A devotional on being ready for Jesus’ return ends with the command in Matthew 25:13 (ESV): “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus told a story about ten young women waiting for a bridegroom. Some were ready and some were not. He calls us to live prepared, with hope.
Key Verse
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13, ESV)
Waiting for the Bridegroom
In Jesus’ day, a wedding celebration might begin when the bridegroom came at night to bring his bride home. Friends waited with lamps to join the procession. In the parable, ten young women carried lamps out to welcome him.
Five were wise and brought extra oil. Five were foolish and did not.
The Delay
Matthew says the bridegroom took a long time to come, and all ten women dozed off (Matthew 25:5). At midnight a cry went out that he was coming. All ten trimmed their lamps, but the foolish ones found their lamps going out.
Notice that all ten fell asleep. The difference was not who stayed awake longest. It was who had prepared.
Readiness Cannot Be Borrowed
The foolish asked the wise to share their oil. The wise said there wouldn’t be enough for both. Then came the turning point. While the foolish ones were away buying oil, the bridegroom arrived, the prepared women went in to the wedding feast with him, and the door was closed (Matthew 25:10).
Some things cannot be borrowed at the last minute. No one can believe for you. A parent’s faith or a friend’s faith cannot replace your own relationship with Jesus.
Watching Without Fear
Jesus’ return is not meant to make believers anxious. It is the coming of the Bridegroom, a joyful wedding. Watching means living each day faithfully, with our hearts turned toward him, so that whenever he comes we are glad to see him.
The parables that follow show what readiness looks like: using our gifts faithfully and caring for the least of these.
Ready Today
You don’t know the day or the hour. That is not a reason to predict dates. It is a reason to be ready now. If you have never trusted Jesus, today is the day. If you have, keep your lamp burning through prayer, Scripture, and love.
Readiness is not anxious watching of the sky. It is faithful living today, so that whenever he comes, he finds us glad to see him.
Today, Try This
Ask yourself, If Jesus returned today, what would I wish I had done differently this week? Choose one of those things and do it.
Reflection Question
What does being ready for Jesus’ return look like in your daily life right now?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I don’t know the day or the hour of your return. Keep my heart ready and my lamp burning. Help me live faithfully, love well, and look forward to your coming with joy. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Matthew 25:13 mean?
Matthew 25:13 (ESV) calls believers to watch and be prepared because no one knows when Jesus will return. It concludes the parable of the ten virgins.
What is the parable of the ten virgins about?
In Matthew 25:1-13, five wise virgins prepare with extra oil and enter the wedding feast, while five foolish ones are unprepared and shut out. It teaches readiness for Christ’s return.
What does the oil represent in the parable?
Jesus does not define it, but many understand the oil as genuine faith and spiritual readiness, something that cannot be borrowed from someone else.
Keep Reading
- Explore more: the parables of Jesus
- Read more daily devotionals
- The narrow way: what the narrow gate means (Matthew 7:13-14)
- Related: Parable of the Ten Virgins Meaning
- Related: John 3:22-36 Bible Study
- Related: Sheep and Goats Meaning
- Bible Questions Answered