What Jesus Said About Time, Priorities & Opportunity (15 Teachings)

Believe in the light while the light is present.

Read the Scripture John 12:35–36

King James Version

John 12:35–36

³⁵Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
³⁶While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Do not borrow tomorrow's trouble.

Read the Scripture Matthew 6:34

King James Version

Matthew 6:34

³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Remain watchful and faithful while the master is away.

Read the Scripture Matthew 24:45–51; Mark 13:33–37; Luke 12:35–48

King James Version

Matthew 24:45–51

⁴⁵Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
⁴⁶Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
⁴⁷Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
⁴⁸But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
⁴⁹And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
⁵⁰The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
⁵¹And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mark 13:33–37

³³Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
³⁴For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
³⁶Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Luke 12:35–48

³⁵Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
³⁶And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
³⁹And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
⁴⁰Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
⁴¹Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
⁴²And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
⁴³Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
⁴⁴Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
⁴⁵But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
⁴⁶The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
⁴⁷And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
⁴⁸But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Persecution can become an opportunity to bear witness.

Read the Scripture Matthew 10:18; Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12–13

King James Version

Matthew 10:18

¹⁸And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Mark 13:9

⁹But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

Luke 21:12–13

¹²But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
¹³And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

The homeowner and thief teach constant readiness because the Son of Man comes unexpectedly.

Read the Scripture Matthew 24:43–44; Luke 12:39–40

King James Version

Matthew 24:43–44

⁴³But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
⁴⁴Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Luke 12:39–40

³⁹And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
⁴⁰Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

The ten virgins teach preparedness for a delayed and sudden arrival.

Read the Scripture Matthew 25:1–13

King James Version

Matthew 25:1–13

¹Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
²And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
³They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
⁴But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
⁵While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
⁶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
⁸And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
⁹But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
¹⁰And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
¹¹Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
¹²But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
¹³Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The watchful servants teach readiness for the master's return.

Read the Scripture Luke 12:35–38

King James Version

Luke 12:35–38

³⁵Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
³⁶And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Work while opportunity remains; night comes when work cannot be done.

Read the Scripture John 9:4

King James Version

John 9:4

⁴I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

No human knows the day or hour; the Father has unique knowledge of that timing.

Read the Scripture Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32

King James Version

Matthew 24:36

³⁶But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mark 13:32

³²But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Do not let dissipation, drunkenness, and life anxieties dull readiness.

Read the Scripture Luke 21:34–36

King James Version

Luke 21:34–36

³⁴And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
³⁵For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
³⁶Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Jesus told the disciples not to tell anyone yet that he was the Christ.

Read the Scripture Matthew 16:20; Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21

King James Version

Matthew 16:20

²⁰Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Mark 8:30

³⁰And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

Luke 9:21

²¹And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

Tell no one about the transfiguration until the Son of Man is raised.

Read the Scripture Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9

King James Version

Matthew 17:9

⁹And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Mark 9:9

⁹And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

Stay awake and be ready.

Read the Scripture Matthew 24:42–44; 25:13; Mark 13:33–37; Luke 12:35–40; 21:34–36

King James Version

Matthew 24:42–44

⁴²Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
⁴³But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
⁴⁴Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:13

¹³Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Mark 13:33–37

³³Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
³⁴For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
³⁶Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Luke 12:35–40

³⁵Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
³⁶And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
³⁹And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
⁴⁰Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Luke 21:34–36

³⁴And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
³⁵For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
³⁶Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

The fields are spiritually ready for harvest.

Read the Scripture John 4:35

King James Version

John 4:35

³⁵Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Jesus' time is governed by divine purpose rather than pressure from his brothers.

Read the Scripture John 7:6–8

King James Version

John 7:6–8

⁶Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
⁷The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
⁸Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

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What Jesus said about Time, Priorities & Opportunity

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How can Jesus help?

What Jesus said about Time, Priorities & Opportunity

A Guide for Real Life