THE END IS NEAR, AT THE DOOR
Mark 13:24-31 - November 13, 2005 – 3rd Sun. of End Time / Saints Triumphant
Dear Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
We hear about good news and bad news. Today, we are going to learn about imminent terror and imminent joy, bad news, good news. Consider this example: You are alone at night and hear something outside. You don’t know what it is and it is dark. You might hear some crashing and banging going on. There is terror of the unknown. We might be frightened, because it could be a robber or something worse. Imminent terror is at the door.
Then consider also the other side of the coin: It is dark at night, the yard light is on. You are waiting for your family or your friends to come for a visit. Finally, you hear the car doors open and slam and they come and knock at your door. There is imminent joy at the door. Such descriptions describe the Last Day. For some when the Lord returns there is imminent terror. For others, the believers, there is imminent and great joy at the door.
We are told in the letter of James as you and I look forward to that time when the Lord returns: "You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:8,9). That is the thought we want to consider this morning:
THE END (Last Day/Judgment Day) IS NEAR, IT IS AT THE DOOR..
I. We see the signs like changing seasons.
II. We hold fast to the unchanging word of God
I. SEE SIGNS LIKE CHANGING SEASONS
If you look at the text and if you have a red-letter edition, you will find all these words in our text in red letters. This is a lengthy section of Jesus speaking to his disciples. Jesus is speaking to his disciples, not to scare them, but to prepare them. So our text began by saying: "But in those days, following that distress." When you examine the beginning of chapter 13 of the Gospel of Mark, you will find those things that would distress the disciples. Jesus tells them that their ministry and their preaching wasn’t going to be easy at times. In fact they are going to be taken and beaten. They were going to be called to task by different people. They are going to be rejected by their families. That would that distress Jesus mentions in our opening verse.
Jesus also describes for them that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple that would take place. What about those times of distress? That is one historical fact. Jesus also looks beyond the destruction of Jerusalem into the end of time. Jesus says: "But in those days, following that distress, ’the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’" As the Scriptures tell us this would strike terror in the hearts of mankind to see such things as they wonder what is going to happen next. For some this will bring imminent terror and danger. Others would understand that these are signs to prepare and not to scare.
Jesus goes on: "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory." Jesus wanted his disciples back then to look for the signs and to realize that the Son of Man is going to return. He is not going to forsake them. This is reassuring for them, because in a very short time, first of all, the disciples would see Jesus taken from them at the crucifixion. Jesus would come back to life, and he would be with them for another forty days teaching them and reassuring them that he was the Resurrection and the Life. Then after those forty days, Jesus would ascend into heaven. They would think that Jesus was taken from them. Jesus reminds them he would return again in the same way, on the clouds of glory.
Jesus then shows the disciples the signs will be as clear as the changing of the seasons: "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." The disciples knew the signs of the season. The trees would bud and summer was near. When the leaves fall winter is near. Jesus continues: "Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door." The disciples were to notice signs like the changing seasons.
Today, we have to admit when Jesus spoke these words and said it was near, right at the door, that Judgment Day is much, much closer today, isn’t it? These words were spoken almost 2,000 years ago; so day after day and generation after generation and finally millennium after millennium, we have gotten closer to the day that the Lord is going to return. We know quite a bit about that Last Day. We heard it in today’s lessons how Jesus is going to return. We have to be prepared and not like foolish people. We are to have our lamps filled with the oil, which is the word of the Lord. We have to be prepared and watch for the signs and see how they are like changing seasons. In fact you and I might even agree with the conclusions of some in the world around us. The public has said, "Look at all of these catastrophes--hurricanes, tidal waves, warm and cold weather, snowstorms and all kinds of different signs in the skies." It seems as if the Lord is trying to say something. Yet, we have not come to the time when the sun and moon have stopped shining, or the stars have begun to fall from heaven.
Judgment Day is near, at the door! That day and hour we do not know, but we are told to be ready. Luke tells us: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."(Luke 21:36). Of course, the Lord guarantees that we will escape.
It is fairly easy for us to look at the natural signs that take place. Even the world admits to it. There are other signs, too, signs that you and I look at, the signs in mankind. Jesus says before the end time comes, the love of most will grow cold. People will love themselves. The Scriptural signs we see describe very accurately our society. Scripture even describes us, at times, because of our sinful nature. We don’t always love God above all things, do we? We don’t always love our neighbor as ourselves. Sometimes we fall into the snares of this world and love ourselves more than anything else. We notice that mankind today wants to rely on worldly knowledge. This generation who has very little use for the word of God, reap the results. There is very little value for life in this world. We hear of murders day after day. We hear of millions killed by abortion day after day, because men love evil. Those, too, are the signs that the world is coming closer to Judgment Day. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist tells us: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). At times we know our world is pretty dark. It is all the more important for us to be shining lights.
One more sign the Lord tells us about is that the end isn’t going to come until all nations get to hear the word of the Lord. In our day and age, we are pretty technologically advanced. It is pretty difficult to be almost anywhere on this planet and not have a connection or communication with someone on the other side of the world. We have the communications of cell phones and wireless Internet. Because of that, the Gospel is being preached onto the ends of the earth. Even our congregation sponsors a radio broadcast on Sunday mornings. But even more, this radio broadcast is streamed live on the Internet. So if anyone wants to pick it up on the Internet, they can be anywhere in the world and hear it. Such is the marvel of our technology. This technology brings us closer to Judgment Day in a very good way. The Lord tells us in Matthew: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). If we had to look at any signs, that’s the most significant sign to note. When the Gospel reaches finally the corners of the earth, we can be assured the Lord will return to judge.
The end is near, is at the door. We see the signs as they have increased from generation to generation. We are not faced with imminent terror though. We have imminent joy, because we hold fast to the unchanging Word of God.
II. HOLD FAST TO GOD’S UNCHANGING WORD
Remember, the disciples were going to face very stressful times. The first stressful time they were going to face was the fact that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to be put to death. That was very hard for the disciples, because Jesus had not done anything wrong. It was hard for the disciples, because it was the leaders of the church who handed Jesus over to the authorities. Jesus said to his disciples, "You will see that happen, and it will also happen to you in your lives." Then Jesus says they would see the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. No one thought that would ever happen.
Then we are told the disciples would watch for the coming of the Son. "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Soon when the disciples would see Jesus ascend into heaven, they would remember for themselves how he was taken up in great glory. Jesus says that He will return with great glory. That is Jesus’ reassurance for the disciples then and for Jesus modern-day disciples, believers and us today.
Jesus describes his glorious return. His power and glory gives us a marvelous picture of the Lord’s love for his people: "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." When the Judgment Day is at the door and the door is finally opened and the Judge returns, it will be Jesus who returns. We heard in our lesson that Jesus will return with the sound of the trumpet, with the call of his voice. Jesus says here today that the angels will go to the ends of the earth, the four winds, and collect all the believers and gather them together. What a joyous picture on that Day to have all the believers all together in once place before the Judge -- before the Son of Man, the Lord of glory! That is the glory the Lord returns with. Jesus’ disciples would find encouragement by the fact of the glory and power Jesus possessed.
Jesus says the disciples would be able to hold fast to that unchanging word of God. The end of our text: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." The disciples never had to feel that they were by themselves -- alone -- lost -- forsaken -- forgotten. God’s word was always with Jesus’ disciples. God’s word was their sure foundation.
Jesus gives his disciples a sure promise in verse 30: "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." You know that today, some people take that verse and say there is a mistake. Some feel because the generation of the disciples is certainly gone, passed away; and these things haven’t happened means Jesus made a mistake. There are two very important points to remember. First of all, remember Jesus was talking also about the destruction of Jerusalem. This destruction of Jerusalem and the temple would take place less than forty years from this moment, less than a generation. That would be God’s judgment that would happen before this generation passed away.
Secondly, Jesus is also talking about a generation not necessarily of age. We often think of that term as a generation of age. In the Greek it’s used in a more general sense. Other portions of Scripture also use generation in the same way. The term generation is understood to describe a generation of people who are like-minded, not like-aged but like-minded. Jesus is talking about a generation who are like-minded--those people who are believers. They, believers, will not pass away until Judgment Day comes. Once again, the Lord doesn’t make mistakes or put errors in the Bible. Jesus reminds us there will be believers until the very end of time. The gates of hell shall not overcome God’s church.
What is the lesson for us today? It is a reminder that you and I, even though we might feel immortal and on top of the world, are still mortal. You and I are going to face the Judgment Day, because we are mortal, because we live in a world that is filled with sin. When Judgment Day comes through the door, none will escape. For the unbelievers there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But for every believer, and us there will be great joy and rejoicing for those who have held fast to the word of the Lord. Great joy and rejoicing! Isaiah in chapter 40 says: "The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:7,8). The word of the Lord stands forever. You and I hold fast to the word of the Lord.
You and I hold fast, not to just a few parts of it, not to just most of it, but to all of it. When the Lord tells us that he was going to send his Son to die for our sins, and when Jesus came here and lived and died and rose again, we believe it. When Scripture clearly tells us Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, we believe it. No matter what the world tries to teach, no matter what the world tries to prove or say, it cannot change the truths of God’s unchanging word. No matter how many TV specials are on trying to prove or disprove Scriptural truths, they will all fail. Because, why? Very simply, we are told: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is not just an old, moldering, dusty book. God’s word, the Bible, is living and active and able to change our hearts, from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. All of this simply and purely by God’s free grace.
Yes, there are some things in this world that may frighten us and scare us. There are some things in this world that the Lord says are going to be stressful and cause distress. This world is not a perfect world. But the Lord also tells us that we have the word of God on our side. Believers have Jesus with us until we face him on Judgment Day and join him in heaven forever. That is what Scripture reminds us of day after day. In 1 John tells us: "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:12,13). What a blessing! What a joy! What an amazing miracle to no longer sit in the darkness, but to sit in God’s light and know that heaven is our home.
Yes, Judgment Day is near. The Righteous Judge is near, right at the door. He is ready to come through, and for some there will be imminent terror. When they see the skies turn to darkness, they will not know what to do. But for believers, this like-minded generation, we will all rejoice. At the door is the Righteous Judge who will bring us eternal joy everlasting. We are reminded of the words of Paul to the Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:4,5). He encourages believers today that we are to be happy in this life. There are enough sad people in this world. There are enough people who do not find joy in living, because of the sadness of society. But you and I as believers are to rejoice in the Lord always. The Lord is right at the door. We see the signs. We hold fast to God’s unchanging word. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
Rdgs., 3rd End Time/Saints Triumphant(A): ISAIAH 52:1-6; 1 THESS. 4:13-18; MATTHEW 25:1-13
