After Jesus fulfilled His mission on earth He went back to Heaven; but He is returning very soon to take His people unto Himself. The question is asked, “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?” (Malachi 3:2). One meaning of abide is “to face or to submit without shrinking.” The verse does not mean that no one will be able to stand, for the Christians are preparing themselves, and we can all be ready. We can see from our text that an acceptable service must be rendered with watchfulness and prayer, that we may be ready at any moment for the Lord’s return.
QUESTIONS
- To watch is “the act or fact of keeping awake, especially to be attentive or vigilant.” How does this word pertain to our lesson today?
- In reading the first two verses of our text, how would you describe the attitude of the ones who were waiting? Which portions of these verses give you this indication?
- According to our text, the coming of Christ will be as a thief. If you knew a thief was likely to come to your house, what measures would you take?
- The Lord will return for those who look for Him, and for those who are ready. How can we be ready for His return?
- How could a person show by his actions that in his heart he is saying, “My Lord delayeth his coming”?
- One of the requirements for being ready for the Lord’s return is that we be good stewards. Give a definition of stewardship. How does this relate to the Christian experience?
- According to our text, what were the consequences suffered by the servants who had not been faithful in performing their duties and were not watching for their lord’s return? What parallel can you draw between this and the fate of one who neglects his responsibilities as a Christian and fails to be watchful for Jesus’ return?
- Referring to our key verse, when will the Master return?
Thought provoker: Are you ready for the Lord’s return if He should come at this moment?
THEME THOUGHTS
Jesus, the greatest of all teachers, often chose to instruct His followers by means of parables—making a comparison between earthly things with which people are familiar, and spiritual things with which they are not so familiar. The Scriptures teach that there is a striking analogy between the natural and the spiritual. Therefore, Christ’s parables were not riddles; they were intended to reveal truth to those who love Him. He told His disciples that it was given unto them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. But to those who loved darkness rather than light, the meanings of the parables were hidden. Matthew 13:10-15The parables recorded in the Gospel of Luke are remarkable for their simplicity. Jesus sought to put the truth in a form that would bring it within the grasp of man’s finite mind. And we read that “the common people heard him gladly.”In this quarter we will focus on eleven of the parables given by Jesus as recorded by Luke, a writer who emphasized Christ’s sympathetic attitude toward the poor, the lowly, and the outcast. The objective for each lesson indicates the point the parable makes relative to our lives today. The Christmas lesson features the account of Christ’s birth as given by Luke. The final lesson of this quarter will be an overview or summary of the material covered during the preceding weeks. May God bless you as we study these lessons together.