Does Jesus Know When He Will Return?
The Bible's Perspective
The Bible affirms both Jesus' divinity and humanity. As God, Jesus possesses omniscience, knowing all things (John 1:1, 14). However, in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, Jesus states that he does not know the specific time of his return.
Jesus' Limited Knowledge During His Earthly Ministry
To understand this apparent contradiction, we must consider Jesus' incarnation. When God became human, he voluntarily limited his knowledge (Philippians 2:6-8). This included not knowing the date of his return. Jesus embraced his human limitations, including the lack of knowledge about his second coming.
Jesus' Omniscience in His Exalted State
After his resurrection and ascension to heaven, Jesus regained his full divine knowledge. However, during his earthly ministry, he deliberately veiled his omniscience to fulfill his mission as the servant of God.
Reconciling the Two Perspectives
Jesus' statement that he does not know the time of his return should be interpreted as his voluntary embrace of his human limitations. As a human, he did not have access to this information. However, as God, he knows everything, including the timing of his second coming.
Jesus, as both God and man, possesses full knowledge of his second coming. However, during his earthly ministry, he chose to limit his knowledge in accordance with his Father's will. This act of humility demonstrates his commitment to his mission and his deep love for humanity.
Does Jesus Know When He Will Return?
Does Jesus know when He will return?
The question of whether Jesus knows when He will return or not is a subject of debate among Christians. Some believe that Jesus knows the exact time and date of His return, while others believe that He does not.
What does the Bible say about Jesus' knowledge of His return?
There are several verses in the Bible that address Jesus' knowledge of His return. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." This verse seems to indicate that Jesus does not know the exact time and date of His return.
However, there are other verses that suggest that Jesus does know when He will return. For example, in John 14:28, Jesus says, "I am going away, but I will come back to you." This verse seems to indicate that Jesus knows that He will return, even if He does not know the exact time and date.
How can we reconcile these different verses?
One way to reconcile these different verses is to understand that Jesus has two natures: He is both God and man. As God, Jesus is omniscient, which means that He knows all things. As man, Jesus is limited in His knowledge.
Therefore, it is possible that Jesus knows the exact time and date of His return as God, but He does not know it as man. This would explain why He says that He does not know the exact time and date of His return in Matthew 24:36.
What does this mean for us?
Whether or not Jesus knows when He will return is not a matter of great importance. What is important is that we are ready for His return, whenever it may be. We should be living our lives in such a way that we are prepared to meet Him, whether He comes today or 100 years from now.