Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24:36 continues to perplex many: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

If Jesus is fully God, how could He not know the timing of His own return? And why would God intentionally withhold this information—even from His Son?

 

No One Knows the Day or Hour: What Was Jesus Actually Saying?

Consider with us first, the context. Jesus had just delivered what scholars call the “Olivet Discourse,” a lengthy teaching about the end times. He described signs that would precede His return—wars, famines, false prophets, even cosmic disturbances. He urged His followers to remain vigilant.

Then comes the startling statement. Mark 13:32 states: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” There’s no avoiding the plain meaning here. Jesus, by His own testimony, did not know the timing of His return.

 

The Divine Dilemma: How Can God Not Know?

This creates what appears to be a theological contradiction. The Bible teaches Jesus is fully God (John 1:1-14; Colossians 2:9). God is omniscient—knowing all things. So how could Jesus not know something? This brings us to one of Christianity’s most profound doctrines: the incarnation.

 

The Two Natures of Christ: Divine and Human

Reformed theology affirms Jesus Christ possesses two distinct natures—He’s both fully God and fully Man—united in one person. This is called the “hypostatic union.” Check Out Our Post: Why do We Affirm Jesus is Fully God and Fully Man?

When Jesus became incarnate, He didn’t cease being God, but He voluntarily accepted certain limitations of human existence. Philippians 2:6-7 describes how Christ, “though he was in the form of God… emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

This “emptying” (kenosis) doesn’t mean Jesus surrendered His deity. Rather, He voluntarily limited the independent exercise of certain divine attributes while remaining fully God. Check Out Our Post: The Kenosis: What Does It Mean that Jesus Emptied Himself?

 

Calvin’s Insight: Christ Speaking According to His Office

John Calvin, the great Reformed theologian, offered a helpful perspective. He suggested Jesus was speaking according to His mediatorial office—His role as the God-man mediator between God and humanity. Calvin wrote: “Christ, who knew the day of judgement in his divinity, was ignorant of it in his humanity in which he drew near to us.” In other words, Jesus experienced genuine human limitations as part of His mission.

This wasn’t deception or play-acting. In His incarnate state, Jesus experienced authentic human limitations while simultaneously being God.

 

The Limitation Was Real and Necessary

Christ’s experience of human limitations was both real and necessary for our salvation. Hebrews 2:17 explains “he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest.”

To truly represent us, Jesus needed to experience the full range of human limitations—including limited knowledge. As a genuinely human person, Jesus grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52), experienced hunger and thirst, and even limited knowledge. This doesn’t diminish His deity but rather highlights the magnificence of the incarnation. Though He was God, He willingly accepted human constraints to accomplish our salvation.

 

Why the Father Reserved This Knowledge

But why would the Father specifically withhold the knowledge of the final day from the Son? Several reasons suggest themselves:

• To affirm Christ’s true humanity: This limitation demonstrated that Jesus had truly entered into our human condition.
• To model proper human dependence on God: Jesus showed us what perfect trust in the Father looks like, even when we don’t have all the answers.
• To prevent speculation and date-setting: If even Jesus in His earthly ministry didn’t know the timing, how much less should we engage in such speculation!
• To keep us watchful: Not knowing the timing keeps the church vigilant in every generation.

 

So, Has Jesus Now “Caught Up” on What He Missed?

An important question arises: Does Jesus still not know the timing of His return? Most Reformed theologians would say no—His current glorified state is different from His state of humiliation on earth. After His resurrection and ascension, Jesus entered His “state of exaltation.” While maintaining both His divine and human natures, He now exercises the full prerogatives of deity that He voluntarily limited during His earthly ministry.

In His current glorified state, there’s good reason to believe Christ now knows the timing of His return, though Scripture doesn’t explicitly say this.

 

The Mystery We Must Embrace

This teaching reminds us that Christian theology involves mystery. The incarnation—God becoming human while remaining God—stretches the limits of human understanding.

When we encounter such mysteries, the proper response isn’t to force logical resolution but to respond with worship and humility. As the great Reformed tradition reminds us, we must be careful not to go beyond what Scripture actually teaches.

 

Conclusion: No One Knows the Day or Hour

Jesus’ statement about not knowing the day or hour reveals the depth of Christ’s identification with our humanity—that He would accept even the limitation of knowledge to accomplish our salvation. It shows us the proper human posture of humility and trust in God’s timing.

Far from undermining our faith, this teaching strengthens it. It reminds us our hope isn’t based on knowing when Christ will return, but on knowing Him who will return. And perhaps most importantly, it calls us to a life of watchful readiness—serving faithfully until that unknown day arrives when, as Paul beautifully puts it, “we shall see face to face” and “know fully, even as we have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

 

No One Knows the Day or Hour: Related FAQs

How should Christians live in light of Jesus’ statement that “no one knows the day or hour”? Christians should maintain an attitude of watchful readiness, neither becoming complacent nor obsessed with end-times speculation. Jesus calls us to faithful stewardship of the gospel and our vocations, living each day as if it could be the day of His return. This watchfulness is not anxious but hopeful, shaping our priorities and decisions according to eternal rather than merely temporal concerns.

• How can I find comfort in not knowing when Christ will return? The comfort lies in knowing the timing is in the hands of our wise and loving Father who determines all things according to His perfect plan. God’s sovereignty extends to the timing of Christ’s return, which means it will occur at exactly the right moment in redemptive history. This frees us from anxiety about the future and allows us to rest in God’s perfect wisdom and timing.
• How does Christ’s identification with human limitations help us in our daily Christian life? Christ’s willingness to accept human limitations, including limited knowledge, demonstrates His deep solidarity with our human condition. This means we have a High Priest who truly understands our weaknesses, limitations, and struggles (Hebrews 4:15). When we face the frustration of our own limited knowledge or other human constraints, we can find comfort in knowing that Christ Himself experienced these limitations yet remained perfectly faithful to God.

Doesn’t Jesus’ limited knowledge undermine His claim to deity? No, Jesus’ limited knowledge actually confirms the biblical teaching about the incarnation—He was truly human while remaining truly divine. Reformed theology distinguishes between Christ’s divine nature (which is omniscient) and His human nature (which experienced genuine human limitations). Rather than undermining His deity, this statement demonstrates the reality of His incarnation and the extent of His identification with humanity.

• If Jesus said no one knows the time of His return, why do some Christians still try to predict it? Some Christians attempt to predict Christ’s return by distinguishing between knowing the exact “day and hour” versus knowing the general “season.” However, Reformed theology has consistently rejected such date-setting as contrary to Christ’s clear teaching and intent. This misguided practice stems from both pride (believing one has special insight others lack) and misunderstanding the purpose of biblical prophecy, which is to produce faithfulness rather than forecasting.
• Does the phrase “not even the Son” appear in all Bible translations of Matthew 24:36? Some older manuscripts of Matthew’s Gospel omit “nor the Son,” while Mark 13:32 consistently includes it in all reliable manuscripts. Reformed scholarship generally accepts the phrase as authentic in both gospels based on textual evidence and theological consistency. Rather than avoiding this challenging statement, Reformed interpreters embrace it as revealing important truths about Christ’s incarnation and the nature of His mediatorial work.

How should we respond to those who use this verse to argue that Jesus was merely human and not divine? We should gently point out that this interpretation fails to account for the full biblical testimony about Christ’s person. Reformed theology maintains that Scripture must interpret Scripture, and the overwhelming biblical evidence affirms Christ’s full deity (John 1:1-14; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3). Jesus’ statement about limited knowledge should be understood within the mystery of the incarnation—that in becoming human, He voluntarily accepted certain limitations while remaining fully God.

 

No One Knows the Day or Hour: Our Related Posts

• Apostasy in the Last Days: What Does the Bible Say?
• Signs of Christ’s Return: Are We in the Last Days?
• Judgement Day is Almost Here: Are We Ready?
• The Second Coming of Jesus: Why Hasn’t He Returned Yet?