Introduction
I have been anxious to get to this section of Mark 13 for two reasons. One, it means we have reached the end of a difficult series of messages. Two, I can finally say what many of you have been telling me after each sermon. Inevitably someone would say that what matters is that we keep alert and be watchful, for the Lord may come at anytime. My response was to wait until the last sermon and I would get to that. Well, now I am getting to that! Let’s get straight to the text.
Signs of the Destruction
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 I tell you the truth, 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.
Keeping in line with the amillennial approach I have been taking (If you don’t know what I mean by amillennial, don’t worry about it!), I believe Jesus is speaking here of the destruction of the Temple to come forty years later. The disciples had asked (v. 4) when “these things” of the destruction will take place. Verses 5-23 form Jesus’ response, which he closes by saying he has told them everything, or as the NKJ expresses it “all these things.” He adds in verses 24-27 that some day after he will return. Now he goes back to speaking of signs for these things and closes again will all these things. Thus the section, 4-23, corresponds with section 28-31.
For those of you who have been following along in the series this might be a helpful distinction. The amillennialist separates the destruction of the Temple from the Second Coming. The dispensational premillennialist and the full preterist unite them. Other premillennialists do separate them, and moderate preterists say that Jesus did appear back then, but he will return again. As you can see, every position has its variations. That is one reason after my sermons someone will come up and say, “I fall under that camp, but I don’t believe…”
Anyhow, back to the text. Jesus is saying, you (the disciples and their contemporaries) will be able to see this great tribulation coming. And surely anyone observant could. Many Afghans fled from Kabul after the destruction of the Twin Towers, because they could put two-and-two together. The terrorist attacks will force a response from America against bin Laden and al Qaeda. The Taliban harbor the terrorists. They know the Taliban, and that it will not give in. Conclusion: it is time to get out before the bombs come.
The same situation will occur for the Jews. The Zealots will become more daring in opposing and attacking the Romans. As danger rises, they will grow only more obstinate and become ruthless with their own people, eventually incurring the full wrath of the Roman Empire against their nation. When the sacrilege of the Temple is made by the Zealots, no more signs will be needed. Get out! Jesus assures them that it will happen in their lifetime, i.e. this generation (v. 30). They can bank on his word (v. 31).
You should know that interpreting this generation is critical to one’s view of the end times. Is this generation the generation of Jesus’ day? Is it the generation of the end times? Or is “generation” mistranslated? Should it instead be translated “race,” thus referring to the race of the Jews? You have already heard my interpretation.
Keeping Watch
Jesus wraps up his discourse making the point that the timing of the end time is unknown.
32 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Is it possible for Jesus to more clear on this matter? No one knows the day of his return. No one knows. Not angels; not even he. This raises the question of how God the Son could not know. As Calvin briefly notes, this limited knowledge relates to his human nature. Most likely he is fully aware of his time now that he has ascended back into glory.
But again, no one knows. Why then would such an ad as this appear in a Christian magazine just two weeks ago?
Hidden prophecies for AD 2006. Secret riddles and pantomimes. 3 audiocasstte tape lectures of biblical prophecies converging on 2003 as the beginning of the tribulation. Learn the riddle of the handwriting on the wall pointing to our time. Does the fig parable lead to AD 2006? Will the “time of Jacob’s trouble” commence in 2003?
Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio wrote a book in 1992, entitled 1994?, revealing his calculations that Christ would return sometime between Sept 15-27, 1994. Note that he did not select an exact date because the Bible says no one knows about that day or hour! It’s good to know he was being biblical!
What does Jesus have to say? “No one knows that day, hour, month, year, decade, century, or millennium”? Cut it out! But, we need to know. Why? So we can warn people. Warn them of what? That Jesus is coming and they need to be ready.
I must admit such teaching can be effective. I have a friend who completely embraced the gospel after reading 1994? I met her after 1994. Though the book was obviously wrong about Christ’s return, the gospel had truly penetrated her heart. But here is the danger of such end times speculation. For every person who is moved to embrace the gospel, there are undoubtedly many more for whom the gospel is made foolish because of such predictions. Skeptics outside the church greatly enjoy having yet another prediction made, supposedly based on Scripture, and then watching it fail. They especially enjoy the backtracking of the so-called Bible expert and the debates generated in the church. In short, such speculation has only served to make the gospel and the church appear foolish. It is true that the gospel and the church are foolish in the eyes of the world, but that should be because of spiritual truth and not because of silly speculations made in opposition of what Christ forbade. But even worse than the taunting of skeptics is the heartbreak and disillusionment of those who were taken in by the pronouncements and who now reject the gospel. Beware, you who presume to speak for God and his Word about matters that God does not authorize.
But what about making sure people are ready? Listen to Jesus. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It is precisely because we cannot predict his return that we must be ready. Students know this lesson. When a teacher informs his students of a test that is a week away, how do most students respond? “Oh, a week away. I don’t have to start studying until another six days.” As long as you tell me I’ve got time, however short it may be, I will delay what I need to do as long as possible.
Let’s analyze Jesus’ lesson in the next verses. 34 It’s like a man going away clearly applies to Jesus. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task. That is easy enough to understand. He has gone away and left his servants, i.e. Christians, in charge of carrying on the work of his kingdom, having given them each assignments. So far, so good.
It is the next part that many Christians have distorted his intentions: and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “That is a great idea, Jesus. Let’s keep someone as a watch at the door to alert us when you are on your way back. Then we will get ready.” And all we really have to do is say, “Jesus, forgive me” real quick, right? That is the effect of date forecasting. As long as dates are projected then we can wait before we must do something.
Jesus’ point is this. We are not going to have warning of his return. The servant at the door is not the lookout who wakes up the rest of the servants who are sleeping on the job. He is to keep watch, not to warn others, but to welcome his master. The others are to carry out their assigned tasks ready as well to greet their master, being able to demonstrate whenever he arrives that they have been dutiful servants.
Actually, the Greek word translated “watch” originally meant “keep awake.” I think that does a better job of getting across Jesus’ intention. He warns not to let the master find you sleeping. The lesson is that everyone is to be alert, carrying out the work that each has been assigned.
Two experiences of coming upon freshmen classes missing their teachers will illustrate the lesson. As school principal I would periodically make the rounds to the classes. Once I came to the back door of a freshmen class whose teacher was not present. Standing at the door looking through the window, I watched for a moment a class of students who clearly were not alert for my coming. They were very wide awake. Indeed, they were having one good party! It was with a great sense of satisfaction that I opened suddenly the door and demanded, “What is going on!” One time I walked by another class of freshmen who were all quietly studying at their desks. That is not unusual except that there was no teacher in the room. Somehow most of a period had gone by without a teacher showing up, and these ninth grade students sat quietly doing homework! For them I had words of praise. Jesus says to us to be like those students.
Application
Here is a question. Why must we be alert? Jesus returns and we are caught off guard, so what? Last week I presented how wonderful his return will be for us when he returns in glory. When Dad returns home, and one child is waiting at the door for his arrival and another is playing up in his room, what difference does it make for either child? Dad is home for both of them and both get to play with him.
We must be alert because Jesus returns as Judge. “And he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead,” as the ancient Apostles’ Creed affirms. Our Westminster Confession does not have a chapter titled “The Return of Christ.” The chapter is entitled “Of the Last Judgment.” Let me read the first paragraph to you from a modern rendition.
God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment has been given by the Father. In that day not only shall the apostate angels be judged, but also shall all people who have ever lived on earth appear before the judgment seat of Christ in order to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive judgment according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil (Ch. 33, par. 1).
When Jesus first came to earth, he came to save sinners. When he returns he will judge them. Matthew records three parables in chapter 25 about judgment. Of the ten virgin brides waiting for their bridegroom, only five will be accepted, the other five rejected. The parable of how three servants used talents given to them while their master went away teaches how those who serve the kingdom will be accepted and those who do not will be rejected. His parable about separating the sheep and the goats is about how he will separate the wicked from the righteous.
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches on the day of his judgment, Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)
Listen to these sobering words from Jesus.
23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out” (Luke 13:23-28).
This is judgment against those who reject Christ. For there will be many who profess to believe in and to love God, but salvation is for those only who believe in Christ for salvation.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).
27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:27-29).
We who do believe in Christ may give a sigh of relief, and so we should. Again and again Scripture assures us that we are saved through the atoning work of our Lord Jesus. We are reconciled to God and nothing…nothing can separate us from God’s love which we have in Christ (cf. Romans 8:28-39).
Nevertheless, we shall go through some kind of judging. After all, Jesus’ parable addresses his servants, i.e. those who belong to him. We who belong to Christ’s church must keep alert. There are two ways of understanding that and both are true. One is that there are many who outwardly profess Christ and belong to his visible church, but in truth are not saved. That was my condition growing up in the church and is the condition of many young and old people raised in the church. But just as there were many law-abiding Jews under the old covenant who are condemned because they trusted in their works and/or in their being raised in a religious community, so it will be for many good moral people who were taught to attend church, but who never knew Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Even so, those who are in Christ will also receive some kind of reward or lack of reward for how they lived their lives. I want to be careful here. Yes, glory awaits all those who are in Christ Jesus, and yet, Scripture speaks of some form of reward or lack of reward depending on one’s service for the kingdom. In his parable of the talents in Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of each servant receiving reward based on what he accomplished for his master. In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, Paul speaks of a poor laborer whose work is burned up and adds, If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Whatever the case may be for each of us, let us take to heart Jesus’ lesson. Be alert! The day of judgment will come, and if you are not clothed with the righteousness of Christ; if you have not placed all (not most, all) your hope in the saving work of Christ for you; if you do not acknowledge him as your Lord and Savior, then know that condemnation awaits you.
You may object that you deserve better or that God is not fair, but it is not my place to justify God. As a minister of the Word of God I proclaim his word to you now, “Repent; believe in Christ for your salvation. Commit your life to him, now, for now is the day of salvation. When he returns, it will be the day of judgment. Heed Jesus’ words.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him…
8 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God (Luke 12:1-9).
