Jesus' Farewell Address Part 2

Introduction

Missions Month

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Giving Wall

Last week we saw at the beginning of Mark 13 Jesus enter into a sort of “Farewell Discourse” with his disciples.

He’s just left the temple and is sitting with his disciples on the Mount of Olives which is just east of the temple. Sitting there they would have had a spectacular view of the temple itself.

And seeing this remarkable view of the temple the disciples commented on how astounding the temple itself was which caused Jesus to share with them the temple's future destruction.

He said to them, all the stones which comprise the structure of the temple will be thrown down and destroyed. He was speaking of course about the destruction of the temple that would take place in the year, 70AD when the Roman General Titus overthrew a Jewish uprising and destroyed the temple.

This catastrophic event, which Jesus predicts here is really a foreshadowing of judgment day. It’s a foreshadowing of the events surrounding his second coming to earth.

Now, I think it’s good for us to ask “why” here. Why, with just now a day or two before his arrest, which he knows is coming, does he enter into this rather lengthy discourse with his disciples on his second coming? I mean, they haven’t even fully grasped the purpose of his first coming yet and now he’s talking about a second coming?

And then, what do we do with this? What’s the purpose of this “Farewell Address?”

Well, I want to hinge everything, the purpose of it all, the reason for it all, the implication of it all on what Jesus says at the end in verse 37.

Mark 13:37

And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

This is a command, it’s an imperative. Hold on to this for a moment. Jesus is commanding us, commanding you, to stay awake, don’t get sleepy, don’t get lazy.

It’s describing a state of being. We are to remain continuously in a state of watchfulness and in a state of yearning for his return. And we don’t deviate from this.

The purpose of this “Farewell Address” this “Olivet Discourse” is to implore his disciples, his followers to remain on mission. Don’t get distracted. Don’t live as if this is peace time. It’s not peace time. This is war time. Jesus is building his church, expanding his kingdom, and as Matthew 16:18 says, the gates of Hell will not prevail against it, but the gates of Hell are going to try to prevail.

Listen, Jesus wins. He’s King, He’s victorious. We know how the story ends. His Kingdom will be established and His enemies will be defeated. There is coming a day when death will be defeated and the curse of sin destroyed but remember what we saw Jesus say last week; the glory of Christ’s kingdom, the birth of His eternal reign will come through suffering and pain and tribulation and battle and persecution.

The church does not coast to this finish line, it strives toward it, labors toward it, perseveres toward it with “grace-driven effort.” With eyes fixed on Christ our King.

Main Aim

This here, is a plea to the church from it’s Savior to stay awake and strive toward that finish line. Jesus is returning for His Bride.

Body

So, why are we to stay awake? Why are we to be vigilant? Why are we to be watchful with a spirit of yearning for the return of Christ?

Three main reasons.

Number one:

Heaven and earth are fading, but God’s Kingdom is forever.

That’s verse 31.

Mark 13:31

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Heaven and earth is fading away. As history progresses, creation itself, Romans 8 tells us will groan more and more for the King to return; to restore creation back to to how it was meant to be. Creation is longing to return back to Eden, where life was how God intended it to be; good.

As history progresses toward that day there will be more persecution, more suffering, more upheaval.

Jump back with me to verse 24.

Mark 13:24

“But in those days, after that tribulation...”

Really quick so we have context here, Jesus is using the destruction of the temple as a foreshadowing of events surrounding the the second coming.

So, just as with the temple destruction in 70AD and the suffering and tribulation and persecution and violence that surrounded it, that will be what precedes the coming of Jesus to gather the church to himself. But, it’ll be far more destructive because the heavens and earth will begin to dissolve.

With the destruction of the temple we saw the stones being tossed to the ground but here, Jesus says the stars themselves will fall from the sky.

So, Jesus is now looking ahead to his return and the events surrounding it. So, he goes on.

Mark 13:24–25

“The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

The natural universe, the created universe itself will begin to dim, to say it lightly.

As God the Son comes in power and glory to judge the earth, creation itself will be rocked by it and greatly shaken.

Revelation affirms these words of Christ as well.

Revelation 6:12–14

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Just as we saw in the first part of Mark 13, with the destruction of the temple, we see here, the cosmic upheaval that takes place as the King of kings arrives to judge and establish his eternal dominion.

Jesus says great suffering and persecution and tribulation will precede his return.

And so, why stay awake? Why fix our eyes on Christ? Because just as the magnificent temple in Jerusalem was brought down to rubble, so the earth itself is not meant to be our place of hope and comfort.

Earth here as we see it in these verses dim to a formless grey. The sun in all of it’s brilliance is darkened. The moonlight fades to nothing. The stars fall from their place in the sky and all the power we observe in the universe trembles before Christ the King.

All that have risen up against Christ and rebelled against him will run in terror as he comes in power and might to judge the earth.

Listen more to Revelation 6.

Revelation 6:15–17

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

What a stark contrast Jesus gives us here in Mark 13. The heavens and the earth fade into the background, they tremble and shake before their Maker as Christ the King comes in power and glory and might.

Verse 26.

Mark 13:26

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

What is this moment? This is the moment of Christ’s return. At Jesus’ first advent a star lit up the sky, at his second advent the stars fall from the sky.

And Jesus says, all will see the “Son of Man,” the divine judge of all the earth, the great eschatological figure described in Daniel 7 coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

I’ll ask again here. What is this moment? This is a return to Eden.

The garden of Eden which God created was a place where heaven and earth met. It was a place where God dwelt with his people and creation dwelt with their God. It was how life was supposed to be. It was a place where God’s presence resided.

But man rebelled. He was deceived and because of humanity’s rejection of God he was cast out of Eden. But a promise was made that one day someone would come to restore Eden, to restore mankind’s relationship with God so that humanity could once again dwell with Him.

The story of Scripture unfolds who this Messiah, this rescuer, this Savior would be and as it continually progresses toward the revealing of Jesus as that Messiah we see in the storyline of Scripture, God’s continued desire to dwell with his people. We see God’s desire for his people to be in his presence.

Jesus, saying that the Son of Man is coming in the clouds and in great glory is significant. Don’t miss this.

In Exodus as God leads his people out of slavery in Egypt, how does God lead them?

Exodus 13:21–22

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

In Exodus 33 whenever Moses met with God he would go outside of the camp and set up a tent of meeting. And it was there that he would be in the presence of God. But what do we see whenever the presence of God met with Moses?

Exodus 33:9–10

When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.

As you progress through Exodus, God gives specific instructions for the building of the tabernacle. A place where God would dwell with his people in the inner most room, the holy of holies.

What takes place as soon as the tabernacle is constructed?

Exodus 40:34–38

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

The presence of God was seen in Exodus as a pillar of cloud by day and the firery glory of God by night. Jesus says here, on that day at my return all will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. He’s bringing with him the presence of God. The return of Eden where heaven and earth meet.

Jesus is returning a second time to bring Eden back. Meaning, an end to sin, suffering, pain, disease, poverty, injustice, and death. The world is being restored.

He’s coming to gather all those who belong to him. Those who have suffered for his name. Suffered at the hands of those who reject God. He’s gathering men and women from every corner of the globe. People from every tribe, every nation, every language.

What a glorious truth to behold here. Our King is returning for his people.

Second reason to stay awake and alert.

The time is drawing near.

Verse 28.

Mark 13:28–29

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

How many of us get excited when we see trees beginning to bud? I know I do. You know why? Because winter is ending and spring is near.

Jesus tells his disciples to look at the fig tree. It was one of only a few trees in Israel that actually lost its leaves during the winter. At this season fig trees were beginning to bud again so the people knew that warm weather was coming.

So, he’s saying, the affairs in world history, specifically things mentioned in verses 14-25 will be signs that the end of the age is near. That the return of Christ is close. These things will tip us off that the Son of Man is soon returning.

Just like the events preceding the destruction of the temple will signal that it is near.

Mark 13:30

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Here’s where Mark 13 gets difficult. What “generation” is Jesus talking about? And how you interpret other parts of Mark 13 will influence how you answer that question. And so, like I said last week, this is where humility and charity come in.

We’ve got to wrestle through these things understanding that there’s complexity here.

In the first half of Mark 13 Jesus is describing, I believe the destruction of the temple and the events leading up to it. So, to me, it makes sense that when he references “these things” in verse 30 he’s referencing once again the events surrounding the temple destruction. Events that did happen in the disciples lifetime.

But at the same time, I believe we’re to keep in mind that there will be events surrounding Christ’s return, like he speaks of in verses 24 and 25 that will signal the nearness of his return and so, like his instruction given to the disciples, we are to remain alert and awake.

Now, however you interpret this section of Jesus’ words remember one thing that unites us all.

Our reason for vigilance and alertness is not because we have the correct time-frame. It’s good to wrestle through those things. I’ve really enjoyed studying this out and reading differing views. It helps me to better understand and appreciate the Scriptures.

But what we rest in is the truth that Jesus is returning and his return is nearer now than it was when Jesus first spoke to his disciples. And what we hang our hope on is God’s enduring Word, His truth.

Mark 13:31

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

What he says will come to fruition. If he says he’s coming back, then he’s coming back. So, stay awake and alert for his return.

Lastly, we stay awake because,

We don’t know the hour of Christ’s return.

Verse 32.

Mark 13:32–33

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

This can be a troubling verse for us as well if we don’t fully grasp and understand the beauty of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. God the Son, Scripture says, “laid aside His glory.” “He was born in the likeness of men.”

Though he did not surrender his deity, he did take on the limitations and the weakness of mankind. He grew tired. He was hungry and thirsty. It explains why he could be killed. And so, when he says, “not even the Son knows but only the Father” we see Jesus in his humanity here.

He didn’t know the exact moment of his return here as he was speaking to his disciples. But yet, he trusted his Father. And he knew that he was returning for his people. There’s mystery here for sure. How did Jesus know some things but not others? I’m not quite sure.

But this is a beautiful picture of his humanity. He became weak, so we could become strong. He took on himself the curse of sin so that we could receive through faith, his righteousness.

At Jesus’ first coming, he didn’t come bringing judgment. He took it upon himself for us. At Jesus’ first coming as he was nailed to the cross he experienced and endured God’s wrath (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?). Why? So we could receive through faith, forgiveness instead of judgment and God’s presence instead of absence and distance and condemnation.

But we also learn here from Jesus that we will never know or be able to pinpoint the exact date and return of Christ. Only God knows. So, what do we do? What is our charge? What is our responsibility? Be watchful. Be alert. Keep awake.

Application

I want to wrap up our time here today by answering two questions.

What does it mean to “stay awake?” and

What comfort does the return of Jesus give?

The answer to the first question is that if the return of Jesus is a “return to Eden” meaning a return to mankind dwelling with God in a world free from suffering, pain, hostility, sin, and wars, and death then first there must be a yearning in your heart to see Jesus as the true treasure, your true delight, your true eternal hope.

The return of the Son of Man that Jesus paints for us contrasts greatly against the fading reality of the world itself. If we are not yearning for the return of Jesus then it most likely means that you have grown too comfortable with the world itself.

Staying awake doesn’t mean every second of your day is you wondering, “Is it now?” “Is it now?” “Is it now?” But it does mean that we live with a daily anticipation, hope, and yearning for the return of Christ.

If we’re going days, weeks, months, even years without any anticipation or yearning for Christ to return then clearly you are far more fixated on this world and not the one to come.

And so, staying awake means living in anticipation. It means living on mission now. We’re Christ’s church. We’re an outpost of the Kingdom of God. Meaning we live in such a way that reveals the beauty and hope of Christ’s future kingdom. The way we love one another, serve one another, care for one another and love and serve our neighbor and send people for the advancement of the kingdom reveals, though imperfectly because of our sinfulness, a snapshot of what life in the presence of God, under his good reign and rule looks like.

But also, what comfort does the return of Jesus give?

One of the questions in the Heidelberg Catechism which was completed in 1563 asks,

“What comfort is it to you that Christ shall come again to judge the living and the dead?”

The answer:

“In all distress and persecution, with uplifted head, I confidently await the very judge who has already offered himself to the judgment of God in my place and removed the whole curse from me. Christ will cast all his enemies and mine into everlasting condemnation, but will take me and all his elect to himself into the joy and glory of heaven.”

Isn’t that what we see in verse 27? He gathers all who belong to him. All those whom he has saved and redeemed by his grace. And though Christ’s return is to judge the world, we, who have been saved by grace are no longer under God’s condemnation for Christ has taken our condemnation upon himself and so now we eagerly await our returning King.

And we live in this present age with hope and in a pursuit of holiness.

Titus 2:11–14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Church, stay awake.