Signs of His Return
Notes
Transcript
Good morning
Who was the smartest person in the Bible? Abraham, he knew a Lot!
Don’t forget about the t-shirt sign up in the entry.
Praise that Mrs. Carolyn is able to put weight on her hip!
Continue to pray for the kids and teachers.
Be praying for our 50th Anniversary.
Today we are going to be in Mark 13:28-31.
Last week we the return of Christ. Jesus tells us that right when it gets to be darkest (literally and figuratively), He will return. The Sun and Moon will not have light, the stars will be falling and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Everything will seen like it is out of control. But we can remember that Jesus told us these things were going to happen. He is in control. His timing is perfect. He will return when it is time. He is returning as the King of Kings. This time He will reveal to all His power and glory. He tells us that He is going to send out His angels to bring His to Him. We are going to get an angel escort to meet our King! He is coming back to take us out of this world and all the tribulation that is happening. That will be a glorious day! When we get to met our savior in the sky.
Today we are going to see that Jesus is teaching that His return will not sneak up on anyone. There will be signs and just like we see signs of the changing seasons, there will be signs of His return. We are to keep watch and pay attention to what is going on around us and we will know when it is time. We will not know the exact day and hour, but we will know that it is close by what is going on. By the things that He has told us is going to happen. Jesus tells us what to look for and tells us to keep an eye out and pay attention.
Please stand as we read God’s Word
28 “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. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Jesus starts out by talking about the fig tree. We have seen in Mark, that Jesus has used the fig tree to represent Israel. In Mark 11 Jesus comes up to a fig tree that had leaves on it. Most of the time if a fig tree has leaves on it, there will be fruit on it. Even the immature fruit of a fig tree is edible. He gets up to the tree and there is no fruit on it. He curses the tree and the next morning when they walked by the same fig tree, it was withered and dying. This was an example of what was going to happen to Israel. They had all the outward appearances of a healthy religious people. But when you got up close and examined them, they had no fruit. They were not reaching the people around them, instead they despised the Gentiles. They had added so many of their own laws and rules, that following the commands of God became a burden.
Here Jesus is not using the fig tree as anything other that to point out that there will be signs of His return. Just like the fig tree and in Luke 21:29, He says also look at all the trees as well as the fig tree. Jesus is clearly just telling us that just like the tress begin to put on leaves in the spring in preparation for summer, so also there will be signs that will let us know that His return is near. We don’t have to worry about know when it will happen. We will know when it is close. Jesus has told us of the signs that are to come before He returns. He told us about the birth pains, He told us about the Abomination of Desolation, and He told us about the darkening of the Sun and Moon. He has prepared us for the times to come by letting us know what is coming. We should not be shocked when they happen. Everything He has said will happen has, these things will be no different. They will come also, we need to keep an eye out and be aware of what is coming.
We need to have an awareness of what God is doing. We need to be watching for the Kingdom activities that are happening throughout the world. We have access to news and information like never before. We can know what is going on on the other side of the world like it was just around the corner. Knowing what Jesus has told is coming should make us pay attention to what is going on and to keep an eye out for what He has told us is coming. We don’t watch in fear, we watch in hopeful anticipation of His return. We have nothing to fear as children of God. The worst that can happen to us is death and in that, we are instantly before our King and in eternal glory. We watch with anticipation of seeing Him coming back. As we are actively watching, we should be actively participating in God’s mission to all His children. To go and make disciples, to go and tell the world about Him and His Son. Tell them what Jesus has done for you and what He can do for them. We do not want to be caught napping when Jesus comes back. We want to be busy doing His work like He told us to do. He day or return is getting close, I believe we are living in the end times. Be watchful and be busy doing what He has commanded us to do.
Jesus next drops an interpretive bomb on us in verse 30. “30 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” The big question is, who is this generation? To me there is no definite simple answer. I am going to go over the 4 main options that are out there.
The contemporary generation of Jesus’ day who would see the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70
The eschatological (end times) generation that will be alive at the end of history who will see all these things because they occur in close proximity to one another.
The Jewish people, with the word “generation” being understood to mean “race” - a particular race of people
The generation of Jesus’ day who would see the coming of the kingdom
If 4 is the answer, we are all in trouble! Because if that is what He meant, He was in error and was killed in the process of trying to usher in His kingdom. We all know that that is not the correct answer.
I go between option 1 and 2.
In option one, I can see where this is one of Marks sandwiches. That is where Mark started telling one story and in the middle, he tells a different story and then finishes the first story. Jesus started telling about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem and then He went on to end times and He could be back now to finish the story about the temple destruction.
In option two, I can see where this is about end times. The verses just before this are all about end times, we have to go all the way back to before verse 12 to get back to the temple story. From verse 12 on is all end times and this could be a part of that.
The good news is that we don’t have to know what this means! This has nothing to do with salvation and we can disagree on this as long as you don’t believe option 4. Option 4 makes Jesus not God and then you are not saved. If Jesus is not God and didn’t live a perfect life, accomplishing all that the Father sent Him to do, then His death on the cross means nothing and we do not have salvation. That is why I don’t think that 4 is a valid option for a believer to hold to. Jesus came and accomplished all that the Father sent Him to do. He did not fail to do anything. He is God! His is our savior!
Jesus ends by telling us that heaven and earth are going to pass away. They are both under the curse and they are groaning under that curse. God will destroy them in the end and He will recreate them again and they will be like they were before the curse, perfect. We can take hope in the fact that even in all that destruction and the end of earth and heaven as we know it, God’s word will never cease to be. There is nothing that is so true, so stable, so permanent, and so abiding as the Word of our Lord. This is one of our firm foundations that we can stand on forever. Isaiah said it well in Isaiah 40:8, “8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
We will always have the Word of God, it our foundation that we hold on to with a firm grip. Without God’s Word, we are lost sheep. We can not know Him with His Word to show us who He is. His word shows us how to live a life that honors Him. There is so much that we need His Word for. His Word is a blessing to us and we are so lucky to have such availability to it. We have access to it like no other generation has. We should know it better than ever, but sadly we are more Biblically illiterate than ever. God had given us this wonderful gift that lets us know our Creator, and we chose not to study it and learn from it. It is a sad time we live in.
We can know that God’s word will always be with us, it will never pass away.
Jesus tells us that there will be signs for us to know that His coming is close. Just like when the trees put on leaves, we can know it is almost time for summer, when we see these signs that Jesus has told us, we can know that He is close, He is at the gates ready to come back for His bride.
We should be paying attention to what is going on in the world, so that we can compare them to what the Bible says about the end times. We should not be afraid, we know what happens, we know who has won. We know whose side we are on! We are going to get that angel escort!!
Jesus emphasizes the importance of being aware and discerning the signs of the times. At home, take a moment this week to discuss current events with your family and how they reflect biblical prophecy. You may find your household struggling with anxiety or fear about the future due to the state of the world. Encourage each other by praying together about these issues, grounding your discussions in Scripture. This can foster a sense of hope and purpose as you look at how God's word is being fulfilled before your very eyes.
We need to be having biblical conversations out side of church. Especially with our families. I need to be better about having those conversations with my family. We eat at least one meal together every day, what a perfect time to talk about our God and the things to come! Will you take this challenge with me to have more biblical conversations with those whom you love? It will help us all be more prepared for those things that Jesus has told us are coming.
Keep watch Liberty!
He is coming!!
Let’s pray
