Wednesday, May 5, 2021
And as he sat on the Mount of
Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him
privately, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when
all these things are about to be accomplished? And Jesus began to say to them, See
that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and
they will lead many astray. 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. Mark 13:3-8
Stay Awake
Hearing about something ominous that is coming can
cause a lot of fear and anxiety. Growing up I heard about the end times at church,
but I think I blocked a lot of it out. Anyone who has lived through 2020 and
now 2021 has most likely thought God has to be coming back soon. It seems like
there has been nothing but turmoil on earth for the last 26 months. It may be
getting close, but it may also only be birth pains.
In Mark 13, Jesus’s
disciples asked Him about the end of the world. They knew everything was going to
change, but they wanted specifics because hey wanted to be prepared. They did
not want to be surprised but they wanted to know the details, what signs to
look for. Jesus told them some things that would mark the end of the age.
It is His last prophecy to them, and these words were not for the disciples only,
they are for us too.
Jesus talks about the end
of the age and warns them that in the days ahead, there will be false prophets,
wars, famine, and turmoil. The disciples would go on to experience some intense
persecution after Jesus was gone, but their mission did not waiver, and neither
should ours. No matter how bad things do get, we are to keep our eyes focused on
Jesus Christ and sharing the gospel as much as we can, now more than ever.
It was no fun for the
disciple to hear about the end of the world and all that will happen. It was
probably a little confusing and mysterious to them, but they understood that no matter what, God is still on the
throne. They did undergo some horrible things, and to them it might have felt
like the end of the world. We also go through things sometimes that feel like it
will be the end, but the end times did not happen in their lifetime, and we don’t
know if it will happen in ours either. We cannot be paralyzed by the fear of
what is to come. We have no control over it, so we need to trust the one who is
in control and continue to do His work. Another thing we can do is to watch and be ready. Do not
waste these days. But
concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know
when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves
home and puts his servants[b] in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper
to stay awake. 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 — lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to
you I say to all: Stay awake. Mark 13:32-37
We do not know what the
future holds. Jesus told us what the end times would be like so that we can trust
Him, and He gave us the promise that His words would never pass away so we can
take heart. When Jesus returns, He will return victoriously. Jesus makes us a
promise in Mark
13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. His word is truth. This
earth will pass away, but His words, His kingdom, mercy, and His love for us will never
end. We can find peace in that promise. God’s salvation and righteousness will
last forever. That is truth we can hold onto. That is all we need to know.
