Jesus' End Times

This morning we are looking at Jesus' teaching on future things. We're in Mark chapter 13. If you're new with us, we try to walk through books of the Bible most of the time, and here we land in one of the longest—only Mark 4 and Mark 13 are the longest two teachings of Christ. This is a very important teaching because of how long it is. The length makes sure it is clear and important. and the placement. This is one of the last instructions Jesus is going to give to the disciples, and it's right before his betrayal and death. Jesus is here, and as Sheila read it, I hope you heard over and over again, there's predictions, but what we're really going to focus on this morning is the emphasis, and I believe that is the imperatives, the commands. Watch how you are not led astray. Do not be alarmed. Be on guard. Do not be anxious. Be on guard. Be on guard. Stay awake. Jesus is here wanting to exhort his disciples. He's already predicted, I'm going to die. I'm going to suffer, die, and rise again. And they have a hard time with that. Because they don't want a Messiah who's going to suffer. They want a Messiah who's going to just go ahead and bring victory. They don't realize who their real problem, who their real enemy is, and what their real problem is. And here he's trying to help them see that even after he's risen and ascended, they have to wait and be watchful for his return. Now, the hard part of our passage is understanding the different events and the predictions. It's really easy to get sidetracked. It's actually pretty amazing that even though in this passage Jesus says, no one knows the day or the hour, how many people and how much energy has been spent trying to figure that out? but i was witnesses they predicted exactly that the year in time jesus gonna come back nine times they've been wrong every time uh... and that's uh... uh... employee and uh... of of of bible scholar the edgar weisenhoff who wrote a a famous book eighty-eight reasons jesus is going to come back in nineteen eighty eight again he was wrong on all eighty-eight reasons A lot of time and effort, and it stirs up the church. It makes a certain kind of excitement, because it feels like we've got a decoder ring from a Cracker Jack box, and we're figuring things out that we weren't supposed to figure out. We want to be careful here. Jesus is speaking very clearly, as we saw in verse 1 and 2. We're really going to begin there. The disciples, they just heard Jesus teaching about the kingdom, and they come out, and they just say, look at all the pretty stones. They're not learning. They're not getting it yet. And what Jesus wants them to understand, this temple, it will be destroyed. That happens in 70 AD. That is a significant context for much of what Jesus is saying. But I want to be very clear that there are four things Jesus promises here and elsewhere that are going to come. One of the things Jesus promises that is sure is that there will be tribulation for the church. there will be tribulation. Suffering is a way in which God calls us to participate in Christ and to honor him. He does not promise us peace in this world, he promises us his peace when the world hates us. So tribulation. The second thing we see promised is the return of Christ. His work is not yet done. He is going to come and bring a perfect, final restoration. Sin will be forever removed. We're forgiven of sin now. We are adopted into the family, but one day sin will be completely removed from us, and we'll know Him perfectly in His love. There will be a thousand year reign, and a thousand, I believe it's speaking more to the perfection, the completeness, Christ as the perfect King will have a perfect reign, and we will rejoice in His righteousness. And finally, there's a last judgment. Everyone will stand before God and have to give an account for their sin. And if you're not in Christ, you will have to give an answer. And there is no answer. There is no excuse. Either Christ has died for us and forgiven us, or we have to pay for our own sins. And if you're a Christian, there's going to be giving an account of how we lived. Simplicity when we think about the future is the goal. There's gonna be tribulation. Christ is with us in that tribulation. Christ will return. That is our great hope and what we're longing for. There will be a perfect kingdom we're waiting for as Christ returns. And there's judgment. This morning we're going to first begin, our first point is Christ calls us to be watchful. I wanna start there because I wanna make sure we understand the context and who's talking. Christ calls us to be watchful. Christ has come so that we become a new kind of people, belong to a different kingdom, We need to remember that we're resident aliens now because Christ, the true King, has come to bring about a different kind of citizenship, to change our identity, our allegiance, our standing before God. He's come because every human being has sinned. has rejected God and turned away from God. He's come because there's no way any human being could ever go before God and somehow explain to Him how our good deeds outweighed our bad deeds. Or that, no, it wasn't really my fault, you don't understand my circumstances. There's no human being who can stand before God on his own who's speaking here is God himself who took on flesh to walk like us, to walk with us, to live that perfect life of obedience, so that when he died, he died for our sin. Christ died for sinners, not as a sinner. And this is all so he could reconcile us to God. The one who is speaking is the king who has come to die to purchase us as his people. And so when he demands, when he calls us to be watchful, we're taking orders from our king. We're taking orders from the one who's the right hand of the father. There's something important to remember here as Jesus is teaching. If we go back to Genesis 12, remember he said there's no marriage in heaven? There's something about this earth, this world that's going to end. There's no marriage in heaven because a resurrected life is going to be different. Most religions are circular. You get retries and repeats. Christianity is not, the real world that God has revealed, it's not circular. It's linear. In the beginning, there was a beginning. In the end, Christ will return, and there's a new heaven's new earth. There's a, it's linear. We don't get second tries. There's, there's one life. There's one history. It has a beginning. It has an end. And Christ has come to give us new life in that one history. He has saved us, not so we can treat this world like a playground, but so that we're actually ready to fight the fight that is before us. There is no slumbering as a Christian. Brother and sister, if you're not watchful for your life, for your doctrine, and for your others, you are putting yourself in great danger, and you're putting others around you in great danger. The command of our King, this is not optional. This is not for some Christians. It's to be watchful. We have to realize we're all prone to the sin of slumber and laziness, and assuming, well right now I can just kind of relax and seek comfort. In other words, we're going to sing a song of response. We're longing to be the church at rest. We're longing to be the church that gets to delight simply in the glory of Christ. Right now we're the church militant. We're in a fight. Now when we think about that, too often we think of the internal fights that are really unhealthy in a church. No, the church is supposed to be united together, in a fight against sin for one another, in a fight against this world with one another. Christ is our Savior. He is our King. He's calling us to be watchful. Now our second point, I want you to see, He calls us to be watchful in the midst of danger. He calls us to be watchful in the midst of danger. And there's a variety of different kinds of danger. Look at verses 7 and 8. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place. But the end is not yet, 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. Even before this, he mentions the deception that's going to come from false prophets. We see there's danger all around us. As citizens of the kingdom, we still live in this world and we're going to have to suffer the consequences of things in this world. There's still going to be wars and rumors of wars. The nations only rage against God, but they rage against one another. we see there in verse 6, there's a, many are going to come in My name saying, I am He, and that will lead you astray. If you, if you're interested in this, take a look, just read the New Testament alone, and try to mark out how many times the church is warned of false teachers and prophets. It's pretty remarkable. Jesus here is telling them that the first thing He warns them of, really, They're going to be false teachers. They're going to give you false hope. They're not going to point to Christ. They're going to point to themselves. The other thing here he tells them to be watchful in the midst of is earthquakes, natural disasters. There's going to be famines. This world is not the way it's supposed to be. What other kind of suffering he mentions here, verses 9 to 13? Notice there he gives us that charge, be on guard because they're going to hate you, for my name's sake. So the first thing we can see is the church exists in a world where there is danger. There's gonna be false teachers, there's gonna be wars and rumors of wars, and there's gonna be famines and earthquakes. But this is getting more personal. Look at verses 9 to 13. 9 to 13. Be on guard. for they will deliver you over to the councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations, 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. And brother will deliver brother to death, and the father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death and you'll be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. This, this is, this is very clear. There's a certain kind of persecution that's going to take place for many believers, if not most believers. We can see this in the early church in Acts. As the gospel's going out, they're being delivered over to councils. And what happens in those councils? They get to stand before emperors and rulers and, and courts and declare the gospel. Most of the sermons we have in Acts are actually proclaimed in the midst of a persecution. Notice the comfort Christ gives. Don't be anxious. Okay, your life is on the line in the middle of that court, but the Holy Spirit is actually going to use that opportunity to speak through you the true words of Christ, I am with you. There will be hatred for believers. Verse 12. I praise God I don't know this kind of betrayal and hatred, but brother against brother? Children turning in parents? We've had members of this church converted, and parents turning against them. And to walk alongside of them is a great honor, but the kind of suffering that some Christians endure because even their own families despise Christ, and despise their turning away from their family religion and following Christ, it's difficult to watch. But in the midst of their suffering, you see them sanctified. You see the reality of the gospel as they are losing their inheritance. They're losing their family sometimes. Because they realize they're gaining life. There's another kind of suffering that we need to be clear of here in verse 13. And I want to just spend some time here. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. Now, it's very important in 1 Peter 3, Peter exhorts, do not suffer for being sinful, for being kind of uncontrolled. No, no, the suffering the Christian's supposed to be pursuing and embrace and endure is suffering for Christ's name's sake, for being a faithful follower and a faithful proclaimer. They hated and crucified our Lord who we proclaim. What do we think they're gonna do to us who proclaim him? He's making it very definite. You will be hated for my name's sake. There's a battle raging. But notice this promise, and we're gonna hang out right here. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. The one who endures to the end will be saved. So he's promising two things. There will be tribulation. If you're a faithful witness, there's going to be animosity, because if the world hated Christ, they're going to hate us. And that doesn't mean we pause ourselves in attack, but we pause ourselves in faithfulness mode. And there's a promise. Endure to the end, and you'll be saved. The word endure is a compound word in Greek. The two words remain under are united. To endure is simply to remain under whatever pressure you're feeling. To remain under is to recognize that God's grace is greater than whatever's pressing in from outside on you. To remain under is to feel the full weight of persecution and temptation, and by his grace remain faithful. Here we see the testimony of saints that have gone before us. It was Polycarpus, he was in the middle of the Colosseum, about to be burned at the stake, and they said, will you deny your Savior? And he says, how can I when he has not denied me for 90 years? At that moment, he feels the full pressure, let me preserve my life. He feels the weight coming down, but he remains under. No, I will die for my Savior because He died for me. Believer, the weight of persecution and temptation makes us want to flee. That is not a Christian instinct. The way of temptation is to get away from it, but what Christ says is if you're suffering over my name's sake, I'm gonna use that for your sanctification, And in the midst of that, I'm going to make my name made even greater. Endurance. Long, steady, faithful living. Christianity's not supposed to be this roller coaster where we're always looking for some kind of great emotional highs and then hitting lows. It's designed to be a steady pattern of knowing Christ and growing in Him. Endure to the end and you'll be saved. There's a kind of faith that builds courage. As I was studying this, one of the most remarkable things that came to my attention as I was meditating and thinking about this passage and a lot of other passages is Revelation 21. This is what Christ is saying is going to happen. Revelation 21 is even a clear picture of what's going to happen, and there it declares. There's a new heavens and a new earth, and there's no sun, there's no moon, there's no temple. And we see how Jesus is going to talk about these things. The glory of the Lord shines the light. There's a passage in there that says there's some people who are not welcome in the kingdom of God. Liars. murders, sexual immoral. Okay, we can understand that. The first person or the first kind of person that is actually mentioned as not welcome in the kingdom of God, cowards. Cowards and faithless are not meant to be in the kingdom of God. Now that's something to wrestle with because I myself find myself to be very cowardly. Many Christians are by nature very cowardly. Many non-Christians are actually what we would call very courageous. I believe what we're speaking of here is there's a way in which we can be courageous in our competency, but that's not what he's talking about. The kind of coward that's not welcome in the kingdom of God is, is the one who doesn't actually have faith in Christ that says, I will trust you. I will trust your grace is sufficient. I will remain under whatever temptation and persecution brings, because I placed my faith in you. Polycarp, he had courage. He didn't try to flee. He didn't try to fight. He stood firm in Christ. We have to ask ourselves, do we have the kind of faith that's growing courage to stand firm, or are we constantly trying to flee any kind of real trouble, suffering, persecution, or temptation? What is your faith like? Is it cowardly, or is it courageous? If you're wrestling now, I feel like a coward. Christ saved you to grow you into that courageous faith that stands firm. Now, it's amazing if you're, I've never been in the military, but I assume at boot camp, most soldiers do not like the drills. Can I get head nods from those in the military? All right, good. I'm not completely wrong. You typically don't like going through the drills. But by the end of boot camp and by the end of training, what you've got is a fine-tuned soldier. They had to go through those drills, they had to go through those exercises to become equipped so that they would have a courage to feel like we're confident for the battle. This is why consumer Christianity is so dangerous. When we avoid the hard things, when we just do what's convenient and easy and fun, we're not being trained to do the hard things. We'll simply flounder in our self-made spirituality. Jesus is charging us here. Be on guard. Do not be anxious. Endure to the end so you'll be safe. Now, when you think about that passage there, it reminds me of a moment I had in my youth. Middle school. I don't think they do this anymore, but there was a Christian track meet. Churches got together. We don't do that. I don't know who does that. And my church, I was the only one in my age group. And there were two other churches that had four youth in my age group. And so there was the medley, right? The one time around the track, and they passed the baton. I was fairly competent and courageous in my ability to run, so I said, I'll run this by myself. So it was me, and then against teams of four. And I did all right the first two, you know, as the battalion gets handed off twice. But the third one, like, I'm just getting smoked. And then the last little lag, I veer off. just in defeat and exhaustion, because I've run full speed the whole time. And I went to the booth, and my mother's working the reward section, the medallion. I should get third place, just by default. And I asked for my medal or whatever it was, and she looked at me, my own mother. You don't get You don't get a trophy. You didn't finish the race. I was crushed. But the principle is so true in what Christ is saying here. You can run so hard at the very beginning. You can run fast and hard and think of all the things you've done, but if you don't finish, you don't get the reward. Those who endure to the end will be saved. Christ calls us to be watchful. He calls us to be watchful because of the abomination of desolation, verse 14. And notice, he's speaking to the disciples. As we see in verses one and two of chapter 13, they come out and Jesus tells them, these stones are going to be torn down. And notice he says, you're going to see this. Jesus is now speaking very concrete, or at least in stone. He's speaking not metaphorically or analogically. He is speaking very real and directly. They are standing on the hill opposite the temple, looking at the temple now. When you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be, let the reader understand. then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is in the housetop not go down nor enter his house to take anything. And let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas, for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days, pray that it may not happen in winter, for in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation and God created until now and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he shortened the days. And when anyone says to you, look, here's the Christ, or look, there he is, do not believe. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard. I have told you all these things beforehand. So he's speaking to these disciples who have asked secretly here. He's speaking to his own disciples and he's explaining to them what's gonna happen. I believe he's speaking very directly about something they're going to see. The abomination of desolation, that's actually taken from language in Daniel. That's where a Gentile is going to perform some kind of pagan act in the temple. What we actually know is in AD 70, Rome, the pagan nation, destroyed the temple. So as Jesus predicted in verse 2 of chapter 13, that temple is destroyed. The Gentiles have raged against God and destroyed his holy place. Now, we need to be very clear that this is what happened, and Josephus tells us that after this happened, you could not find a Christian in Jerusalem. Why do you think that is? It's because the Christians heard Jesus say, be on guard, flee to the mountains. When they saw the temple destroyed, they saw, as he said, you're going to see these things, be on guard. I've told you beforehand, the Christians were ready. They were on guard. They listened. We see a faithfulness. We see a hearing and recognizing, listen to the Savior. Now, let's look at verses 24 and 27. But in those days, after that tribulation, so there's one event, the temple will be destroyed. That's clearly what he's talking about there in verses 14 to 22, or 23. Now in 24, we see there's something different. But in those days after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken, and when they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds and from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. Now, this is a different prophecy. The previous one, it has already happened, This one is not. How do we know that? Well, the sun's still out and it's hot. The sun and the moon, these things are still to happen. The sun and the moon are still functioning just as they were created and designed to be in the first days of Genesis. And Christ has not come back. We see here that, as we understand prophecy, prophecy has an already not yet aspect to it. There's times in which God will fulfill his prophecies partially, but then wait until they're fully fulfilled. I believe here we have something we're still waiting upon. And the disciples should be encouraged because something he said would happen. It happened. Really just as he said. How much more should we be waiting for what else he has said? We are now waiting in the verses of 24 and 27. Longing for the elect to be gathered. Longing for the Son of Man to come in the clouds with all authority and great power. Christian, this is our hope. This is our long destiny. This is the end of the race. Are we longing for Christ and His return? We continue to see Christ in his warnings, or as we call it, to be watchful. I want to conclude here with just a few basic observations. We're called to be watchful expectantly. Look at verses 28. I want to look at verses 28 with what follows. From the fig tree, learn its lesson. As soon as its branches become tender and put out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gates. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But we hear a great encouragement that what Christ has said is true and sure and cannot fail, but he's also giving us a bit of a lesson. And I believe this is where many people get tied up and bogged down. Okay, how do we read the fig tree? Right, you get your fig tree decoder ring and you try to figure out, okay, how am I going to interpret all these things in light of, you know, the different ages of history? How do I put together a chart that explains how all these things come together? He is warning them, and I believe that in Jerusalem, AD 70, they're able to see these things and recognize that as a warning. Read verses 28 through 31 in light of verse 32. But concerning that day, or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. wait, and be trying to figure out, like, what does the season look like, and know that you can't know the exact time. There's some great tension there, isn't there? We're supposed to be longing expectantly, knowing that He could come any moment, like a thief in the night. Christian, when we see wars, we should say, come Lord Jesus. When we see natural disasters, say, come Lord Jesus. When we see the false teachers and we suffer persecution, come Lord Jesus. All these things are meant to be reminders, this is not your home. Your citizenship is awaiting. Your king is coming back. He will establish a perfect, righteous world. A perfect, righteous kingdom that we get to enjoy. So we're called to stay awake. Not to slumber, not to grow weary, not to grow lazy, not to try to figure out how to do the minimum, but to be on guard and watchful. Here's a few motivations, a few clear things that are required for us to be watchful. We will be watchful when we have confidence that we will be safe. You quit and give up when you don't have hope. But up here, verse 13, know that He who began a work in you is going to complete it. Know that He who came down and became like us in every way, yet without sin, He who endured the cross, the mockery, the crown of thorns, the very wrath of God being poured out upon Him, if He died for you, suffering the separation from His own Father, He's risen, He's at the right hand of the Father, He's going to come back, and your salvation will be complete. confidence in who Christ is and what He has done so that you can be watchful and stay awake. Secondly, know that you are His chosen ones. Verse 20, if the Lord did not cut short the days of the elect, we see there verse 27, He will send the angels to come get the elect. We're the chosen. Christ put his love upon us when we did not deserve it. That's what that means. You know, in John 17, another very important passage in Scripture, it's the long prayer of Jesus, and he makes it very clear. I have not lost one single follower. Jesus of Scarrit was not a follower. He made it very clear. He has not lost any single believer that the Father has given to him. And he prays, Father, you keep them in me. There's this beautiful picture in the book of Romans. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ. There's no separation for those who are in Christ. When we are chosen, when we are purchased, when we are beloved in Christ, nothing can separate us, and we will be called back into Him when He returns. Third, no, we will be taken up to Him. He will call us back into His presence. He will come back and call, and believers will ascend up with Him. 1 John says that those who long to see Him as He is purifies themselves as they wait. There's this beautiful longing that a Christian should have. Not trying to figure out what kind of sin can I get away with here in this world while I'm waiting for Jesus to come back. It's an ungodly thought. No, it's how can I purify myself now so that when I see him, I see him as he is. We will be taken up with him. Instead of wondering what kind of sin I can get away with, the Christian says, sin is what keeps me from seeing God. Sin is what I can't wait to be done with so that when I actually am called back up into the clouds with Him, when I'm called into His kingdom fully when He returns, it no longer hinders my love. Finally, the way to build up your confidence and be watchful know that his word is true. Verse 31. Heaven and earth will pass away. That's pretty remarkable. You just go to Genesis 1. God spoke all of these things into existence, and they are all good. But the stars, the sun, the moon, the earth, it's all gonna be gone. It will pass away. A new age is coming. But notice what endures forever. Christ's words. The Word of God is sure. The Word of God is the foundation we need to actually endure and persevere and be watchful. The Word is where we allow God to wrestle with us, to change us and mold us. Brother and sister, as we've looked at this passage, Christ says, be on guard, do not be anxious, endure, be on guard, be on guard, stay awake. How expectant are you for Christ's return? That's the question this passage just forces upon us. How expectantly are we waiting How much are we treating this world like it's a playground versus a battlefield? How much are we longing for this world to be over so that we can see Christ in Himself as He is without sin hindering it? The charge. Be strong and courageous. Christ is with you. Christ is for you. Christ can change you. Will you pray with me?