Matins Devotion: April 4, 2025

Mark 13:24-27

A number of years ago, a man I didn’t know called me at church. The man desperately wanted to have lunch to explain how he knew when Jesus was going to return, news he hoped I’d share with my congregation to save them from the wrath to come. He spoke, of course, with the urgency of an action movie hero telling a security man that there is a bomb inside the building where he works, a bomb wired to explode in just a few minutes. I politely told him that I’d be happy to have lunch with him but there wasn’t any way he was going to convince me because Jesus had already told me no man can know the day or hour of His return. Frustrated, the man hung up. Then, I imagine, he called another pastor, trying to find another security guard who would believe him about the bomb in the building.

If the man had met me for lunch, however, one thing I would have told is that, while Jesus wants us to be ready for His return, He doesn’t want us to be anxious, to be riddled with terror, to act like we’re living in an action movie where everybody is going to die and suffer and weep if we don’t get out there and solve the problem. Jesus has solved the problem. He has conquered Satan. He has won salvation for the world. He has forgiven our sins and brought us into His Kingdom. Jesus has sent His Holy Spirit into this world. And the Spirit will work through the word and sacraments to find the lost sheep and bring them into the family of God.

So we should be vigilant. We should be dedicated to proclaiming Christ’s mercies. We should be committed to turning from our sins every day. But readiness for Christ’s return isn’t just about repentance. It’s also about joy, about cherishing His word. Every day that we wait for our Lord is a feast where we are blessed to devour His good gifts. Waiting for the return of Christ isn’t an anxiety-ridden journey where we’re praying to survive the explosions of God’s wrath. It’s simply an exercise in doing what Christians always do–turning from our sin and coming home to the joyous arms of Jesus Christ.