Matthew 25:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

NIV: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

NASB: Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

CSB: "Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

NLT: So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

KJV: Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

NKJV: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Jesus drives home the point of His parable about the ten young, unmarried women, waiting for the bridegroom during a wedding celebration. Those who follow Christ should watch for His return. He says again that they will have no way to accurately predict the moment when He will come back (Matthew 24:36). The fact that Jesus makes this same point repeatedly shows its importance. Rather than becoming complacent or lazy, He wants His followers to live in state of constant readiness. He does not want any of His people to live for themselves and merely hope for the best when He gets here.

Taking His teaching together within the context of the New Testament, being prepared for Christ's return begins with putting our hope in Christ's return. The only way to be approved of by the judge and welcomed into the kingdom of heaven is through faith in Christ Himself (John 3:36). Those who trust Him accept the gift of His death for the forgiveness of their sin and His righteousness for their approval before the Father (John 3:16–18).

Those who are trusting Jesus will be at work as they wait for His return, making the most of what He has given to them. They do the work He has given them to do. That's the point of the following parable (Matthew 25:14).

Matthew 25:1–13 presents Jesus' parable of the ten virgins. These unmarried young women gather to wait for the groom to arrive during a wedding celebration. They plan to join in a procession to a great feast when he comes after dark. Five of the young women foolishly forgot to bring sufficient oil for their lights. When the groom arrives, they scramble to get more oil but are not admitted to the feast when arriving late. Jesus urges His followers to be prepared and watch for His return.

Jesus uses two additional parables to illustrate a state of constant readiness for His return after He has gone. His followers should be working for Him while they wait. They must not be like the foolish young women who missed a wedding feast because they forgot oil for their lamps. They must be like the servants who doubled their harsh master's investments while He was away. Jesus concludes with a third descriptive passage, showing how He will judge between the righteous and evil when He returns as King.

Matthew 25 concludes the "Olivet Discourse:" Jesus' teaching to the disciples about future things as they sit on the Mount of Olives. This follows His dire predictions about the Temple and Jerusalem in chapter 24. He gives two more parables to emphasize that they must be prepared for His return. Finally, Jesus describes the moment of His return, after a time of tribulation, when He will judge all who live on earth at the beginning of His kingdom. This leads into Matthew's account of Jesus' Last Supper, betrayal, and arrest in chapter 26.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.