The deepest longing of the human heart is the desire for the coming of Christ… Waiting for Christ’s return doesn’t make us passive. It makes us active in the pursuit of God’s kingdom.— John Piper
Resolved: we should live every day ready to meet Jesus. Further resolved: even if others will not do so, I will.— Jonathan Edwards
The doctrine of Jesus’ physical return to the earth is foundational to the Christian faith. From the early church to today, it has been proclaimed with hope, debated with intensity, and preserved with conviction. Though scoffers may rise, and time may pass, this truth remains alive: the Lord is coming back.
Scripture reveals that the outcome of His return will not be the same for everyone. Jesus Himself spoke repeatedly of His return from the Father’s house to receive His own. He warned of the day of reckoning, when the Son of Man will appear and judge the nations, separating the sheep from the goats.
For some, His return will be a glorious moment of reunion, reward, and rejoicing, as the Bridegroom arrives in splendour to embrace His prepared Bride and release to her the fullness of His inheritance. For others, it will be a day of sorrow and exclusion. It will not be enough to have once carried a lamp; what will matter is whether the lamp was burning when He came.
This is where the parable of the ten virgins becomes both sobering and instructive. All ten were described as virgins. All had lamps. All set out to meet the Bridegroom. In biblical language, virginity often symbolises those who are set apart, redeemed, and devoted; like those described in Revelation 14 who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. But time exposed a crucial distinction. Only five carried extra oil.
Note this: initial purity is not the same as sustained readiness. All ten may have been sincere in their waiting, but only five were prepared for the delay. The others presumed that what they started with would be enough to finish. When the midnight cry came, their lamps were fading. In a frantic effort, they tried to borrow, but oil cannot be transferred. Spiritual vitality is not shared; it must be cultivated.
Jesus’ exhortation at the end of the parable is pointed: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Watching is more than looking up to the sky. It is a posture of the heart. It is spiritual awareness and readiness born out of intimacy with the Lord. In Luke 12, Jesus calls us to stay dressed for action and to keep our lamps burning, to live as those expecting the Master’s return at any moment. There is blessing for those the Master finds awake when He comes.
So how do we keep our lamps burning? I believe the oil speaks of the Holy Spirit, the One who fills and refills our inner lamps with divine fire. Without Him, our lamps will dim with the passage of time, the weight of life, or the weariness of waiting. The initial filling we received at salvation is a starting point, not a one-time event.
Without daily communion, without intentional pursuit, we risk running out. The wise virgins had flasks because they knew that waiting requires reserves. The foolish ones returned too late and found a closed door. The Lord’s words to them are heartbreaking: “I do not know you.”
This wasn’t simply about forgetfulness or lateness. It was about relationship. Readiness is not mechanical. It flows from intimacy. Knowing about God is not the same as being known by Him. It’s through the Holy Spirit that this deep knowing takes place. He is our oil and our fire, the One who helps us abide in Christ.
Paul urges us in Ephesians 5 to be continually filled with the Spirit, overflowing with gratitude, singing to the Lord, and walking wisely because the days are evil. This life in the Spirit is how we stay lit and aligned with heaven.
But readiness also involves being dressed and alert. This speaks of putting on the armour of God: being robed in righteousness, truth, peace, faith, and salvation. It means carrying the sword of the Spirit and praying at all times in the Spirit. Like our Lord, the Chief Intercessor, we must be clothed for spiritual engagement. As Isaiah 59:17 shows, He wore righteousness like armour, and so must we.
Still, many mock the idea of Christ’s return, citing the so-called delay as proof against it. But the Scriptures confront that mindset head-on. Peter reminds us that with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years. God is not slow as some understand slowness. He is patient, not willing that any should perish. This delay is mercy. It’s not an abandonment of His promise; it’s the space where redemption unfolds for many.
Yet amid the waiting, there is danger, not just in outward sin, but in inward forgetfulness. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3 that in the last days, scoffers will arise, mocking truth and following their own desires. They do so because they have deliberately forgotten what was spoken. They have chosen to cease remembering. This kind of forgetfulness is not passive; it is a spiritual decision to neglect, to omit, to stop thinking about what matters most.
That is why Peter also says, “I have written to stimulate wholesome thinking and refresh your memory.” We need the Word to stir us. We need the reminding ministry of the Holy Spirit who, as Jesus said in John 14:26, teaches us all things and brings back to remembrance everything He has said.
We also need fellowship with the brethren. Hebrews 10 exhorts us not to neglect meeting together, but to encourage one another, especially now as the day of His return draws near. Every time we dine with the Lord, we are reminded of the truth.
This is not a time to withdraw or grow indifferent. The world says, “Why pursue your calling or education if He’s coming soon?” But the truth of His coming should stir urgency, not complacency. It should move us to live fully and wisely, investing every gift and opportunity in alignment with His will. We work while it is day. We walk in holiness with purpose. We love more deeply. We intercede more fervently. We live with a sense of holy expectancy.
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.
So, are you living ready for His coming? Stay alert. Be on guard. Don’t forget. Stir your mind with truth. Let the Word refresh you. Let the Holy Spirit remind you. Let the fellowship of the saints encourage you. Fan the flame. Keep the oil flowing. Stay dressed. Stand firm. And above all, let your life declare, “Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.”