And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Matthew 25:6

Last time we considered the sudden return of Christ. Today we will consider the surprising return of Christ. The end of the world will come with joy and expectation for the believer but will be a terrible surprise for the unbeliever.

At that great day of the Lord most will wish they had done something different before the Lord returned but it will be too late. The time will be at hand, the hour of salvation will be passed, and those who are not in Christ will desire for the mountains to cover them and the hills to fall on them (Hosea 10:8).

The Lord Jesus affirms the surprise with reference to the worldwide flood that came in the days of Noah (24:39). Noah warned men to repent. He told them of the pending flood. He spent 100 years preaching and building the ark to keep himself, his family, and many animals safe. But nobody outside his family listened. Nobody saw it coming until the flood was upon them, the ark door was shut, and the waters carried all away to their doom.

Jesus told us that same scenario will happen again. Most will not listen to his warnings. Most will not believe that His return is imminent. Most will mock and ridicule Christians for trying to remain unpolluted from the world. Most will not think of Jesus Christ until they see Him descending in power and glory at the last day. They will be surprised.

In one sense, there is no sin in being surprised by along-awaited event coming to pass. Who among us has ever experienced Christ’s coming? It will be surprising and sudden for the Christian in the sense of jolting and glorious. However, for the Christian, Christ’s return should not be surprising in any unexpected sense.