To be woke is to hold a perspective that believes there must not only be equal outcomes to all peoples regardless of race, sex, or sexual identity, but even beyond this, those who are of “minority” status must be given advantages over those who are seen as part of the “majority” and “privileged class.”
Over the past four years or so, for many in our society, to be woke is to be one who supports “social justice.” Not to be woke is seen by many to be a very bad thing. Our children will face no small amount of pressure in that direction.
Yet, according to Scripture, what our sons and daughters need to hear is not that they should be woke. Rather, it is that they should stay awake.
We discover this in Luke 21:36, where Luke records Jesus as saying, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” This command comes at the end of Jesus’ teaching that the Jerusalem temple will be destroyed before the current generation passes away, a destruction that will usher in an age of tribulation leading up to and prefacing the future coming of Jesus, the Son of Man, in glory. That future coming in glory and judgment is described by Jesus as, “that day” (v. 34), in other words, the future Day of the Lord that brings complete salvation for the people of Jesus Christ (Luke 21:28) and judgment for those who ignore and/or reject him (Luke 21:34-35). It is, then, a call to be ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Yet, what is involved in this exhortation?
1. A call to be awake.
The verb translated, “stay awake,” is agrypneÅ. Not only is it used here and in Mark’s parallel passage (13:33) to be alert and ready for Christ’s coming, it is also used in Ephesians 6:18 to exhort readers to be awake so they can persevere and pray for one another as they stand against Satan and his schemes. Finally, it is used in Hebrews 13:17 to speak of how Christian leaders are to oversee or keep watch over the souls of those they are leading and shepherding. This suggests that the command here in Luke 21:36 is calling followers of Christ to be alert and watch over their own souls and thus be ready for the future Day of the Lord.
Part of the reason Jesus calls upon people to be awake or alert is because the future Day of the Lord can come upon a person in a way that surprises, like a trap or snare (see Luke 21:34). In other words, that coming of the Lord to bring full salvation (see Luke 21:28) and judgment will surprise many and they will not be ready to stand before the Son of Man, which means they will not be saved but instead will face his judgment (see Jude 24).
This understanding leads to the next part of this exhortation.
2. A call to be saved.
First and foremost, Jesus wants people to trust in him to be saved from the wrath of God (Lk. 18:26), thus declared righteous (Lk. 18:14), which means one will belong to the kingdom of God (Lk. 18:16) and inherit eternal life (Lk. 18:18). Not to trust in Jesus is to miss this salvation (Lk. 19:1-10; 21:28).
3. A call to persevere.
What must be understood, however, is that true salvation results in a person persevering in that salvation and so enduring in their following of Jesus. This is clear from Jesus’ teaching that the goal is to stand before him, which means not bowing or falling under the judgment of the Son of Man.
Since this is the case, parents and all who are discipling the next generation must teach that not all who profess faith in Jesus Christ will be ultimately saved. Those who are truly saved and share in Jesus Christ are those who endure to the end (Mark 13:13), who continue in the original confidence they have firm to the end (Heb. 3:14), who do not stumble (Jude 24). There are many who profess faith in Jesus Christ and yet do not continue in that profession until the end. We need to teach and be reminded that once a person is truly saved, they will be always saved. Yet, it is not true necessarily that once professed, always saved.
4. A call to pray.
One of the great resources God has given to us so we can have the strength to persevere and not be done in by the trials and difficulties of life is prayer. This is why Jesus says in Luke 21:36, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength….” This is also taught by Peter (1 Peter 4:7): “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”
5. A call to faithful mission.
Finally, we can say, in light of the rest of the Gospel of Luke, that those who are awake and ready for Jesus Christ to return are those who remain faithful in the mission he has given to us. Such persons: Fear God over humans and so will be bold in witness (9:26; 12:4-7); continually strive to enter the salvation/kingdom house through the one door—Jesus; release their grip on controlling their own life and their grip on coming up with our own solutions for hope, happiness, significance, and security, and thus they trust in Jesus fully and love him more than all (9:23; 14:25ff.; 17:33); are rich toward God by laying up treasures in heaven, rather than merely on earth (12:13-21); and faithfully obey the Lord (11:28). All-in-all, such persons seek their eternal joy and reward in Christ, believing that this is much better than seeking joy and reward merely in this life/age (see 14:12-14; 17:33).
6. A call to solid biblical understanding and teaching.
What we discover in this passage is the importance of understanding well what the Bible says and teaching that to others. In our brief treatment we can see how important is it to have our heads and hearts around the biblical teaching of the perseverance of the saints. This also overlaps with the teaching about sanctification, conversion, and saving faith.
One final word.
Parent, as we teach our children, we should never think that it is enough merely to call them to faith. We must challenge hearers to examine themselves to see if they are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5) and we must call them to persevere. Finally, we must be people of prayer and must encourage our families to pray—asking God to change hearts and to keep our children from stumbling and to present them as blameless before him (Jude 24).
Joyfully Persevering And Teaching The Next Generation To Persevere With You,
Tom Barnes
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