Blessed Are Those Who Are Ready – November 21, 2022

Read: Luke 12:35-40

“Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning. Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. Blessed are those servants, whom the master will find watching when he comes… You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you are not expecting him.”
Luke 12:35-37a,40 (EHV)

Blessed Are Those Who Are Ready

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Are you ready yet? Grandma and Grandpa will be here any minute!” The house was a beehive of activity. Why? Grandma and Grandpa were coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. Kids hurried to clean their rooms. Toys needed to be picked up. Beds needed to be made. Teens and parents helped elsewhere around the house. A tasty turkey and a variety of yummy dishes and desserts were being prepared in the kitchen. A vacuum cleaner whirred away in the living room, while bathrooms were made sparkling clean.

Yet all this activity had to wrap up soon, because Grandma and Grandpa were going to arrive at any moment. “They’re pulling into the driveway!” In a matter of moments, the cleaning stopped. Grandma and Grandpa were standing at the door. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

Why do we work so hard to get ready? We don’t always do that. Is your room clean right now? Did your family prepare a feast for last night’s dinner? Maybe. Maybe not, so why work so hard to get ready? We work hard to get ready because someone special is coming. We want our rooms to look nice, our homes to be welcoming, and our meals to be tasty. When we do, all that effort often makes our time with our special guest all the more special.

In his Word, Jesus encourages us to be ready. Ready for what? Jesus wants us to be ready for his return, when he will come back to judge the living and the dead. Jesus even promises that we will be blessed if we are ready for his return, but are we ready now?

When Jesus returned to heaven, he promised that he would come back soon. Two thousand years have passed. We don’t know when he’s coming back, but he could return today, tomorrow, or another 2,000 years from now. So how can we stay ready? Jesus provided a way for us in his holy Word. When we hear it, ready it, study it, and trust what God promises in that Word, we get our hearts and heads ready for his return. That Word tells us how Jesus kept every one of his promises for us, which means he will keep that promise to come back and bring us home to heaven. What a blessing! So with that Word, let’s get ready because Jesus will be here soon!

Closing Prayer:

O Jesus Christ, do not delay, but come back to us quickly. Help us to wait patiently and be ever ready for your return. Come soon, Lord Jesus, and bring us home to heaven! Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Name someone so special that it is hard to wait for their arrival.
• What makes it hard to wait for someone special to arrive?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• What makes it hard to stay ready for Jesus to return?
• Why does Jesus want us to be ready?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Agree or Disagree: Getting ready for Jesus’s return is easy. Explain your answer.
• Identify two ways that God’s Word can help you get ready for the return of your Savior.