Mark 13:24-27

Third Sunday of End Time: Saints Triumphant

November 15, 2009

Mark 13:24-27 (New International Version) 24"But in those days, following that distress," 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'[ a ] 26"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And 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.

Reminiscing can be a fun activity. We cherish memories of special days gone by and we enjoy reliving them. We like to hear accounts from our parents and grandparents of what life was like when they were growing up, especially stories of mischief they got into. Lots of remembering of the past takes place when graduating classes have reunions, as happened this past summer when my high school class of 1969 gathered. Over the years, however, memories get a little foggy, so some of the stories change. Not everyone’s version agrees. Sometimes accounts of the “good old days” are exaggerated, and to be honest, they weren’t always so good.

Jesus has something better for us to do than to dwell on the past, and that is to look to the future. His words before us encourage

GET READY FOR GLORY

I. Our present world will end v25-26

II. Jesus will return to take us to heaven v27-28

As we get ready for glory we find that distress precedes the end. The distress which our Savior mentioned was described in a previous part of this conversation that occurred early in Holy Week as He instructed His disciples. One troubling event would be the destruction of Jerusalem when “not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” That prophecy came to pass about four decades later.

Most of the distress that He talked about would be signs that time was passing and the end of the world was approaching. Some events have been continuous throughout history: false Christs, wars and rumors of war. Then would follow what He termed “the beginning of birth pains,” signaling that the end is growing closer. There would be more fighting, also earthquakes and famines. When such events happen we sit up and take notice.

Finally He warned of persecution of Christians, hatred, and family strife. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me.” Matthew recorded a few more details from this same instruction. He mentioned an increase of wickedness and the love of most people growing cold. The preaching of the gospel will meet strong

opposition. We see such events happening in the world around us. They call to us, “Get ready for the end.” The growing distress helps us be in the mind frame to leave this world, just as the harsh conditions of their slavery in Egypt readied the Israelites for their journey to the Promised Land.

The Last Day will bring the collapse of the created universe. Quoting from the prophet Isaiah Jesus noted, “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.” God will remove His sustaining hand as those items will no longer be needed. They will have served their purpose. The lights in the sky were given to “mark seasons and days and years,” the Lord noted when He created them. Those are divisions of time which will cease when our eternal existence begins. The sun provides light for plants to grow, but that will be stopping also, for regarding the planet we inhabit, Peter wrote in his second epistle, “The earth and everything in it will be laid bare” as it is consumed by fire. The heavenly bodies referred to here are literally the “powers of heaven”, viewed by some as things like gravity and centrifugal force. If that understanding is correct, we will see real calamities across the face of the earth. They will be far worse than any human powers could bring about. The whole universe will be out of joint

If everything we see and touch and use is gone, it teaches us not to grasp it too tightly. None of our earthly possessions will last forever. Sometimes those losses happen now as recent experiences have revealed for homes, account balances, some of our big toys, and even jobs. Yet we often try to cling to them, although our effort is in vain. We may use earthly possessions and appreciate them, but we also need to recognize their temporary nature.

If our present world and its things will end we need to find something better. And there is that something more valuable: God’s Word. “The Word of the Lord endures forever,” it assures us. A few verses later Jesus announced, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” The saving gospel of God’s love in Jesus rings out across the ages. Its value will neither diminish nor fail. The Savior came for you and is with you always, and you will be His forever.

II.

As creation falls apart, Jesus will return to take us to heaven. He is the Son of Man whose coming we hear about. We commonly refer to Jesus as the Son of God and that is definitely true. He is the eternal Second Person of the Trinity. Yet frequently, some eighty times, Jesus called Himself the Son of Man. That designation reminds us He entered our existence as one of us. He understands our conditions.

Some refer to Him as Representative Man. As the head of our human race He took our place. By being born as a human He was under God’s law and achieved the righteousness that His heavenly Father demanded. Carrying our sins, the misdeeds of the entire human race, Jesus endured the suffering of hell that those sins deserved. He paid the price and has redeemed us.

He did those things for all people. He was awaited as the Son of David by the Jewish people, but He was much more. He came as the Savior for you and for me and for everyone.

The Son of Man will be coming again in glory. “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds and with great power and glory.” Unlike His first coming, which was in the lowliness of a baby in a manger, then He will come in exaltation, with unlimited power and glory. He will be shining in brightness, all the more vividly because our world will be in darkness without the light of the sun. A sounding trumpet and a retinue of angels will accompany His coming.

Men will see Him, Jesus noted. That’s all men. Elsewhere Scripture declares, “Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him,” that is, those who crucified him. Every eye will be able to see Him because the dead will be raised back to life. All over the world people will be able to see Him. The spatial way of that happening boggles the mind, but this truth emphasizes the greatness of the event.

There is a purpose for Christ’s Second Coming. “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.” His holy angels will gather the elect, wherever they are or however they died. Not one will be missed. The elect are the believers. The Bible teaches that God chose us in eternity to be His own. We were not involved in making the selection. It was God’s choice, “in accordance with his pleasure and will,” the Bible tells us. He carried out that choice in your life and in my life as we were brought to believe by the power of the Holy Spirit through the message of Jesus and His work for us. The gospel’s power overcame the natural hardness of our rejecting hearts. The Spirit strengthens and keeps us in saving faith, overcoming Satan’s constant challenges to our faith, again through the gospel.

When the angels gather us, it will be for eternal joy in heaven, as today’s Second Lesson noted: we will “meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Then we will have unending happiness. Yes, if earthly things will be gone it also means an end to our troubles and woes, to economic difficulties, family problems, war, sickness, all the consequences of sin.

That’s why we look forward to the end. Another account of this message includes the instruction of Jesus, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” The flight to heaven is boarding. We will be Saints Triumphant.

Sadly, that will not be the attitude of everyone. The book of Revelation tells us, “All the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.” and Jesus also said that men will faint with terror. He told the women who lined the way as He trudged to His crucifixion that people would beg the mountains to fall and the hills to cover them. What’s the reason for those widely different reactions? Those frightened will be the ones who are not prepared, who are not in faith. But it will be too late to change the outcome. They await only condemnation to the fires and agony of hell. And at that moment they will be able to deny it no longer. Thus panic and dread will seize them.

The message to us clearly is to be ready. Be in faith. You are in faith. Thanks be to God, you know the Lord Jesus and you trust Him as your Savior. So stay close to Him and His Word. Hear it, study it, ponder its truths. Don’t be wrapped up in the passing things of this world but cling to Jesus, the Son of Man and the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. We don’t know the specific time of His return, but that is yet another reason to be alert and ready always. When the stars start falling it will be too late. Get ready now, be ready always, and enjoy eternal glory. More than a matter for reminiscing, it will be your experience forever.