Be Alert and Keep Watch You Never Know When Jesus Will Come Homily
Jesus is coming again. Personally and visibly, He is coming dorsum. In power and celebrity, He will return to consummate His redemptive mission and to plant His eternal kingdom. Bible-believing Christians may disagree on some details surrounding the end times, but on this we can concord: Jesus is coming once more.
This calendar week'southward Explore the Bible lesson examines Jesus' teachings nigh His render in Mark thirteen. Equally we arroyo this passage, let'southward start remind ourselves that the primary purpose of the Bible's teachings on cease time events is non but to satisfy our marvel. Rather, it is to reveal how to live now in calorie-free of future events.
As you read through Mark xiii, look for the exhortations—lookout out, exist on guard, stay awake! Note especially the final poetry of the affiliate, where Jesus said this: "And what I say to you, I say to anybody: Be alert!" (5. 37). The Greek word translated "be alarm" ("stay awake," "watch") is the very concluding discussion of the chapter, and Jesus' final give-and-take on this discipline in Mark'southward Gospel. It is where the emphasis lies in Mark 13. The recurring theme of Scripture concerning the second coming is to be set, and Scripture is not silent on how to set:
1. Live in the light of His first coming.
Practice you lot want to be prepared for Jesus' second coming? Then live like His beginning coming mattered.
Jesus spoke parables well-nigh His return. In Luke 19:11-27, He told about a nobleman who traveled to a far country to go male monarch. This nobleman called ten of his servants, gave them each a mina (money), and told them: "engage in my business until I come back" (5. 13). After an unspecified duration of fourth dimension, the nobleman returned every bit king and summoned his servants to give an account of their faithfulness. The first two servants had been productive with what was entrusted to them. But another servant had done null. He simply wrapped his mina in a fabric and hid information technology. His mistake was that he didn't act on what he professed to believe. He professed something about his master but didn't alive by his profession, and lost his advantage (vv. 21-23).
Those who profess Christ as Lord and alive according to their profession volition receive bang-up reward when Jesus returns.
2. Be discerning.
Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warned His disciples not to be led astray by false claim: "Sentry out that no one deceives y'all… simulated prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to pb astray, if possible, the elect" (vv. 5-vi,21-22). Paul warned, "Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him…. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way" (2 Thess. 2:1-iii).
The warning of Scripture is consistent: use discernment in listening to those who claim to accept all the details of the end times figured out, and ignore those who resort to appointment setting end time events.
3. Accept the uncertainties.
"At present concerning that mean solar day or hour no 1 knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—merely simply the Father. Scout! Be alarm! For y'all don't know when the fourth dimension is coming" (Mark 13:32-33). If Jesus was content not to know the day or hour, then let's stop speculating about information technology. Exist content with "no ane knows … only the Father."
iv. Don't lose hope.
Paul reminded Titus that Jesus' first coming brought salvation and it instructs us how to alive "sensible, righteous, and godly" lives in this present age. It is our "blessed promise"—the expectation of Jesus' return—that compels us to do so (Titus two:11-13).
5. Encourage i another.
The promise that "the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout" in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is followed by a command: "Therefore encourage i another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:eighteen). Once more, the affirmation that "the day of the Lord volition come merely like a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2) is followed past the exhortation: "Therefore encourage 1 another and build each other upward" (v. eleven).
Scripture'due south teachings about the second coming are not given to satisfy our personal fascination with time to come events but that the body of Christ might encourage one another with the promises.
half dozen. Live as if today was the day.
If we're not conscientious, the delay in Jesus' return volition lead us to complacency. Living in the expectation that He could render today compels us to live every day for what really matters—for eternity.
vii. Go on on doing the work Jesus left us to do.
Jesus warned of troubling events as nosotros about the terminate of the age, including persecution of believers (Mark thirteen:seven-9). Then He added that nothing—not even persecution—should distract us from the one necessary matter: preach to the gospel to all nations (5. 10).
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave the church its marching orders: "But yous volition receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you volition be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The very side by side verses report that the disciples just stood in that location looking upward into the sky. Two angels appeared and spoke the words the church today needs to hear: Why are you standing in that location gazing into heaven? Jesus is coming back—so become busy! (vv. 9-eleven).
Mike Livingstone works at Lifeway Christian Resource as content editor for Explore the Bible materials.
Source: https://explorethebible.lifeway.com/blog/adults/7-ways-to-prepare-for-jesus-return-session-11-mark-1324-37/
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