All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name

Intro

I drove out to Fallon this week. Part of that drive is on US50. What is that road’s nickname?

“The loneliest road in America” I guess all the other roads have more friends! We say things sometimes that represent an idea, but we don’t say it directly. US50 is lonely = the travelers and towns on the road are few and far between. Heading out of Fallon, the next town of larger size is Grand Junction Colorado!

We use representative language. People always have.

“I’m the king of the hill!” “I’ve got splitting headache” “No more sugar, he’s already bouncing off the walls” “I love you a ton!”

Trying to take any of these literally gets very confusing! Don’t get me wrong, they have a real and true MEANING, but that meaning is beyond the definition.

Today we look at some of this language today. Jesus speaks of the end of days in Mark 13:24-27. And there’s some language that is difficult to understand clearly. I want to help us walk through this passage to gain some context for His representative language.

Pray

Mark 13:24–27 ESV

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

What is Jesus saying? It is tempting to take the plain things in this passage and not worry about the other things. There will be a tribulation, Jesus will come, and He’ll gather HIs people to Himself.

That’s a good message - we can endure our troubles now because we’ll be with Jesus forever. It’s gonna get rough, but Jesus wins!

That victory is true, the statements are accurate, but without seeking to understand the other parts - the parts that aren’t as clear - we come up very short.

When I was young, I lived in Sacramento. When I was 17, I moved with my parents to a new place. The directions were easy. leave the house and head down El Camino, turn right on Watt, and get on I-80 east. Then get off at W. Flaming Gorge, R. on Uinta, L. on Shashone, R. on Hitching Post, L. on Wind River. From here to there in 8 easy steps. That’s all true, but that’s not the story. It misses the magnitude of the journey.

When we just look at Jesus wins in the end, we miss the grandeur and magnitude of who He is, and what He will do.

In my move, the direction are not meaningful to explain the journey until you put miles between the turns. It’s the 800 miles on I-80 that defined that move… From Sacramento to Green River, WY.

In the same way, it’s the nature and magnitude of the victory that defines Jesus’ future state of glory. To see that, and the context of the tribulation and coming of Jesus, let’s put that day in place of the Arc of Ministry of the Incarnate God.

Jesus is...

Creator / Director / Instructor / Redeemer / Interceder / Victor / Receiver

We can see this great arc in the opening lines of Hebrews...

Hebrews 1:1-4 “1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

Let’s spend a few minutes on each.

Creator:

Ps 33:6-9 “6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

John 1:1-4 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Director:

Exodus 13:17-22 “17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 20 And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 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. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”

The Lord Provided direction and provision. Manna and water was also from the Lord. As Paul brings understanding that the water meant more than water...

1 Corinthians 10:4 “4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

Instructor:

It was God incarnate - in the person of Jesus of Nazareth - who proclaimed, then demonstrated, then taught, then sent His disciples to know and to share this one message of Salvation.

Heb 2:3-4 “3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

He instructed then, and by the Bible, His people, and the Spirit, He instructs now.

Redeemer:

That Instruction was a roadmap to His redemption. It was purchased on the cross, and will be delivered at the end of days.

He was the redeemer of humanity when we sinned in the garden.

He was the redeemer of of Abraham when He called him out from his people to become a people of God.

He was the redeemer of Isaac when He spared his life with another sacrifice.

He was the redeemer of Joseph when He spared Him from the pit, bought him from slavery, pulled him from prison, set in authority, and returned to him his family.

He redeemed prostitutes, and rebels, children and old men. He redeemed scared Judges and prophets who ran the wrong way. He redeemed persons; He redeemed a people; and through them, He is redeeming all people!

Isaiah reminds the people of Israel of this - while they are in the sin of idolatry for which they will be judged.

Isaiah 44:21–28 ESV

21 Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. 22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. 23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. 24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 25 who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, 26 who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins’; 27 who says to the deep, ‘Be dry; I will dry up your rivers’; 28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ ”

The Lord accomplishes what He will! God promises redemption even as His people are rebelling. He promises His glory as they are rejecting Him. There is hope and deliverance even from the judgement they deserve.

I want to take a moment to examine this passage before we move on with the last three movements of the Messiah through history.

Israels rebellion is at it’s very core rejecting God’s supreme sovereignty and looking to other gods. This is the sin of idolatry. This sin has been neutered in modern times. “Anything you desire more than God is an idol.” There’s a way that is true, but that’s not what is going on with the people of Israel. Again, ancients weren’t unintelligent. They didn’t think carved wood or shaped mettle had power over weather or life. They knew there was a spiritual being that claimed to have authority over these.

But God has that authority, He alone deserves our worship. Just as Adam and eve had rebelled from God, and everyone else who has ever followed, so has there been a rebellion in the spiritual realm.

What is important to realize as we keep our vision on Jesus’ statements in Mark, is that there are spiritual beings who have been given certain limited dominion in the heavens and on the earth. Some of these have rebelled. They have shirked the authority of God over then, lied about their own power and authority, and sought to pull people away from honoring God throughout the ages.

This is the imagery Isaiah is using. The stars don’t sing, but the heavens of loyal beings do. God is asking, through Isaiah, for there to be a return of loyalty to God - “shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it!”

We speak often of God’s redeeming us from our own sin by the death of sinless Jesus on the cross. That is absolutely true! But Jesus in Mark 13 is talking about more than that. He is talking about redeeming those people who have been deceived by rebellious spiritual world. By spiritual beings that have real delegated authority, who were created by God to worship God and steward a portion of creation for God. But they have taken for themselves what is God’s alone.

There are two metaphorical images Jesus uses to describe the spiritual redemption at the end of days.

Sun, Moon, Stars - These are physical things in our world. But in the ancient world, they were tangible things people pointed to that represented to them the powers of the spiritual world. There is language in the Bible when God uses this to describe the actual state of creation. But when these rebellious spirits spread their lies they incorporated the creation of God into their own story. But they distorted it.

The stars falling from heaven are primarily talking about the removal from these rebellious spirits of their domain and casting them into the judgement they have chosen and deserve. “The powers in Heaven will be shaken.” speaks directly of this.

Cloud Rider - “The Son of Man coming in clouds with great power” This is an ancient way of talking about divine authority. Forget about the images of fat baby angels strumming harps on clouds, or of peoples lot in heaven sitting eternally bored on a cloud. These couldn’t be more wrong!

God judged a wicked world from the clouds, saving only Noah and his family.

God lead the people of Israel through the wilderness with a pillar of clouds (authority) and fire (cleansing).

But there is a spirit that sought worship for itself, fooling the ancient Canaanites into worshiping him. His name was Baal. Baal ascribed for himself the authority over storms, rain, and prosperity. But weather it’s Baal, or another god, or the God of all creation, claiming to come riding on the clouds was exactly claiming to be divine authority.

Daniel notes of Jesus…

Dan 7:13 “13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.”

Not just the cloud in the sky, but of heaven. How do we know it transcends the physical? Because the Son of Man enters the presence of the Ancient of Days - or the presence of God the Father.

This is the redemption of Jesus. Both of our personal, sinful rebellion. And a redemption of His chosen, elect people from the lies, deceit and rebellion of the fallen spiritual world. What has chosen to rebel will be judged, what has chosen to align with God’s ultimate authority will be brought to His presence.

This was accomplished on the cross, sealed in the grave, proclaimed in the resurrection, and will be accomplished at His return. Redemption - already, but not yet.

Interceder:

Jesus is the interceder. Watching, directing, and caring for His people from long ago. He Interceded for humanity by preserving His promise and plan for redemption.

Interceding by lifting up the one sacrifice, the one offering, the one life worthy to cover our sin. He has interceded to restore or relationship with Him on the cross.

And until that final day, He intercedes on our behalf, bringing us to the Father. Intercession is standing with someone in need.

Romans 8:22–26 ESV

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Groaning - 3x.

Because of rebellion, creation groans.

Because of our anticipation and waiting for a final restored relationship with God, we groan.

And here’s the wonderful part. Because of our weakness, the Spirit of God groans with us! But unlike our helpless groaning, His groaning is powerful and will provide results!

What are those results?

Romans 8:29–30 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Those who are justified will be glorified - gathered from the four winds of earth and heaven to His presence.

Victor:

Jesus victory is complete. It must first be complete in my own heart. If it’s divided, I have not trusted Him alone.

Jesus’ victory in complete in the church. Matt 16:18 “18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

And Jesus victory is complete in all His creation. The book of Ezekiel ends with two great statements of God’s victory. That life will swallow death, and that God’s presence will be established.

Rebellion and those who defy God will be defeated. And those who Choose Hime will stand in victory!

Receiver:

The Lord’s place is the object of worship. All creation was meant to praise Him. It is right for Him to recieve it forever. It is good for us to worship Him now.

Psalm 102:18–22 ESV

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: 19 that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, 21 that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, 22 when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

Lord, May you gather us to worship you!

Pray