Looking for Signs

Introduction

These are some very interesting verses. These are verses by which the apostles

Read

Mark 13:1–13 ESV

1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

This scene opens with an epic moment that if missed will leave the scene less

In fact we have actual footage taken just before Jesus had the conversation with his disciples.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - The Final Duel (1966 HD)

Play video - 6:30

Stop Video - 7:35

Jesus comes face to face with the corrupt temple system. It’s like one of those old western standoffs.

Jesus has flipped the tables, he has called out the religious system of the day and now he is going to describe what it will look like when God declares war and what the aftermath will bring.

But for now, the battle is not raging, now it says that Jesus went up to the mount of Olives and faced the temple “SAT DOWN” and began to teach them of the horrors to come before the Day of the Lord.

Zech 14:4 - “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives”

“Gorilla Glue Lady”

“We need to keep her lifted because she going through it”

Jesus knows his disciples are about to face massive trials and tribulations and their faith will be tested.

God is on the Throne

Judgment and Sovereignty

Jesus’ purpose for speaking towards the future was to anchor them into the present.

The Beauty of the Temple

Above the gate of the temple were golden vines and grape-clusters the size of a man.

The Temple was everything! The temple represented God presence with the people.

The temple was representative of the garden of Eden.

It represented the place where God could have relationship with men and women. There was no sin, no hardache, no suffering, no pain. Just relationship, purpose, meaning, dignity, respect and honor.

Jesus is unpacking the plan of God and how he is going to restore and redeem the world.

Before we get back to the garden......Things will get worse.

Things will get worse before they get better

When we hear that things will get worse before they better, we get full of anxiety, we fear, we pick up our guns and prepare for battle.

Anxiety - The bible is like watching a movie where you know who is going to win the fight and still gets stressed out wondering who is going to win.

Elsie and Frozen

When Elsie watches a movie, she could see it 20 times and yet she still freaks out whenever she sees a scene with a battle or struggle. When Hans lifts the sword to slay Elsa and take Arendale for himself. Elsie goes buck wild. She used to jump up and run around screeching. Now she just screeches and kind of kicks her legs up on the couch. My little girls getting so big!It’s fine for a little girl to do this but imagine if you watched your movie and constantly got stressed over the ending even though you’ve seen it 10 times. If an adult did this you wonder if something was wrong. You’d wonder whats up with them, they already know the ending.

Knowing the end doesn’t remove fear, it anchors hope.

Jesus words are terrifying

There will be wars and rumors or war.

There will be a horrible tribulation

The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light.

This is not fun stuff. This is meant to instill fear inside of us. Jesus is giving us the bad news.

What do you do when things get bad?

Are you consumed or are you secure?

If you are constantly consumed by the news, if the election is keeping you up at night. If the uncertainties of the future bring major anxieties, it might mean your anchor isn’t down. Think about it, what does an anchor do? It holds you to the ground so you wont drift. But when you are in a storm, you don’t drop that kind of anchor. You don’t want to be anchored to the sea floor. When everything is going wrong, when the waves are too big and the storms are too strong.

The Parachute anchor

When it ship becomes to hard to control the captain will drop a parachute anchor. It’s an anchor that doesn’t drop to the sea floor but it is literally a parachute that is meant to catch a bunch of water, slow the ship down, and naturally pull the ship into alignment so the ship can hit the waves in just the right spot and make it through.

Don’t miss this.

When a ship is having a difficult time maintaining control. When everything is erupting in chaos.

The captain throws out an anchor that uses the storms power to slow you down and re-center you.

When the chaos of our world surrounds us. When the anxiety of this world seems to overwhelm us. The second coming of Christ is our parachute anchor. It slows us down, and pulls us back into alignment with him.

It reminds us that the battle belongs to the Lord. It reminds us that he’s in control.

It reminds us that we are fighting from victory. It reminds us we don’t always have to have control because he is always in control.

It reminds us that God doesn’t promise there will be no storms. He promises to keep us in the middle of them.

The Second Coming of Christ is mentioned over 300x in the NT. That is 1 in every 13 verses!

Every major NT author made a big deal about Jesus’ return. Why

When you know the end, you realize you’re not there yet but he is.

It prevents Sleepiness

Mark 13:35–37 ESV

35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

“Good news is for people’s who’s lives are full of bad news”

If you don’t face much tribulation when put your focus on those that do.

If your own life is too comfortable to long the second coming then look at the lives of those around the world. Christ’s words are an antidote to our sloth.

If you aren’t longing for the second coming then you are living in a bubble.

This has been convicting for me. Often times I don’t live in light of Jesus returning.

Jesus is coming back

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.

When Jesus returns he will come in the clouds with great power and glory.

This isn’t Jesus using the clouds as a sort of horse.

Jesus isn’t riding a cloud down to earth hopping off and going to war. The cloud is none other than the presence of God. It is his Shekinah glory.

Garden of Eden was Paradise because of the presence.

“In the presence of God’s overwhelming, beauty, power, glory, holiness, in the presence of his absolute and utter aliveness; nothing dead, nothing diseased, nothing broken, nothing evil and nothing twisted could exist. That’s why it was paradise”

When Jesus returns, he is bringing the garden back. He is bringing back the Shekinah glory with him.

Jesus’ return is going to be in power and he will bring justice and grace. He will make all things right.

How does God plan to do this, well it starts in just a little while.

Jesus will be taken and hung on a merciless, graceless cross. He will pour out his blood as a sacrifice for many.