him, he’s going to look at you and me, and he’s going to smile and he’s going to say, “welcome. I’m glad you are here with me.”
That’s what we want to be watchful for. Remain ready and prepared for that day. And we do that by by turning our hearts to Jesus, by, looking to Jesus and putting our hope and our trust in him. Remain watchful. Remain vigilant. Continue to put your trust in our Lord Jesus and in what he has done for us as we await his arrival.
God’s peace be with you.
