Luke 21:34-38
34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.
Reflection
Because Jesus is returning to the earth to set all things aright, he calls us to be on guard against the deceptive pleasures and cares of this life (Luke 21:34; 8:14). The call to “stay awake” (21:36) is not a command to earn God’s favor but a reminder to resist the deceitfulness of sin and the subtle heart-numbing work of the Devil (1 Pet. 5:8). In his grace, God freely offers us eternal life through the gospel, but this does not mean that we are now free to live in careless disobedience. We must be alert. Those who have tasted grace are changed in heart so that they might now eagerly walk in obedience to God (see Rom. 6:4, 17).
1 Timothy 2:1-7
2: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Reflection
Paul teaches that, “God our Savior . . . desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3–4). The term “God our Savior” (cf. 4:10) gives us a glimpse into the very heart of God. This is God’s eternal nature. This is who God is. He does not delight in the destruction of the wicked. There is a sense in which God loves all whom he has made, despite their rejection of him (cf. Ps. 145:9, 13, 17; John 3:19). This does not mean that God ultimately wills everyone to be finally saved. If he did, all would be saved, because no one can resist God’s will (Rom. 9:19). Yet, in the divine mysteries of salvation, there remains a merciful desire even toward those who refuse to repent (Rom. 1:24).
God’s desire to save sinful humans has caused him to graciously send his Son as a Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). Christ is the only means of salvation because, “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (v. 5). Jesus is the only go-between, and because he is both God and man, he fully represents both sides. This is why God will accept the blood ransom paid by the God-man Christ Jesus, “who gave himself as a ransom for all” (v. 6). Because of God’s gracious heart, he has sent his Son to perform everything necessary to accomplish our salvation. Christians should therefore live a godly and prayerful life, asking God to bring this wondrous salvation to the lives of those who surround and lead us (vv. 1–2).
Psalm 49:7-9
7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, 8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, 9 that he should live on forever and never see the pit.
Because Christ was both fully God and fully man, he is able to truly ransom the lives of sinners. Consider the cost that God has paid for your salvation and thank him for the greatness of his merciful love for you.