Let the Reader Understand Mark 13:14-37

This morning, I heard a sound that I hadn’t heard in a few days: the sound of my alarm. The alarm sounds and it’s time to wake up, to get out of bed, to read the Word and to pray, to head to work, and to serve. The alarm means that I have work to do and the alarm keeps me on task. A little rest is good, but the alarm keeps me out of slumber. Now is the time to wake and be ready!

-We must understand the truth of Christ’s Return

I. Understand the True Signs vv. 14-18

In our passage, Jesus continues His look at the end times. It’s an important passage because it will inform how we, as His followers, should live in His absence

Last time we were together, we saw Jesus identify some “false signs” of the times

These included earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, and international strife

Now, He will identify the “true sign” of the end

The sign that Jesus identifies is an “abomination of desolation”

This refers back to a prophecy of Daniel, that was first fulfilled in the intertestamental period

This abomination is an act of desecration towards the Temple

It is the direct attack on the sanctity of God’s people in His city at the place designated for worship that is the sign we ought to be looking for!

In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned.

"I have mastered a science," said the first, "by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it."

"I," said the second, "know how to grow that creature's skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones."

The third said, "I am able to create its limbs if I have flesh, the skin, and the hair."

"And I," concluded the fourth, "know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete."

Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialities. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion's. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle.

II. Understand the Double Meaning vv. 19-23

However, we struggle with the interpretation of these things:

There are parts of this prophecy that seem to be fulfilled in the past, at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD

There are other parts that seemingly look to the future

How can both of these things be true?

There is a lesser tribulation that looks forward to a greater tribulation

Mark makes an insertion in v. 14 “let the reader understand” that I think makes sense of things

The tribulation and desecration that comes out of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem serves as a paradigm of what will happen on a greater level at the end of the age

This is a call to clarity

There will be many distractions intended to draw us away through the course of time, chasing after falsehood

We must keep a laser-sharp focus on Jesus and what He has plainly revealed and be ready for Him when He does appear

The return of Christ will be marked by:

A significant act of desecration

A period of terrible tribulation

A visible return of Christ

We are living with some mystery now, but there will be no secrets then!

Revelation 1:7

[7] Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (ESV)

III. Understand the Ultimate Return vv. 24-27

That last piece is at the core of Jesus’s entire message here

Why must this tribulation take place?

It sets up the end of this age and the fallen created order as we know it vv. 24-25

It ushers in a new era marked by the reign of Christ in power and glory v. 26

It marks the gathering of the people of Christ under His direct authority v. 27

If you are one of Christ’s people it changes how you look at these end times events:

They are not signs of your destruction

They are the promise of your deliverance!

Philippians 2:9–11

[9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

IV. Understand the Need for Readiness vv. 28-34

Jesus then pivots to an object lesson: the lesson of the fig tree

The fig tree produces the fruits of the season

It is a sign to us that the change of times and seasons is near

If we are paying attention, we can understand what is taking place

At this point, Jesus seems to be saying two different things, but they come down to the same thing:

We must be aware of the signs of His return and recognize that the times are growing close

We must also understand that the definitive timing is unknowable

What must we do?

We must be ready, because He could come at any time

We must be ready, because He will hold us accountable for our work

We must be ready, because He might find us asleep

In the 1960s, Charles Hummel wrote a small pamphlet that became widely used in business networks. It was entitled The Tyranny of the Urgent, and at its core was the idea that “we live in constant tension between the urgent and the important. The problem is that many important tasks need not be done today, or even this week. Extra hours of prayer and Bible study, a visit to an elderly friend, reading an important book: these activities can usually wait a while longer. But often urgent, though less important, tasks call for immediate response—endless demands pressure every waking hour” (Charles E. Hummel, Tyranny of the Urgent, rev. ed., 1994). As we consider our priorities and where God and our relationship with him falls on that list, we might ask ourselves a question: “Is the good getting in the way of the best?”