But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36)

The End Of Another Year – And Yet

December brings the end of twelve months with three-hundred-sixty-five days completed in a calendar year. Each year is marked by the increasing number from the time of Jesus Christ. Whether one believes in God or accepts Jesus Christ as His Son, the yearly calendar reflects the acceptance that the Son of God changed the world a little more than two thousand years ago. Jesus taught about time. He knew his place on earth was limited and would accomplish the Father’s will. Throughout His teachings, He warned of the coming of the Lord and reminded His disciples the day would come unexpectedly.

In the days of Jesus, there was a two-edged sword in the warnings of a coming day. For the Jews, the end of their nation would come as the day of the Lord. In 70 A.D., the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, effectively ending the existence of the nation of Israel. In a broader lesson, Jesus was talking about a day that has yet to happen. Like in the days of Noah, a great day of the Lord is coming that will impact every soul on earth. Unlike in the days of Noah, no one will escape the destruction. Jesus warned of a day when the world will come to an end – not by the hand of human waste or misuse – but the hand of God. The lesson Jesus wanted men to take heed was that no one would know when that day would come.

Another year has faded to the halls of yesterday. Twelve months end and a new year begins. The Lord did not come. He has not come this year and life continues uninterrupted. The warning of Jesus is how easy it becomes to let the things of life dull the senses about the reality that Jesus is coming back. There is a warning to take heed or watch out when life becomes so comfortable that no concerns are given to prepare for a divine certainty. The carousing and worries of life dull the senses. Jesus does not want the day to catch anyone unaware but sadly, it will.

The new year brings a flurry of resolutions and promises. Two things that should be at the top of the list are watching and praying. The Lord did not come this year and He may not come next year; it could be another two thousand years before that day comes. What is indisputable is that one day He will come and few will be prepared. The day of the Lord does not seem real any more than the day of death. One of the certainties of life is death’s reality, yet everyone is surprised by it. This new year will be filled with funerals of those who thought to live to midnight who die at 11:30. Death is so real and so ignored. The day of the Lord will come one day. It will come unexpectantly and without warning. Live each day watching and preparing for His coming and while the day will surprise you, His glory will not. Enjoy the new year. Watch. Pray.