Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The call to "be on guard" and "keep awake" isn't just about being alert for a future event, but about a continuous state of readiness against the everyday distractions that can numb us to spiritual realities. Jesus emphasizes this by noting we don't know when the time will come, highlighting that the unknown timing itself is the very reason for constant vigilance, not an excuse for complacency.
Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished describing cosmic signs and the destruction of the Temple, explaining that these are signs of the end times but not the absolute end itself. He then warns them against being deceived by false Christs and encourages them to stand firm, emphasizing that the true end will come suddenly, much like the flood in Noah's day, and will catch the unprepared off guard. Therefore, he urges his followers to stay alert and ready, because the timing of his return is unknown.
Jesus doesn't mince words here. The command to 'be on guard' is sharp, direct, and carries a weight of critical importance. Why is this vigilance so crucial for believers?
The phrase 'be on guard' (Greek: prosecho) isn't just a passive suggestion; it's an active, attentive posture. It means to 'pay attention,' 'heed carefully,' or 'guard against.' In the context of Jesus' teaching about the end times, this vigilance is essential because the world's distractions are incredibly powerful.
Worldly Distractions
Jesus warns that the time of his return will be like the days of Noah and Lot. People will be caught up in everyday life: eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. These aren't inherently sinful activities, but they can become idols when they consume our attention to the point that we neglect eternal realities.
The Danger of Complacency
This verse calls us to actively resist complacency. It's easy to get comfortable, to assume things will always be as they are, and to let our spiritual guard down. This posture of 'being on guard' is about maintaining a spiritual alertness that keeps eternal truths at the forefront of our minds, even amidst the busyness of life.
Following 'be on guard,' Jesus adds 'keep awake.' What does it truly mean to be awake in a spiritual sense, and why is it so vital?
To 'keep awake' (Greek: ) goes beyond simply not sleeping. It implies vigilance, being alert, and actively watching. It's a state of readiness, a refusal to be caught off guard by the unexpected.
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Vigilance Amidst Uncertainty
Jesus emphasizes that 'you do not know when the time will come.' This uncertainty isn't meant to breed anxiety, but rather to cultivate a continuous state of watchfulness. If we knew the exact moment, we might only prepare then. Because the timing is unknown, we must live in a perpetual state of readiness.
The Parable's Illustration
The parables Jesus often told (like the one about the master returning) highlight this need for wakefulness. The servants who are found awake and doing their assigned tasks when the master returns are rewarded. Those who are found sleeping or indulging are not.
This 'keeping awake' involves our minds, our actions, and our hearts. It's about being engaged with God and His purposes, not passively drifting through life.
Understand the original words
blepō / agrupneō · Greek Verb
A spiritual imperative to maintain moral and spiritual alertness, vigilance, and readiness against deception or moral lethargy, often in anticipation of Christ's return.
kairos · Greek Noun
A designated moment or season in God’s sovereign redemptive timeline; it refers to the decisive point of divine intervention in human history.
Mark 13 is Jesus' discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem and the signs of the end times. Given the backdrop of Roman occupation and the looming First Jewish-Roman War, Jesus' urgent call to 'watch and pray' was a direct message to his followers to remain vigilant and prepared, not just for the fall of Jerusalem, but for his ultimate return.
c. 6 BC - c. AD 30/33— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus Christ preaches, teaches, and performs miracles throughout Galilee and Judea, gathering disciples and challenging the religious and political authorities of his time.
c. AD 30/33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem and, according to Christian belief, resurrected three days later, marking a pivotal moment for his followers.
c. AD 40s - 60s
Early Christian Missions
The apostles, particularly Paul, spread the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire, establishing communities in various cities and facing persecution.
c. AD 60s
Composition of Mark's Gospel
The Gospel of Mark is written, likely in Rome, to a predominantly Gentile audience, recounting Jesus' life, death, and resurrection with a focus on his actions and suffering.
AD 66 - AD 73
First Jewish-Roman War
A major revolt by the Jews against Roman rule erupts, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple.
This passage shares the same core message of vigilance and preparedness due to the unknown timing of the Lord's return.
Luke 21:34-36It expands on the call to watchfulness by warning against being weighed down by worldly distractions, emphasizing the need for prayer to remain alert.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-6This passage uses the metaphor of a thief in the night to highlight the suddenness of the Lord's coming and stresses the importance of being alert and sober, rather than caught unaware like those living in darkness.
Hebrews 10:24-25It connects the idea of watchfulness with the practice of meeting together and encouraging one another, showing that community and mutual exhortation are vital parts of staying spiritually alert.
ellicottMark 13:33: "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is."
(33) Take ye heed. —Note once more the characteristic iteration of the warning. It would almost seem, from the very different conclusions of the discourse in the three Gospels, as if they had been based up to this point on a common document which then stopped and left them to a greater divergency of memory or tradition. The omission of St. Matthew’s reference to the history of Noah is, perhaps, characteristic of St. M…
calvinMark 13:33: "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is."
- But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38. For as in the days that came before the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day when Noah entered into the ark, 39. And knew not until the deluge came, [160] and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40. Two men shall then be in the field; one is taken, and the…
The call to "be on guard" and "keep awake" isn't just about being alert for a future event, but about a continuous state of readiness against the everyday distractions that can numb us to spiritual realities. Jesus emphasizes this by noting we don't know when the time will come, highlighting that the unknown timing itself is the very reason for constant vigilance, not an excuse for complacency.
Jesus has just finished describing cosmic signs and the destruction of the Temple, explaining that these are signs of the end times but not the absolute end itself. He then warns them against being deceived by false Christs and encourages them to stand firm, emphasizing that the true end will come suddenly, much like the flood in Noah's day, and will catch the unprepared off guard. Therefore, he urges his followers to stay alert and ready, because the timing of his return is unknown.
Jesus has just finished describing cosmic signs and the destruction of the Temple, explaining that these are signs of the end times but not the absolute end itself. He then warns them against being deceived by false Christs and encourages them to stand firm, emphasizing that the true end will come suddenly, much like the flood in Noah's day, and will catch the unprepared off guard. Therefore, he urges his followers to stay alert and ready, because the timing of his return is unknown.
"Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come." — The call to "be on guard" and "keep awake" isn't just about being alert for a future event, but about a continuous state of readiness against the everyday distractions that can numb us to spiritual r…
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Last reviewed October 2026