Sermon Series: Getting to Know Jesus 

Signs of His Coming 

Mark 13:1-37 

PSBC 10/6/02

In a nutshell: Three questions are raised regarding the second coming…-What is the sign of His coming? What is the time of His coming?" and What can we do to prepare for His coming?

I. Introduction

A. Sweeting story

Dr. George Sweeting, the former President of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, was a member of the church I served in Deerfield, IL, when I first started in ministry in 1975. One day he told us a story about an unusual combination of bumper stickers on the car of a man who was visiting the school. It turned out that two bumper stickers that were right next to each other on the back of the man's car, conveyed an unusual message. In fact, the message was so unusual that Dr. Sweeting suggested the man might want to remove one of them. You see, one read: JESUS IS COMING! and the other: ESCAPE TO WISCONSIN.

You see, friends, Dr. Sweeting knew what we have to know. Jesus is coming, and there will be no escape. On the front of your copies of This Week is a quote I had in my files that someone said many years ago. It's a good reminder…

A key truth that will do more to keep one's faith steady than any other is that the next event on God's calendar of revelation is the personal return of Christ with its attendant final moral reckoning.

The passage in Mark 13 that were going to be looking at today, speaks to this very issue.

B. What impact

Have you ever thought about this…What impact does Christ's return have on the way I live my life today?

Most people don't usually spend a lot of time thinking about the return of Jesus Christ during the average week. I don't care if you're retired or still working, we all tend to get busy. And during the course of our busy schedules, most of us are preoccupied with so many other things that thinking about the Second Coming, seldom crosses our minds.

But friends, the fact is, we must understand the times and be ready for Christ's return. The Bible is clear that He will come back to be the Judge of all the earth. I don't think any of us want to be caught unprepared when that awesome day arrives. It is a sure thing that the second coming of Christ will impact our lives, on that day. And if that's the case, then it should have an impact on our lives every day.

In Mark 13, we are going to look at several important things that will challenge us to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ. This morning, I want to use three questions to guide us. Those questions are: -What is the sign of His coming? -What is the time of His coming?" and -What can we do to prepare for His coming? How we answer those questions should make a big difference in how you and I live our lives, every day.

II. What is the Sign of His Coming?

As the disciples were walking with Jesus past the Temple they commented on the impressive display of human engineering that they saw.

Mark 13:1 1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"

And folks, it really was. It was a magnificent building. The Jewish historian of that day, Josephus, tells us that some of the stones in the Temple were forty feet long and eighteen feet high. A lot of the outside of the Temple was covered in gold and silver and shone so brightly in the sun that you would have to cover your eyes to look at it. But Jesus put the beauty of these material things in perspective by telling the disciples that the Temple would be completely destroyed.

Mark 13:2 2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

Now, if you didn't know, this prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Roman general, Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.

So, after all this talk about the Temple, Jesus and His disciples went outside the city, to the Mount of Olives. And what follows in the next verses is known as the Olivet Discourse, because that's where Jesus spoke these words. And it's in this teaching that Jesus will answer our three questions.

A. Question #1

So, let's consider the first question: "What is the sign of Jesus' coming?"

In fact, this was the very question several of the disciples asked.

Mark 13:4 4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"

And, this is the same question many people are asking today. "When is it going to happen, and how are we going to know when it is time."

Well, in the next verses, Jesus first gives us several signs of the times. But they really aren't signs of the Second Coming. In reality they are indications that society is getting worse and worse. So, in reality, they are non-sign, signs. And these "non-signs" tell us that the time is getting near, but they don't tell us that the time is started.

So, what are these "non-signs"?

The first is that deceivers will appear. In verse six He says…

Mark 13:6 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.

One Jewish Christian scholar, Dr. Charles Feinberg, has noted that from the time of Christ to now, over sixty-five different individuals have appeared to the Jewish people, claiming to be the Messiah. Then when you add in all the people claiming to be God's unique spokesman in today's New Age movement and in the history of the cults around the world, the number becomes huge.

And the power that these people have to deceive others, is why Jesus said in verse 5…

Mark 13:5 5 Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

If you go on to verses 7 and 8, you read…

Mark 13:7-8 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

But even though there will be this global turmoil, these things do not signal His Second Coming. They are signs, but signs of how sick and decaying society will become as Jesus return gets nearer.

Illustration: When our daughter, Jori decided to maker her way into this world, Diane was at home, and I was at a Bible quizzing meet with our youth. Diane got ahold of one of our friends, who came to get me at the auditorium where we were gathered. He said, "Diane's water broke, and she's having contractions." I immediately got up and raced to the house. Those first birth pangs were announcing that Jori was near, but she wasn't there yet. In fact, it was going to be 27 hours before she decided to make her way into this world.

Well, that's what those events that Jesus just described are like. They are only signaling the beginning of the process. So, when we see the events described by Jesus beginning to take place with increasing frequency, we know the countdown has started. But we still don't know how long it will be before the end.

Another thing that will signal the beginning of the end is the persecution of Christians, because they preach the Gospel. Look at verse nine.

Mark 13:9 9 "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them

Followers of Jesus Christ will be hauled into courts, beaten, and brought before secular authorities. All because they are trying to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, His salvation and His love.

This persecution will even extend to families, with brother against brother and parents against children and children against their parents. Look at verse 12…

Mark 13:12 12 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.

Then in verse 13, Jesus says

Mark 13:13 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

What He's referring to, is standing firm to the end of one's life, not just the end of the persecution. In other words, people will be called on to be willing to lay their lives down for Jesus.

Now we come to the first real sign of Jesus coming again. Look at verse 14…

Mark 13:14 14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong-let the reader understand-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

This thing called the Abomination of Desolation is also referred to in…

Daniel 11:31 31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

In this event, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem is going to be desecrated. Paul writes about this in…

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Now, friends, for this to take place the Temple will have to be rebuilt. Many students of Biblical prophecy have been watching with great interest, the possibility of the Temple's reconstruction. Since its destruction in AD 70 there has never been a Temple in Jerusalem. What now sits on the sacred Temple mount is the Moslem "Dome of the Rock."

But never before in history has there been a greater possibility that the Temple could be rebuilt. The Jews have never been in power as they are today since AD 70.

At this point in history there will come a great tribulation. Look at verse 14 again…

Mark 13:14 14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong-let the reader understand-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Christians in Judea will be in great peril. Jesus tells them to flee to the mountains, not to turn back to their houses to get even the most essential items. In describing this time He says in verse 19…

Mark 13:19 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now-and never to be equaled again.

Then there will appear even more false Messiahs and false prophets who will try to lead people astray.

Mark 13:22 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect-if that were possible.

Then Jesus says,

Mark 13:23 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

In other words, know what's being said here. Realize what will happen, and don't be duped by it

Now, what happens next is very significant. In verses 24 and 25 Jesus describes events which will take place after the tribulation. Some kind of solar cataclysm will upset the order of things in our universe.

Mark 13:24-25 24 "But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

At this point, people will look up and see what happens next…

Mark 13:26-27 26 "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. This is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign in glory.

B. Question #2

Now, answer we're ready for the next question. What is the Time of His Coming? And for the answer to that question, Jesus uses the example of a fig tree.

Mark 13:28-29 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.

Jesus is telling us that it is possible to know the time of His coming. Just like we can tell the general time that summer is near by looking at the trees budding…, in the same way, we can figure out the general time when Jesus will come back.

He tells us this so we don't get lulled into complacency, or think we've got plenty of time, or that no one can be sure of the coming of Christ. His coming is sure. Because He says…

Mark 13:31 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

In other words, you and I can be assured that the end of the world is going to come. The world as we know it will be disrupted and disintegrated. But while the earth may pass away, the word of Jesus Christ is sure. What He said is true. What He said will happen, will happen. You can count on it. And you and I must prepare for it.

But when it comes to the exact day or the exact hour, we are kept in the dark. In fact Jesus says that no one knows.

Mark 13:32 32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

So don't believe anyone who sets an exact time for Jesus to return. They're just blowing smoke. Only this one thing is known by anyone-He will return.

C. Question #3

Now we're ready for question #3. What Can We Do To Prepare?

Well, in answer to this, Jesus gives us some very concrete instructions.

Mark 13:33-37 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"

It is obvious from this passage that Jesus can return at any time. So, He gives three specific instructions to help us be prepared for that event.

1. The first thing is to keep alert. This literally means don't fall asleep. That says to keep awake, doing the task Jesus has left us here to do. If you're involved in doing His work you won't be duped by the enemy. And you won't be led astray. That's why I'm so passionate about telling those of you who are retired from work, that there is no retirement from God's work! We are to work to the end-not because any of us are indispensable, but because it is necessary for the well-being of our very souls.

2. The second thing is we need to be involved in the things our Lord has assigned us to do. The servants in a household back then, were all assigned specific tasks to perform. Some worked in the fields, others in the house, others in the stables. They all did different things, but they all were working.

That's the way it needs to be with us. Each of us has a passion, and a gift, and a way we work best with people. That's no accident. It's so we can be involved in doing Kingdom work. What each of us needs to be doing is the work we are uniquely qualified to do, until Jesus comes. Because we do not want Jesus to return, and find us sleeping on the job.

3. The third thing we are to be doing is to watch for His return. Since we do not know when it is, we have to be ready for it today. Because if we're ready today, we will be ready every day. Yes, we must be alert so the enemy doesn't deceive us; but we also must watch for the Lord. We must live in anticipation that the Lord may come today. We must develop an awareness that His coming is sure, and could happen when we least expect it.

III. Conclusion

So, does Jesus Christ's return impact your daily life? It should!!!!

One day people are going to be busily occupied with the normal affairs of this life, when the heavens are torn in two and the trumpet of the Lord sounds. -Some will wonder what's happening. -Others will realize the end is at hand. -Some will fall to the ground in agony -And many will realize that the Lord they had rejected is real, that the sermons they heard are true, and that it is too late for them.

But still others will turn their heads toward heaven and smile. They will be ready to receive the returning King, because they have been serving Him for years. While others hearts are crying out in anguish, their hearts will be crying out for joy, "Come Lord Jesus."

Are you ready? You can get ready today. It starts with a relationship between you and God where He becomes the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. (Plan of salvation.)