What Keeps You Up At Night? The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Intro: Does anything keep you awake at night? I know Dad’s can have this problem. Especially Dad’s with teenage daughters.

The Christian should not worry about anything but in all thinks through prayer and supplication present your requests to God. We are told time and time again in scripture not to worry. But I am here to tell you that there is something that should keep you up at night. It is biblical according to Jesus that we stay awake and I will explain what we mean by that here as we look at this passage together.

(Picture of Dome of the Rock Kiddron Valley)

The disciples have just asked Jesus a pressing question. In verse 1 to 3. How does this all end?

It is largely a question about the temple and they are asking it with the temple as the backdrop.

The temple is a very apocalyptic building.

Jesus’ answer needed to be considered and interpreted with the prophetic genre in mind.

Prophecy and mountain peaks...

Can we look at this parable together in verse 28 to 29

In the Bible the word generation can carry the sense of offspring, descendants, people of the same kind. So here this could be referring to the Jewish people.

Most likely Jesus is talking about starting a clock when these things happen they will happen in the span of a generation.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 13:30–31

to understand in it a double reference incorporating both senses. Thus “this generation” means: (a) the Jews living at Jesus’ time who later saw the destruction of Jerusalem, and (b) the Jews who will be living at the time of the Great Tribulation who will see the end-time events. This accounts best for the accomplishment of “all these things”

Mark 13:28–31 CSB

“Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near—at the door. “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

What are the “things” that we should see happening?

Lets start where Jesus does by examining the things that we will see happening but that are not signs of the end.

such as ...

Wars and natural disasters are not necessarily a sign of the end times. Mark 13: 5 to 8

This is one of the reason I am premillennial. Jesus makes it sound like wars and natural disasters are par for the course.

Romans 8:22–23 CSB

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

So what are some of the signs of the end times?

The destruction of the temple.

To this day you can still see the some of the stones that the Romans threw down.

(pictures of temple ruins here)

2. When people claim to be Jesus. verse 5, 6, 21, and 22.

Show Wikipedia list of people who claim to be Jesus.

This is perhaps a much more impressive claim by Jesus then the claim that the temple would be destroyed.

Think about this Jesus had a reletivly small following in a realitivly remote area and for him to predict that in the future people would claim to be him by name was actually astonishing.

3. Severe persecution…persecution thicker than blood. Verses 9 -13

It is remarkable that Jesus was able to predict that the persecution his followers would face would be so severe.

In the book of Acts we see this already happening to a certain degree. The book of Acts is the confirming stamp that the Apostles were really God’s chosen instruments to advance the gospel. Acts shows its readers that eschatological ages has begun.

4. Christianity will have spread across the globe. Every people group will get a chance to hear the gospel. verse 27 and 10

Ethnos = people groups or as opposed to Jews the Gentiles.

It is the same word used by Jesus in Mark 11:17

Mark 11:17 CSB

He was teaching them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!”

(Joshua project map here)

5. There will be unexplainable astrological observations. verses 24 to 25

Can I tell you something fascinating? There is something that Jesus says that He does not know that I don’t understand.

We don’t know the time or the hour but we know the signs.

And if these signs that Jesus shared with His disciples don't keep you awake and alert that is your problem not His.

The return of Jesus Christ should keep you awake at night.

God not revealing the time when Jesus will return but revealing the signs of His return is designed to keep believers awake.