ADVENT: The Coming of the King Watch for the Solution - Mark 13:24-37

Mark 13:24-37

INTRO: Significance of Advent - In the Waiting

Today marks our first Sunday of Advent as we have heard in our lighting of the first candle of Hope. What strikes me is that hope is only desirable if one recognizes that the situation they are currently in is hopeless

There must be an acknowledgement of hopelessness to then turn and find hope. Otherwise, what is the point?

Being around church awhile, I find that we tend to as a church gravitate toward the extremes of either delusional happiness or relentless pessimism. Nothing is wrong or Everything is wrong. This is made so clear around Christmas Time where the entire world vomits Christmas Colors.....Red, Green. Silver and Gold. Any issue can be solved with a present, with a candy cane. Any relationship can be mended with gift from Kay Jewelers. A few of you are looking at me and thinking...”I thought that was correct? Is that not correct?”

Or you have other seasons like Election Season where everyone is fairly confident that the world is one vote away from anarchy, pestilence and destruction. People like to gravitate toward extremes. But today, I want to remind you that there is a problem and there is a solution.

One of the things i heard recently by author and New Testament Scholar Esau McCauley was “If we don’t articulate the problem clearly, no one will want to know solution.” If we don’t articulate the problem, no one will want to know the solution.

All week, I have pondering that quote as I think about the problems of our time, the problems of humanity.

Clearly stating the problem…not the symptoms. Not only the things that frustrate me but the problem. The heart of the issue that is causing all the pain.

THE PROBLEM:

The Bible is straightforward about humanity's greatest challenge, asserting that it is not racism, human trafficking, any political agenda, greed, a corrupted sexual ethic or the coronavirus or any other problem you think should be on that list... but rather sin and death from Romans 5:12. Death has entered the world through sin…and all have sinned. Those topics i mentioned earlier are symptoms of sin and death.

In the original creation, there was no death, disease, or decay, and people lived harmoniously with each other and with God. These problems entered the world when humanity, through their own choice, chose their own way instead of God’s way as we see inGenesis 3. It's essential to understand that God did not intend for His Creation to involve abuse, disrespect, or devaluing of another image bearer in the story of humanity.

All our issues trace back to humanity's rebellion against God. Humanity keeps trying to resolve this problem with other ways....positive thinking, making more rules, or living in denail that the problem exists at all.

That is our problem. Sin and Death.

Many of you might be thinking......Does he know this is supposed to be a Christmas Message.....get to the Christmas. Tell us a funny story about a tree, or bad present.... Where are the sleigh bells? I want more almond roca and chocolate peanut clusters in your sermon. I agree. I also want chocolate peanut clusters.

Listen..if.we don’t define the problem, acknowledge it.....we won’t care about the solution. Our problem of Sin and Death. I have this problem and you have this problem. Do we acknowledge it? Have we made time to wait in it?

ADVENT

This is not a Christmas message, this is an Advent Message! Advent is a time in which we wait, and ponder the problem and and acknowledge with great anticipation that the solution, the answer to the problem... is coming.

The word advent in Latin means “coming.” Advent is the time in which we anticipate, we prepare. Friends, we crane our eyes, our ears, every sense forward to the coming of Christ.

May I suggest that The Advent Season is a time in which we wait in the problem. The wrong, old, and disfigured problems of our day and through out time are eclipsed by the solution of Jesus Christ, the king who is coming to make all things right, new and perfect. In Advent, we prepare our hearts, minds, and bodies to receive the good news that awaits us in the return of Christ.

CONTEXT

Turn with me now to Mark 13:24

Context of Mark 13:24-37

The feel of this section has similarities with apocalyptic texts. Apocolyptic was used a revealing, unveiling type of literary style. We need to remember that this communication method is born from moments of crisis.. Moments like this are for exactly the time in which someone might ask, is God even caring about what is happening? In the ancient world especially apocalyptic texts delve into the symbolism to remind the listener, the reader that God cares so much that he enters the situation.

In the context of this verse, the people of God are under the relentless rule of Rome. Before Christ came on the scene, it had been 400 years of silence from God according to Scripture. Fast forward and Christ is now at work in his ministry and is approaching in just days, his journey to the cross.

In Chapter 13, Jesus and His disciples had just cleaned out the temple. His disciples had pointed out the buildings earlier and Jesus explains that all of this will be laid to waste. No stone unturned. They will all be thrown down. His disciples are caught off guard at this.....there is pride in the buildings, in the epicenter of their life, in the culture and their way of living. And Jesus just said that it would be thrown down, destroyed.

Listen, we can’t miss the devastation of the Temple. It symbolizes a profound dismantling from the perspective God’s people. It seemingly dismantles their understanding of His presence and a break from the past. Beyond being a spiritual hub, the Temple holds significance in political and economic realms as well.

Of course this troubles the disciples. So they go to him privately and ask…when will this happen.

Jesus then begins to tell of distressing times. Be on the look out, be on guard that no one deceives you. People will try and say they are me, or are doing things in my name. Don’t believe them. There will be wars and rumors of wars. You will be hauled in front of world leaders and the Holy Spirit will give you the words to preach the gospel to all the nations. That is a lovely promise and one we hold to. But Jesus goes on in the distressing....Brother will betray brother, Father will betray children....Everyone will hate you because of me. Dreadful things. This is the backdrop for our text.....Christ is explaining things that will happen to them, his disciples, as well as the future. It is a delicate balance.

Through out history, We see and have seen wars and rumors of wars. We have seen and still see today Christians hauled in front of leaders. We have seen folks preach the word in the face of persecution. We have and are seeing the gospel preached the nations. We have seen brother against brother and betrayal in the family.

I know I know....a bummer of a Christmas message. Have a holly jolly Christmas....But then and now....there are problems and will be problems.

Sometimes when I am walking around the mall, or watching tv or hearing myself talk....there is a part of me that goes...”dude....why are you pretending? There are things wrong here!”Now there is a sermon for another time on joy in all circumstances, in being content. However, we should also not be delusional and ignore wrong, pain, grief, and reality. Something is wrong and we need help. Say it out loud…we need help. Say it to yourself…I need help. Ahh…the hope of help. We have a problem and we need help.

As we look at the text of verse 24, the first thing that jumps out is that the King is Coming.....and He won’t be missed. Lets start in verse 24.

THE KING IS COMING and He won’t be missed. (Mark 13:24-27)

Mark 13:24–27 NIV

24 “But in those days, following that distress, “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

The Old Testament is providing much of the imagery that we see here. The audience of this text would know these verses explicitly....Joel 2:10 touches on earthquakes, the sun and moon darkening, the stars not shining. Isaiah 13:10 similarly touches on the stars, the sun, and the moon being darkened. Deuteronomy 30:3 touches on how Yahweh, your god will have compassion and return and gather together His people from where they were scattered.

The sun, the moon, the stars, the constant things that, if we have breath, we base our life on them.... that the sun will rise and set, that the moon will have its cycle, that the stars will shine....all of that will change suddenly as Jesus comes in clouds with great power and glory. This will constitute natural world chaos.

The son of man will make an entrance unlike anything we can comprehend. You will not miss it.

We see here is that the redeemer, our rescuer, Jesus, the King....He is Coming and He won’t be missed. This is the Messiah, not the military leader that the people assumed but far far bigger. A Leader of all things. His rule is forever and ever and His kingdom is everlasting and cannot be destroyed. The old temple is gone, overturned. But the new temple, Jesus Christ is here and all things revolve around Him. Our problem is sin and death. THe solution comes on the clouds in a way that no one, not the legalist, not the athiest, not the addict…no one will miss the solution to our problem as he comes back.

Christ, along with his angels will gather his elect, his people. All kinds of debate and denominations and church names have been used to wrestle with what his elect means. I choose the simpler route....it means His people. Earlier in 13:9, he says that the gospel will be preached to the nations. All those who put their hope in Christ, who trust in Him, who believe the Good News are in fact chosen by God. This would include Jewish and Non Jewish as part of the chosen. We say thank you as most of us are of the gentile category!

See there in verse 26....It says the son of man. This comes from Daniel 7:13-14

Daniel 7:13–14 NIV

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The King is Coming and He will not be missed. All nations and peoples of every language…and dare I say musical style.....worshiped Him. His kingdom will reign for all time.

It goes on in verse 28 as we see that the The Words of the King will not fade.

2. The Words of the King will not fade (Mark 13:28-31

Mark 13:28–31 NIV

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

It is important to notice how the words of Christ will never pass away. It is, for me, one of the proving moments of the existence of God through the words of Christ. When Jesus says, “Heaven and earth,” he means all creation. His words are derived from Isaiah 51:6 (“for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the earth will wax old like a garment”) and Isaiah 40:8 (“but the word of our God stands forever”).

But the words of Christ will not pass away. What a bold claim! but one that has withstood the test of history. Kingdoms have risen and waned, evil powers have done everything in their power to eliminate Christianity––but people from all walks of life and in every land still look to Jesus as Lord. Belief in Jesus has endured not because of the delusion of the believers but because of the truth in the person of Christ.

A quick note here.....we should think more often about the uniqueness of following Christ. Christ rose from the dead. No other belief system follows a leader who claimed to be God and rose from the dead. No other belief system has God bending low to sacrifice for humanity as we see in Eph 2:8. That uniqueness is in his words and they don’t pass away. They are eternal.

Jesus uses the analogy of a fig tree to illustrate the signs that indicate the nearness of his return. We see a similarity in Isa 34:4

Isaiah 34:4 NIV

4 All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

Every culture recognizes markers that signal changing seasons. Whether it's geese heading north, pre-season football indicating the end of summer, or Christmas decorations hinting at Halloween, nature and culture offers signs of shifting climates and seasons.

Similarly, fig trees, signify the approach of summer, lagging behind other plants. In the same vein, we can look to the signs in the Bible to discern and anticipate if the end is near.

This Generation and All Things

In verse 30....Much debate has been put on what Jesus meant here when he said This generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. However, most scholars believe that “all these things” refers to the events that Jesus foretold in verses 5-23. According to this understanding, before the Son of Man returns (vv. 24-27), the temple will be destroyed (v. 2), there will be “wars and rumors of wars” (v. 7), persecution (vv. 9-13), and they will see “the abomination of desolation” (v. 14).

Here we have multiple prophecies happening. The destruction of the temple and the abuse of the resting place of God by Rome. The disciples, witnessing false messiahs, persecution, and the approach of Roman armies, will understand that the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation is imminent. In the lifetime of those in Jesus' era, these events would come to fruition. History proves this out as in approx 40 years, the temple had been destroyed. One history book wrote this in regards to the destruction of the temple:

“It was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came after believe Jerusalem had ever been inhabited.”(The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem.

By that time, quite a few of the apostles had been martyred. So in the life of those listening to him, those prophecies happened.

But the prophecy of the son of man returning in the glory of his never ending kingdom, we have not seen that prophecy. in fact, in verse 24 we have the word there “but” to signal that, after that distress.....much later it would seem....the following happens. Prophecies happening and God working in His time for His purpose.

The point of this section is not which generation shall see the coming of Christ but what is the generation doing when Christ comes. But make no mistake, the words of Christ are forever. God spoke the world into existence, and your salvation is also spoke into reality with the words of Jesus. The words of the King will never pass away and in those words and the actions that followed, we find the saving power of the gospel in Jesus Christ.

Finally, in verse 32, we see that the

The People of the King are always watching for Him, even in the unknown (Mark 13:32-37)

Mark 13:32–37 NIV

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”

But about that day that the son of man returns…no one knows. Not the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father. We see this also mentioned in Matthew 24.

As someone who is just trying to keep up with my family, be a good human who submits dailly to the Lord, I often don’t spend much time thinking of when the day will be that the Lord returns. But I do think about what I might be up to when it happens. Will I be faithful? Will I be vigilant? Will I be lazy? Christ is saying.....you won’t know when I will return....so be alert. Are you doing the masters business? He has left us with assigned tasks.....Are commands are clear in Matthew 22:36-40, Love God with everything we are, and love others as ourselves. Are we doing the commands God gave us? Are we relying the spirit of God to work within us to accomplish our task?

Or are we asleep? asleep on the job.... Arise you sleeper. Don’t fall into the same attention grabbing schemes that are common to man. Keep your head up, keep your eyes peeled. Be doing the things that I have called you to do. Loving others as I have loved you. Be faithful. Have your eyes and your ears and your hands ready for the the next right thing that God would have you do. Let the Spirit within you give you a slight nudge or perhaps a slight spiritual wake up slap.....WAKE UP and do what what God commanded you to do.

Too often I find myself in the problem of humanity…sin and death. But it doesn’t start out that dire. It is a moment of selfishness here. A disregard for God’s ways there. My eyes on my phone. Knowing more about things that won’t be eternal…than things that will. I need to wake up and be about the masters business. I need to keep watch over my heart and be alert to the return of the Lord.

Application

Friends, what are you watching for that is not the Lord. What do you have eyes peeled for? Perhaps it is the next level of achievement you have desired. It is a bank account number. It is a job. It is a relationship. It is your children turning out a certain way. It is your children getting out of your house. It is your parents being a certain way. It is your parents getting out of your house. Are you focused on the time of Christ’s return when you should be doing the task of loving Him and loving others.

Often, we can get wrapped up in looking for the change in season or feeling a sense of superiority because we have an inside line on what is happen, or is going to happen. We are to be watching for his return…as we do the business and tasks He has given us.

It reminds me of a concert I was at once and the stranger next to me kept wanting to tell me all that he knew about the stage, and the instruments and lighting.....trust me..normally I would be interested. But at that moment, I wanted to enjoy the concert because my role is to enjoy the concert, revel in the music.

We must balance being watchful of the next season with Christ with also experiencing joy at the certainty that he will return. What is more important....when the King comes or the fact that the King is returning? We find joy, peace, and anticipation in the return of the King. I struggle to find folks obsessed with end times showing joy and peace....it is not the first attribute that comes to mind.

I want to see joy evident in my life as I think of the return of Christ. That joy spills out to how I treat others. How I interact with my family, friends, even strangers. Even those that treat me poorly. I live as one who has hope because I do!

Our view of the Lord’s return should put all things in perspective. Our future is secure in Christ. So yes, we face symptoms of the problem. Our awareness of our own deficiency grows with every breath. But our awareness of God’s goodness grows exponentially more. In Christ, our future is secure. His return, as frightening and tumultous as we read, is also a sign of the King coming. As we struggle with our problem, may we understand that our solution is both here and coming back. Both. And with that, we find great hope in the words of the ancient church as we see in this first Sunday of Advent! Christ came. Christ Died. Christ Rose. Christ is coming again. God’s people say praise be to God. Let us pray.

PRAYER

Gracious God, in this season of anticipation, help us stay watchful and ready, attuned to the signs of Your presence. May we actively participate in bringing justice, hope, and good news to those around us. Forgive our complacency and inspire us to be agents of Your peace. Awaken us from slumber, guiding us to live with purpose and contribute to the realization of Your kingdom on earth. In the name of Your Watchful Son, we pray. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you. As you leave today, go with a sense of purpose and anticipation for the Advent season ahead. Have a blessed week, and see you next time!