Jesus remarked in Matthew 16:1-4 that the Pharisees and Sadducees reasoned about the sky and the weather but refused to apply the same logic to the miracles of Christ. They did not lack the ability to reason, but they did not like the conclusion drawn by the works of Jesus. Many today have fallen prey to the same mistake. They obsess over fact-checking the smallest statements made by a politician or news outlet but seem unconcerned about inaccurate teaching from the word of God. I have seen many comments from religious people who call attention to wars and natural disasters and offer their scripturally unreasonable warning that these are signs of the return of Christ.
Where is the diligent checking of facts? Where is the concern for the truth to be spoken? Jesus spoke plainly of His return in Matthew 24:36-37, saying, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.”
Jesus could not have been any clearer. Just as no one could predict when the flood was going to come, so no one can predict the day Jesus will come in the clouds. No one but the Father Himself knows when that event will take place.
Do not look for signs of Christ’s return nor call attention to wars and natural disasters as though they signify the event. Instead, let the truth direct you to a life of faithful obedience, knowing that Jesus may return at any moment (2 Pet. 3:10-12). Spend your time and energy calling the lost to God through the gospel, as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20. Though the gospel may lack the glamour and intrigue sought by some, it remains the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).