02 Oct Mark 32: The return of the King

Mark 13:1-37

²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³² “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 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.”

Tonight, we are going to do a little bit of eschatology. What is eschatology? It is the study of the end times. Last week we talked about offering and today we are talking about the end times. If you ever need proof that we are a charismatic church, there, you have it. The study of end times fascinated many people. Some of you have been asking me to do a sermon series on the book of Revelation for years. And for this sermon, I have prepared a massive chart and timelines that will show you the precise details of everything that are happening in the end times. Ushers will help me bring the chart to the stage later. Okay, that’s a joke. Some of you are too excited already while the ushers are confused. But for some of you, the study of the end times freaks you out. Because maybe like me, you grew up with the “Left Behind” series. If you have no idea what it is, you are blessed. That series scarred me for life. I had recurring nightmares because of it. I was extremely afraid that one day I would go home from school and find my parents’ clothes on the ground. It means that I was not raptured. I was left behind. Why would God take them naked and leave their clothes on the ground? I have no idea. But that’s what happened in the series. So, we are going to do a little eschatology tonight. How many of you are excited? How many of you are nervous?

Let me say a few words about our passage before we get into it. Tonight, we are going to look at all of Mark 13. This passage is by far the most difficult passage in the book of Mark. It is an extremely hard and controversial text. In this chapter, Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem with such accuracy many years before they happened. It is amazing how he can do that. But in addition to prophesying these destructions, Jesus also speaks of his second coming. He says he will return in clouds of glory and this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. But here we are 2000 years later and Jesus is yet to return. Or maybe he did and we all got left behind. And there are many faithful Bible-believing teachers who disagree on the details of this passage. They are equally committed to the authority of the Bible, equally committed to teaching the meaning of the text properly, and they flat-out disagree. Some argue that in this passage Jesus is only addressing the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Others argue that Jesus is only talking about the end of the world. And some argue for both. They say that in this passage Jesus addresses the imminent destruction of the temple. And in doing so, he is also giving us a preview of what is coming. So, the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is a foreshadowing of the end of the world.

After much study and consideration, this is where I land. This is what I believe. In this passage, Jesus skillfully weaves together the near and the far. The near prediction, the destruction of the temple that will happen in 70 AD; and the far prediction, the end of the world and his second coming. In fact, this is the way biblical prophecy usually works. There are near fulfillments and far fulfillments. Let me give you an example, the prophecy on the kingdom of God in the Old Testament. When Jesus arrived on the scene, he said that the kingdom of God has come near. The first coming of Jesus brought with it the promised kingdom of God. So, in some way, the prophecy came true already. However, the fulfilment of the promised kingdom of God is yet to come. The kingdom of God will come in its fullness in Jesus’ second coming. So, the prophecy is yet to be fully fulfilled. There is near fulfilment and there is far fulfilment.

The reason why I am telling you this is for me to acknowledge that I do not know everything. I did my homework. I studied the passage the best I could. And I came to an understanding. However, I could be wrong. And if I am wrong, it does not mean that the Bible is wrong. Here is what we must get. The Bible has no error, but no preacher has no error in interpreting the Bible. No preacher is an infallible interpreter of God’s word. And tonight, I will do my best to show you what I think is happening in the passage. However, you have the freedom to disagree with me on the details, as long as you remain faithful to the text. But at the same time, I don’t want us to miss the forest for the trees. Do you know what I mean by that? I don’t want us to focus so much on the details that we miss the main point of what the text is communicating to us. And here is the main point of this passage. The God who wrote history and has entered history in the person of Jesus is the God who is in control of history and the end of history. God is sovereign over every little detail of history and we can trust God’s word.

Let’s get into the text. And I will do it differently today. Instead of giving sermon points, tonight I want to walk through the text verse by verse first. And then I will give three implications from the text. Let’s begin.

Mark 13:1-2 – 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.” If you remember where we left off last week, Jesus had been in the temple area. As he and his disciples are leaving the temple, one of the disciples turns and looks at the temple. And the temple in Jerusalem is magnificent. It is considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. And this is not the temple that Solomon built. That temple was destroyed by Babylon. King Herod then rebuilt the temple to gain favour from the Jews. And at this time, the temple is not yet finished. The construction began in 20 BC, and it is finished in 64 AD. So, it takes over 80 years and over 80,000 workers to build it. Some historians said that Herod’s temple looked like a mountain of marble decorated with gold. It is architecturally stunning. So, one of the disciples says, “Jesus, check out the temple. What a magnificent temple we have in Jerusalem.” And Jesus says, “So what? All will be destroyed, boys. Nothing will be left.” Such a mood killer.

Mark 13:3-6 – 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. A group of disciples come to Jesus to ask him about what he just said about the temple. They are intrigued by it. Notice, they do not question what Jesus said. They understand enough by now that whatever Jesus says will come true. If Jesus says that this magnificent temple will be destroyed, it will be destroyed. What they want to know is when it will happen and what is the sign of it happening. Why? Because in the Jewish mind, the destruction of the temple is equal to the end of the world. And Jesus uses this opportunity to address both, the question about the destruction of the temple, and the bigger question about the end of the world. The first sign is deception. Jesus says there will come many false messiahs who claim to be him. And Josephus, a Jewish historian, tells us that many false messiahs appeared before the destruction of the temple, claiming to be the returning Jesus. And the same still happens today. There are many false teachers and false prophets who claim to be Jesus or were sent by Jesus. Deception has always been the primary tactic of the devil. We should not be surprised by it. So, the appearance of false messiahs is the first sign.

Mark 13:7-8 – 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. The second sign is wars and rumors of wars, and the third sign is earthquakes and famines. These signs certainly have their first-century fulfilment. There are many wars and rumours of wars that are leading to the destruction of Jerusalem. A tremendous earthquake hit the Roman empire in AD 61 and AD 63, and several serious famines affected the Near East between AD 41 and 54, during the reign of Claudius. These are all signs of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, but it is not the end yet. And we also find ourselves in a similar situation today. We see nation rise against nations. We hear about massive earthquakes and other natural disasters. There are famines in various places. These signs are happening. But it is not the end of the world yet. Jesus says that these signs are but the beginning of the birth pains. Now, to say the obvious, I have never experienced birth pains. Praise God. But I know that when a woman is pregnant, she experiences many different pains during those nine months periods. But she doesn’t rush to the hospital to have the baby delivered every time she experiences birth pain. There are normal birth pains that she experiences throughout her pregnancy. But when those contractions, those pains become more regular, the intensity and the frequency tell her that the time for delivery is around the corner. And this is Jesus’ point. False messiahs, wars, earthquakes, and famines are early signs of the end of the world. When these things happen with more frequency and more intensity, we know that the end is drawing near. And it gets worse. So far, the signs have been something out there. Now, it is going to get personal.

Mark 13:9-10 – 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. Jesus says that his disciples will be prosecuted. And this part of the prophecy reads like an overview of the book of Acts. In the book of Acts, Luke tells how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to all nations. Luke also tells how the disciples are taken before councils, beaten in the synagogues, and brought before rulers and kings to bear witness to the gospel. So, we see the fulfilment of this prophecy in the first century. But we also see this prophecy is still being fulfilled today. Today, we are called to proclaim the gospel wherever we are. And yes, we will be brought to different trials as we faithfully share the gospel with others. We are not exempted from the persecutions that the first-century disciples experienced. That’s the bad news. But here is the good news.

Mark 13:11 – 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. What a beautiful promise. When we are persecuted because of Jesus, we do not have to be anxious. When we stand on trials, we do not have to worry about what we have to say for it will be given to us. These are passive words. It means that we might not know what to say beforehand, but God will tell us what we need to say when the time comes so that we will be able to bear witness for his sake. And it is the Holy Spirit who will be speaking through us. By the way, this is not an SOP for lazy preachers. I heard a story of how one day a preacher stood in front of his congregation and said, “I don’t have anything to preach to you because God has not spoken to me. So, we are going to wait until God has spoken.” 5 minutes, nothing happens. 10 minutes, nothing happens. 15 minutes, nothing happens. Then after 30 minutes, the preacher finally said, “God has spoken. Now, I am going to preach.” This is not what Jesus is saying. Imagine if I do that. This room would be empty by the time God has spoken to me. Jesus is not saying that we do not need to prepare. Jesus is saying that in times of persecution, we do not have to worry about what we are to say because the Holy Spirit will speak through us. This is a promise for persecuted believers, not lazy preachers.

Mark 13:12-13 – 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. So, not only people will deliver the disciples to trials, but they will also experience family betrayals. And we see this happening in the book of Hebrews. There are many Jewish Christians who experienced rejection from their immediate family and they are put to death because of it. And the same happens today. We have many brothers and sisters in Christ in different parts of the world who risk their lives every day for their faith in Jesus. They are not only rejected by their society but also by their immediate families. They are hated by all for Jesus’ sake. These are the signs of the destruction of Jerusalem and also the end of the world. And now, Jesus is about to get very specific with his prophecy.

Mark 13:14 – ¹⁴ “But 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. How many of you have no idea what the term “the abomination of desolation” means? Let me explain to you. The abomination of desolation refers to some sort of pagan desecration of the temple. The idea is someone or something wicked is placed in the temple, that would make God’s people desert and walk away from the temple. It happened a few times throughout Israel’s history. But the main fulfilment came in 70 AD when the Roman general Titus invaded Jerusalem and entered the temple. And Jesus says that when they see it happening, they are to flee to the mountains. And they are to do so with haste.

Mark 13:15-20 – ¹⁵ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ¹⁶ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁷ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸ Pray that it may not happen in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. ²⁰ 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. All these prophecies came true. By the end of the Roman onslaught, famine had hit Jerusalem. The people were so desperate that they were eating the very dust of the ground. It was a terrible time to be pregnant or to be the mother of young children. Some babies were left to die, and some were put to death. Josephus wrote that as many as a million Jews were killed, and a hundred thousand taken prisoner. And Jesus tells the disciples to pray that it might not happen in winter. Because it would be even harder to survive during winter. The tribulation will be so bad to the point that if God had not cut short the days, no one would survive. But for the sake of his chosen people, God shortened the days. And here is what’s amazing. Because Jesus prophesied with such accuracy, the first church in Jerusalem remembered his words. So, when they saw all the signs were happening, they knew the destruction of the city was drawing near. They quickly packed their belongings and fled to the mountains. And according to another historian by the name of Eusebius, nearly all Christians who lived in Jerusalem escaped before the city fell. In the providence of God, their lives were spared so they could continue to bear witness to the gospel.

Mark 13:21-23 – ²¹ And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. Jesus then gives another warning about the rise of false messiahs and false prophets. But he adds extra details. These false messiahs and false prophets are able to perform miracles. They can perform signs and wonders to the point that even the elect, God’s chosen people might be fooled. Is it possible to fool God’s elect? Yes, temporarily. But God’s elect will eventually return. If we are deceived and never return, we are never part of God’s elect. And the point Jesus tells the disciples all this is so that they might be on guard. He is saying, “See, now I have told you all these things. You are now informed. You know what to watch for. Be on guard.”

Let’s pause here a bit. So far, it is clear that everything that Jesus said has been fulfilled by 70 AD when the Roman army invaded Jerusalem. So, this is the near fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy. However, we also see the same signs repeated throughout church history, including today. The cycle continues. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2 that when the man of lawlessness comes, he is referring to the Antichrist, he will exalt himself in the temple of God, proclaiming to be God. This is another abomination of desolation. And with the rise of the Antichrist, there will come times of great tribulation. So great that if God do not shorten the days, no one would survive. So, there is a far fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy that is yet to come. In other words, yes, this prophecy is about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. But at the same time, it is also a trailer for what’s coming. Are you with me? With this understanding in mind, it helps us to understand what Jesus says next.

Mark 13:24-27 – 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 the disciples heard these words, they immediately connect what Jesus says to the prophecy of the end times. Pay attention to how Isaiah describes the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is another term for the day of judgement at the end of the world. Isaiah 13:9-10 – Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. Can you see the similarities? Listening to these prophecies is like looking at the mountains from afar. From a distance, it is hard to distinguish the mountains from the foothills because they all seem to blend together. But once you reach the foothills, it is easy to see that there are higher mountains still to climb. When Jesus speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem, he is speaking of the foothills of divine judgement. The destruction of Jerusalem is the nearer and smaller destruction of what is to come at the end of history. And now, Jesus is no longer talking about the destruction of Jerusalem but the end of the world. We know this because he describes the coming of the Son of Man in clouds with great power and glory. And when he does, he will gather his chosen people from every corner of the world. Listen. There will be no empty seats in heaven. Those who are invited will come. None whom he has purchased will be missing. He will gather all who are his. And now Jesus gets to the point of why he tells the disciples all this.

Mark 13:28-29 – ²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. This is the point. The reason why Jesus tells them all those signs is that they might watch for the signs. Whenever they see the signs that Jesus mentions, they can know that the destruction of Jerusalem is coming. Whenever they see the sign of Jesus’ second coming, they can know that Jesus’ coming is near. But listen. Jesus does not say that he has come but he is near. He is at the very gates. When we see the signs of the divine judgement that are prophesied in the Bible, we can know that the end is near. He is not here yet but he is near. And then, Jesus drops the bomb. And this is the part that puzzles me for a very long time.

Mark 13:30-31 – ³⁰ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “Hold on a second. Jesus, what do you mean by this generation will not pass away until all these things take place? It’s been 2000 years since you said that. And you have yet to return today. Were you mistaken about the date of your return ticket to earth? Can the Son of God make mistakes? If so, can we trust your words that you will return?” Here is the puzzle: what does Jesus mean by this generation? There are four major options. I spent long hours contemplating these verses. I could just tell you what I think it means but that’s not fair. I want you to share my long hours of frustration. I want you to feel my agony. So, I will tell you all four options. First, the contemporary generation of Jesus’ day. This is the generation that will see all the signs of the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, but they will not see Jesus’ second coming. After all, Jesus says that when they see these signs, they know that Jesus’s second coming is near. Not that Jesus is here. Second, the eschatological generation. So, the generation that Jesus has in mind is not the people who will witness the destruction of Jerusalem but the people who will be alive at the end of history to witness all the signs of his second coming. Third, the Jewish race. Another way to translate the word “generation” is a certain group of people with a certain characteristic. So, Jesus is saying that the Jewish race will not pass away until they see all the signs. Fourth, the present generation of Jesus’ day. So, Jesus is referring to the generation of the twelve disciples. And the fact that we are still here today means that Jesus is wrong.

Can you see why I am frustrated? In fact, C.S. Lewis said that Jesus was wrong. He said Jesus was a product of his time, expecting the end of the world to come soon. But newsflash, C.S. Lewis is wrong. So, we can remove option 4. This leaves us with three options. We have better odds of getting it right. We have a 33.3% chance instead of 25%. Which one is the right one? I am inclined to believe that the second option is the best option. But I won’t die for it. If option 1 or 3 happens to be the right one and I am wrong, I am sure I won’t get left behind because of it. So, option 2 is my best guess. But if I am not sure about verse 30, I am very sure about verse 31. Everything will pass away, but Jesus’ word will not pass away. Whatever Jesus says will come to pass without fail. If he says he will return, he will return. But then, Jesus drops another bomb.

Mark 13:32 – ³² “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “C’mon Jesus. Are you serious? You don’t know when you are coming back? Aren’t you the Son of God? How could the Son of God not know something? Especially something important like the date of his return ticket to earth? Are you really the Son of God?” Can you see why I spent a long time studying this passage? Here is what we must understand. When Jesus came to earth, he was fully God. But he was fully man at the same time. And when Jesus became fully man, Jesus did not surrender his God-ness. But he laid aside his glory. In doing so, Jesus willingly surrendered his right to freely exercise his God attributes, such as omniscience. That is why while Jesus was on earth, he ministered through the power of the Holy Spirit. He lived his life on earth as a man in submission to God the Father and dependent on the Holy Spirit. Jesus was both God and man.

And we can see both natures in Jesus. For example, because he was the son of man, he got hungry; but because he was the Son of God, he fed the multitude with 5 loaves and two fish. Because he was the son of man, he got thirsty; but because he was the Son of God, he turned water into wine. Because he was the son of man, he grew weary; but because he was the Son of God, he raised the dead. And the same can be said in this context. Because he was the son of man, he did not know the hour of his return; but because he was the Son of God, he promised he would return on the clouds with power and glory. So, the reason Jesus did not know was that as a man, he willingly surrendered his access to that knowledge. But get this. There are two things we can be sure of about Jesus’ second coming: Jesus is going to return and there is absolutely no way to know precisely when it will happen. No one knows but God. Full stop. So, if anyone says, “But I am not no one. I am special. I am God’s best friend and he told me the date of his return,” and that person has a seminar on Jesus’ second coming, let me offer you an alternative. You can use the money for the seminar to treat me to KFC instead and I will tell you the answer: No one knows but God.

Mark 13:33-37 – ³³ Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 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.” This is the point of the whole chapter. The reason Jesus tells the disciples the signs of the destruction of the temple and the end of the world is not for them to know the precise date of when these events will take place, but that they might be on guard and stay awake. The point is, don’t fall asleep on the job. Be ready at all times. We never know when the master will return. He can come at any time. So, stay awake. In Matthew’s account, Jesus says his return will be like a thief in the night. We never know when a thief is coming. I mean, how awesome would it be if thieves made appointments, right? “Do I need to lock the doors tonight? Let me check my calendar. No scheduled break-ins. I don’t need to lock the door tonight. But I’ve got two break-in requests for tomorrow night. I better be ready and lock the door tomorrow.” Thieves don’t operate like that. They don’t tell us when they are coming so we should always be ready. This is Jesus’ point. He will return when we least expect it. So, we must stay awake at all times.

Let me give you three implications from this text. First, get saved. If you have yet to put your faith in Jesus, today is the day for you to do so. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow is the devil’s favourite word. But you are not guaranteed tomorrow. Jesus can return at any time. You might say, “Well, you have been waiting for Jesus to return for 2000 years. Surely it is okay for me to wait for another week before I give my life to Christ.” Hear me. If you wait for another Sunday to get saved, you are rolling the dice with your eternity. You never know if you have another chance. Next Sunday might already be too late for you. The reason why Jesus has not come is not that he is slow concerning his promises. But because he is patient, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He delays his coming so that you might be saved. But his patience is not infinite. There will be an end to his patience. And when his patience ends, it will be too late. The Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation.” Today, not tomorrow. So, put your faith in Jesus today.

Second, be ready. Christians, are we ready for the return of our king? Because he will return. And he wants us to be ready for his return. Jesus not only tells the disciples once, but he tells them to be on guard or stay awake six times in this chapter. The point is clear. We must always be ready for Jesus’ second coming. That does not mean we hide in our room and pray 24/7. The master of the house tells the servants to stay awake and do their work. Being ready is not a passive waiting doing nothing; it is actively doing our works while we wait for Jesus to return. Although C.S. Lewis is wrong about a certain aspect of the second coming, he is right about the way we should wait for the second coming. He said that we should be like an 80-year-old man who needs, on the one hand, not always thinking about his approaching death. But, at 80, he should always take it into account. It would be criminally foolish not to have made his will and so on. In other words, we should not be thinking all the time, “Jesus might come tomorrow.” But on the other hand, we should take into account, “Jesus might come tomorrow.” There must be a balance. This calls for serious self-examination. Are we ready for the return of our king?

Third, trust God’s word. Think about it. Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem 40 years before it happened. And it happened exactly as he predicted. This bewildered many critics. How can Jesus predict the destruction of Jerusalem with such accuracy 40 years before it happened? For us, we know the answer. Jesus can do it because he is God. And we can trust his word. Just as Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and it happened, we can be sure that Jesus will return for us because he said so. Today we live in a day and age that undermine God’s word. But this is nothing new. The word of God has been constantly under attack from the very beginning. People try to change it. People rip out pages that do not make sense to them. All those attacks come and go but the word of God remains. Why? Because it is the very word of God himself. This is the word of the eternal God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Everything else will pass away but the word of God will not pass away. If Jesus says it, it settles it. We can trust his word.

So, here is what I want us to consider, and I am back in my seat. How can we have the confidence to face the judgement day? How can we look forward to the return of our king? Here’s how. Because there is another judgement day that has occurred for us. At the crucifixion of Jesus, the Bible tells us that the sun went out, the darkness filled the whole land, the earth quaked, and the rock split. Do you know what it was? It was judgement day that came down on Jesus. At the cross, Jesus was judged in our place. He experienced the ultimate judgement day for our sins. At his first coming, Jesus didn’t come to bring judgement. Jesus came to take judgement. At his first coming, Jesus got the absence of God. He got the ultimate rejection. He got the death. He got the penalty. Why? So that in his second coming, we can have God’s presence. We can have acceptance. We can have life. And we can have eternal blessings. At his first coming, Jesus took everything that we deserved so that at his second coming, he can give us everything that he deserved. Let’s pray.

Discussion questions:

1. What struck you the most from the sermon?
2. According to your opinion, why is it important for us to study eschatology (the study of end times)?
3. Read Mark 13:11. How does this verse encourage you to share the gospel with others?
4. What does Jesus mean when he said that no one knows the hour of his return?
5. What are the things that you can do to be ready for Jesus’ second coming? Give daily life applications.
6. How does the gospel empower you to wait diligently for Jesus to return?