A phrase that I’ve used often throughout my life, which I learned from some older folks as I was coming up, goes like this: “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” What does that mean? It means that you should prepare before you are expected to perform. We do it in so many areas already. Think about your home and auto insurance. You’re prepared in case of an emergency. Think about the tech you use. We put screen protectors and covers on our phones and devices in case they get dropped. What about your retirement savings? You’re prepared for when you no longer have to work for a living.
Several years ago as I was driving back from Hurricane Harbor with my three boys in the back seat, a dump truck in the lane to my right started to switch to the lane on his right. Well, the only problem with that was that another car was already in that lane. The dump truck driver misjudged how much space he had to merge and ended up doing a pit maneuver on the car in that lane. Before this all happened, I was paying attention to the whole thing and I just knew what was coming, so I prepared for the impact. The car that the dump truck hit spun around the front and crossed into my lane. We were travelling about 60mph when this all happened. I hit the brakes to slow down as quickly and safely as possible without causing any more damage, but I couldn’t avoid hitting the other car. It could’ve been a lot worse had I not been attentive. Thankfully, we all walked away unharmed.
Unfortunately, I’ve been in a wreck where I was not prepared or attentive and it resulted in my car being totaled.
The reason I share those experiences is that they illustrate a spiritual reality. Just as attentiveness on the road can protect us from disaster, spiritual attentiveness prepares us for something far more important. In this section of Luke, Jesus gives us two reasons to live with spiritual readiness. First, preparedness leads to reward. Second, carelessness can leave us robbed of what matters most. In our text for today, Jesus continues to encourage His disciples to prioritize the essentials of life by “seeking the kingdom of God...” (Luke 12:31) above everything else they might value in this world. In doing so, He challenges them to stay ready for His return.
Ready (Lk. 12:35-36)
In our text for today, Jesus continues to encourage His disciples to prioritize the essentials of life by “seeking the kingdom of God...” (Luke 12:31) above everything else they might value in this world. In doing so, He challenges them to stay ready for His return.
Luke 12:35–36 NKJV
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
In these verses, Jesus counsels His hearers to be ready for action and what we learn here is that one reason for attentiveness is reward (blessing). Jesus Himself says in the pages of His Revelation,
Revelation 22:12 NKJV
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
Gird your waist and light your lamps. Be primed for action.
Before the Hebrews were to exit Egyptian bondage they too were instructed to gird themselves in preparation for the arrival of the death angel. They were told in Exodus 11 that death would come at midnight and strike all the firstborn of Egypt. One of the ways God’s people were to ready themselves for this judgement was by putting the blood of a spotless lamb of the first year, on the doorpost of their dwellings (Exo. 12:7-13). We now understand that this clearly pointed to the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. It was a foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus which covers every sin-stained heart that is surrendered to Him in faithful obedience.
The Word of God proves to us that
1 John 1:7 NKJV
7 ...the blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.
That His blood cleanses our consciences.
Hebrews 9:14 NKJV
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
That in love He has washed away our sins in His own blood.
Revelation 1:5 NKJV
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
The apostle Paul stated that our very redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, is made possible through the blood of Jesus.
Ephesians 1:7 NKJV
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
And we have peace with God through the blood.
Colossians 1:20 NKJV
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
The blood of Jesus, like the blood on the doorpost of the Hebrew’s dwelling places in Egypt, spares us from the coming judgement of God. Without the blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22).
And this was how the people of God were to prepare themselves for the arrival of the death angel. When the death angel saw the blood, the angel would “passover” that house, sparing it from death. Negligence or disobedience to this command—employing some alternative to the blood of lamb, some synthetic—would certainly result in their falling under the same judgement and consequence as those unbelieving Egyptians.
Another way they were to prepare themselves was by girding their waist.
Exodus 12:11 NKJV
11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
Because the fashion trend of that day was long flowing tunics which made shift movement difficult, whenever the occasion required nimbleness and urgency, the fabric of the tunic would be gathered into the belt around the waist to avoid any hindrances in movement. This was how they were to ready themselves for action.
Jesus says that they are to be like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding. In the ancient Near East, wedding celebrations could last up to a week long at times, so how were the men of the house (servants) to have any idea when their master would return? They couldn’t and for that reason, they were to conduct themselves as though he might show up at any moment.
Confession
When I was teenager, my mom would leave my sister and me at home if she worked on the weekends but she always expected us to clean the house while she was away. We had a long list of chores to finish before mom came home. Well, as you might image, my sister and I would spend the entire day meticulously going through every item on the list making sure we did what mom expected of us. Not so. What we often did, at my encouragement, was fool around doing everything but what mom said to do and then in the final moments before she walked through the door we would frantically try to get every item completed. Sometimes we did and mom was none the wiser, but then there were those times she came home early and we were busted.
Jesus' point is simple: don't live your life scrambling at the last minute. Instead, be ready for the master’s return, “...that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately” (Luke 12:36).
Again, in the Revelation of Jesus, the Messiah says,
Revelation 3:20 NKJV
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
At all times God’s people are to stand ready to welcome the Lord when He shows up. While the term “woke” has taken on negative connotations in some circles, this is precisely what the Word of God emphasizes for the faithful, that we are to be spiritually alert, attentive, and prepared for the Master to show up.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 NKJV
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
The apostle Paul reminds us that living with this kind of expectation is itself a gift of God.
Titus 2:11–14 NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
We may not know the day or the hour of His return, but we know that He’s coming back. Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.
Rewarded (Lk. 12:37-38)
I’ve said this several times in the past, and it is clearly evident in this passage—faithfulness always has a reward. It doesn’t matter if it’s faithfulness as a Follower of Christ. Faithfulness in your marriage, your finances, faithfulness in your job, faithfulness as a student or as an athlete, faithfulness always has a reward. In these next verses we will see Jesus’ promise of blessing for those who are faithful.
Luke 12:37–38 NKJV
37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Did you notice what the blessing is that Jesus promises in these verses? It’s rest! It’s the end of striving in this world. Andrew Murray, in his commentary on Hebrews says,
It is your rest, prepared for you; your land of promise; the spiritual state of life which is as surely yours as Jesus is; into which Jesus will bring you, and where He will keep you. It is the rest in which you can live every hour, free from care and anxiety, free from weariness and wanderings, always resting in the rest that trusts in God for all. Believe this?[1]
The Author of Hebrews encourages us with a promise of future rest to come.
Hebrews 4:1 NKJV
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
Hebrews 4:10 NKJV
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
But, the promise of rest is not just something far off in the future; it begins even now for those who trust Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in the Gospel of Matthew, invites us to rest.
Matthew 11:28 NKJV
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
If you gird yourself by living faithfully with the expectation of the Master’s return, He girds Himself and rewards you for your faithfulness. He will switch roles with you. This image of the master of the house taking on the role of a servant so clearly conveys the significance of Christ’s humility in our own lives. He became sin for us so that we could be the righteousness of God in Him. He became poor so that we might be made rich through Him.
On the night that He ate the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus intentionally took the posture of a servant. Laying aside His garments and girding Himself with a towel, He washed their feet, leaving them an unforgettable example of humility for every believer to follow (Jn. 13:1-17). Why would a King humble Himself in such a way? Why would the One worthy of all honor and praise willingly take the lowest place? Because His kingdom is not built on self-exaltation, but on sacrificial love and service.
He says of Himself,
Mark 10:45 NKJV
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (see also Matt. 20:28 and Jn. 13:1-17)
Do you see how much the Lord loves you my friends? Can you appreciate all that He has done on your behalf? In your sinfulness He has laid down His life for you. While you were His enemy He has made peace with you through the shedding of His own blood. His love for you nailed Him to the cross in your place so that you might have a place in His eternal kingdom. Let His faithfulness to you, embolden your resolve to remain faithful to Him.
Robbed (Lk. 12:39-40)
Another reason to be attentive is because failing to stay prepared for the Master’s return means risking everything we hold dear to a life of spiritual apathy.
Luke 12:39–40 NKJV
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
How often do you think about the day Jesus will return? Whatever your response, I’m sure that it’s not nearly enough. I’m just as guilty, but a few days ago I was struck by the gravity of this as I thought back on times in my life where I would’ve been so utterly embarrassed if Jesus had showed up then. With all that the Word of God has to say about the coming day of the Lord, why do we so often live our lives as though time is on our side?
Zephaniah 1:7 NKJV
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.
Zephaniah 1:14 NKJV
14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
The prophet Amos, speaking by the Spirit’s inspiration, questions why we would want the Master to show up since it will be a day of dread for so many.
Amos 5:18 NKJV
18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light.
There will be some who think the Lord’s return will be a day of reward for them, but in actuality it will be a day of robbery! All that they possess will be taken from them.
Luke 12:20 NKJV
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
The “Day” in these verses refers to the Second Coming of Christ.
Matthew 24:36 NKJV
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Echoing the apocalyptic words of Christ, the Apostle Paul says,
1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
To the dead church in Sardis, the First and the Last, He who was dead, but is now alive and who lives forevermore says,
Revelation 3:3 NKJV
3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
My friends, brothers and sisters of Christ, there is a day coming at some point when the dead in Christ will rise and those who remain will be caught up together with Him in the clouds. Because we are in the different time zone than the Master is, we need to be about the Lord’s business while there is still daylight.
But understand this as well, there is a day coming for each of us that may very well precede the Second Coming. Few people will have a chance to get their chores done before the Master walks through the door, but for the rest, that day will sneak up on you just like the others. That “Day” came for a nine-year-old who lost a fight to cancer. That “day” came for a two-week old baby born premature. That “day” came for a hundred-year-old military veteran who gave his life in service to others. That “day” came for an eighty-four-year-old mother, grandmother, sister, spouse and friend. That “day” came for folks in a building that collapsed this past week in New York.
There is no guarantee that we get to see another day in these bodies that we’re borrowing. But there is a guarantee of life for those who have been faithful. At the graveside of His best friend, Lazarus, Jesus told Mary and Martha,
John 11:25–26 NKJV
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
There is a promise of rest for those who have used their time, talents, and treasures to serve the Lord and be about His business in this life.
Just like a loving parent who goes on an extended business trip or vacation without the kids, that parent comes home with a gift for the child they love. So it will be for all who have been faithful while the Master is away. He is coming quickly and His reward is with Him.
Today might be your “day.”
Are you ready for the Lord to return? Have you surrendered your life to the Life-Giver?
Respond
The message of Jesus in this section is clear: Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.
Stay ready because the Master is coming back.
Stay ready because faithfulness will be rewarded.
Stay ready because today might be our “day.”
Stay ready because eternity is too important not to prepare for.
For those of you who have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, the Word of God encourages our hearts in this way:
1 Thessalonians 5:4 ESV
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 ESV
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
I want to invite you to come and place your hope in Jesus Christ for the reward of life if you don’t know Him. Do not wait another moment. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable hour (2 Cor. 6:2).
Come and find rest for your weary soul.
Come and find hope in the midst of despair.
Come and find forgiveness for your sins.
Come and live.
Tre Clark
Britton Christian Church
11/15/2026
Andrew Murray, Holiest of All, 156-57
