Watch and Pray
11/29/09
Luke 21:25-36
First Sunday of Advent
Pastor Greg Smith
Both Jesus and Jeremiah, separated by six centuries, stood on the streets of Jerusalem and announced its destruction. The announcement gave them no pleasure: it brought both of them to tears. A prophet is someone who knows what time it is. Jeremiah knew that it was time for the people of Jerusalem to let go of false hopes: after a long and terrible night, Jeremiah said, God would bring a brilliant dawn of righteousness and justice.
15 “In those days and at that time
I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’
When Jesus speaks as a prophet, he uses the powerful prophetic imagery to speak both about the coming destruction that Jerusalem would experience, and to all his followers in all times and places: "stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
People have long been fascinated by the Second Coming of Jesus. While I was a pastor at St. Luke’s in Richmond, I received a booklet in the mail. In it was a man's calculations of when Christ will return. He had it down to an exact day— October 1 of that year. That was when Christ was supposed to return and secretly rapture away the true Christians in order to begin the events of Christ's second coming. The booklet had gone out to many 1000’s. A few even started to sell their property in order to get ready.
On the Sunday morning before that October 1, I was the first to arrive for church and found by the front door a box full of the booklets. We United Methodists were now responsible; there would be no excuse for not knowing.
— I went to Bodega Bay the next day— the day when all this was to begin and true Christians raptured away— for a meeting of a committee of other pastors.
— It was a retreat with little contact with what was happening back home.
— I remember not being completely sure the whole bunch of us hadn't been left behind! Maybe I'd been hanging around with the wrong crowd! (After all, I was with a group of United Methodist pastors!)
There is a long and sad history of those who have calculated the time only to lead many to disappointment. And it's not just Christians. In the Sacramento Bee last Sunday there was an article on the speculations and fears about the year 2012. Let me read some of the article.
Dene McGriff wants to make sense out of the last days – the end of times. He has turned to the Bible. Others have turned to ancient calendars, prophecies and even movies.
All see the same message: The end is near.
McGriff, a retired Carmichael businessman, runs a Web site called Tribulation Network, which is devoted to Bible prophecies about the end of the world as we know it.
"People are looking for answers, there's a lot of anxiety right now," said McGriff, 67.
They have browsed for answers in an array of books on the subject, with titles such as as "The Mystery of 2012," "Time Storm 2012" and "2012: The War for Souls." They have watched for them in the movie "2012," which opened this month and earned more than $200 million worldwide in its first week. And they have perused the proliferation of Web sites like McGriff's.
There's more to come. "The Road," based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy about a post-apocalyptic world, opens Wednesday.
"We're in an apocalypse bubble," said John Hall, a sociologist at the University of California, Davis, "in the same way that there was a real estate bubble and a dot-com bubble."
Many credit, or blame, the current end-of-the-world interest in the examination of one ancient Mayan calendar – and there are three – that some have interpreted to say that the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012.
On that date, the Mayan "long count" calendar marks the end of a 5,126-year era. The day is also the winter solstice. The Mayan calendar is so well known that it has spurred its own cottage industry.
"There is also an incredible alignment of the stars on that day," said Colin Andrews, who has written about end-times prophecies in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012." "I do think we are entering another cycle, that we are going to have a major realignment of some sort."
NASA, in response to 2012 inquiries, has posted answers to frequently asked questions debunking the 2012 predictions on its Web site, www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html.
"Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012," the site says. "Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."
Crazy stuff! Yet like so many ideas on the internet these days, they take on a life of their own that have nothing to do with facts.
Let's focus back on Jesus' Second Coming. It will happen— there is no doubt. But when? People have long searched for answers.
People are naturally drawn to solving mysteries. And there are many mysterious gaps in what the Bible reveals about the Second Coming of Christ.
— When?
— What are the signs that might give us a clue that the time is near?
— Are true, faithful Christians raptured away first, like the Left Behind series indicates?
Unfortunately, puzzle solving can sometimes lead to date-setting, or if not a particular date, then rigid notions about the order of events near the Jesus’ coming. So I would like to be clear about my opinion on this: It is not true that there is a more faithful group of Christians that have a hot-line to the truth.
I’m adamant that you can’t be adamant. In fact, humility is the order of the day. When what God reveals is clear, we must be clear. When God chooses to be vague, then we have to believe that is best. No use trying to outsmart God!
One of the most important lessons in studying the Bible is this: it’s best to be humble.
— There are many things in the Bible that we don’t know and much more that we don’t understand, especially about the Second Coming of Jesus.
— So I resolve to be clear where the Bible is clear and and to accept the fact that God was right when he left some questions unanswered.
— The spiritually mature are not those who have a special knowledge of hidden truth (like the Left Behind series seems to say). The spiritually mature show themselves by their faithfulness.
While some puzzles will remain until the Second Coming, we can focus on what we do know.
1. First, look at the realistic way that Jesus prepares his disciples for his Coming.
Look at verse 9. It’s a good summary of the attitude that Jesus wants to teach.
9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Jesus says that there is much that is alarming; there will be many signs that will catch our attention and even give us great dismay, “but the end will not come right away.”
The signs that Jesus points to are indeed dismaying! Let’s look at some of the signs:
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
In this chapter, Jesus seems to be teaching his disciples about two events.
1) The destruction of Jerusalem that took place about 35 years of so after Jesus prophecies.
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
2) But Jesus was also teaching about his Second Coming at the end of time. Look at Luke 21:5-7.
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
What was important for people to know in 65 AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple is relevant to any person going through a crisis.
9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Jesus says that there will be much that is alarming, many signs that will catch our attention and even give us great dismay, “but the end will not come right away.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Near but not here! That seems to be Jesus’ message. Don’t be overcome by fear: wait and trust.
8 He replied, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Be aware of the signs; but don’t be overwhelmed by the signs. The signs are important because they point to the most wonderful event that any believer can hope for!
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
2. Secondly, Jesus teaches his disciples that when the end does come, it will an awesome, mighty event.
The second coming of Christ will be a public event. No secret coming here! Verse 27:
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
The first coming of Jesus went mostly unnoticed by the world. Sure, the shepherds heard the angels sing and told their friends and neighbors. A few wise men followed the star, conversed with Herod and then returned to their land, probably to have their story fall on skeptical ears. But, great Caesar in Rome was never bothered by the news of Jesus' first coming.
The second coming will be different. It will be a public display of Christ's power and glory. It will reveal to the entire world what Christians have already learned by God's grace: Jesus is the Son of God, the mighty Lord and Savior.
The rest of the New Testament is consistent with this. Here are some of the Greek words used.
— Parousia means "appearing or coming": used of the arrival of a great military or political leader.
— Apocalypsis means "revelation:” Christ's glory is now hidden, but then it will then be fully revealed!
There will be no "secret" coming known to only the few and hidden from the rest. Christ's second coming is a public event, shouting the message of his lordship and kingdom to all the world. Like Jesus says, "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
Jesus' return will be a his vindication. His Second Coming will convince the world beyond doubt that the Bethlehem baby is indeed the mighty Lord, God in the flesh. What was hidden in the past will be fully evident. Jesus will show himself for who he truly is and no one will argue to the contrary.
3. Christians are called to be faithful to Jesus even while the truth is still hidden.
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Faithfulness to Jesus means trusting his word.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Some things are puzzling but this is not: Jesus wins in the end. It may be hidden now, but then all will see.
The timing of Christ's Coming does remain a mystery. Look at verse 32 is the key:
"Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place."
What did Jesus mean by this? Was he, after all, the first in a long line of forecasters who have been mistaken about the timing of his return? Not at all! I think Jesus was saying two things:
1. Everywhere else in the gospels that speaks of “this generation” his is speaking of those that are rebellious against God’s will. Until Christ returns, there will be those that rebel against God’s will. So don’t be surprised when the truth is rejected and believers are persecuted for Christ’s. In every generation, followers of Christ have suffered.
2. The second thing is this. Once Jesus was victorious in his death and resurrection, the end of the story has been certain. All would be accomplished in their generation, that is, all that was crucial for victory. Now it's just a matter of time until Jesus' accomplished victory is revealed to all the earth. You can see what I mean from the WWII. After the successful landing at the beaches of Normandy and even more when the battle of Stalingrad was won by the Soviets, Germany's defeat was sure. It was only a matter of time.
Will ours be the generation when Christ will return? When Jesus went to the cross to die for us and when he conquered sin, Satan and death on Easter, all that is needed for God's victory in any generation has already been accomplished There is nothing that must first take place, no events that must take place before Jesus' return. Today could be the day!
The victory is sure in Christ. We know that Jesus’ promises are sure and certain.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
4. So then, what shall we do until Jesus returns?
Look at verses 34-36:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 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.”
Two groups are again contrasted in these verses.
— For one group, Jesus' coming catches them "unexpectedly, like a trap" because they are "weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life." "Dissipation" means "something diverting, amusing, or entertaining." Jesus' coming catches them by surprise. They can't see the signs — the "greening leaves" of Jesus' parable — because they are so caught up in worry and ways to escape the worry.
— The other group is marked by spiritual alertness and pray. Jesus is asking us to live our lives with expectancy, knowing that we live them before the eyes of God. We can live with our eyes open to the signs of the times because we know who is at the end of all time.
But we know that these days are times of trial. There is a struggle going on. "Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
But thank God that the way that we will be able to stand before the Son of Man is no secret: We will stand through the saving grace of God that is ours through faith in Christ. We stand through the armor of God: prayer and God’s word.
So, how about you in this holiday season. Is your life marked more by "spiritual alertness and prayer" or by worry and escapism? Are you so caught up in preparing your gift list that you forget the One who we are waiting for?
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Jesus' words are here to wake us up, to lift up our heads to the joy of our coming salvation. Jesus is reminding us to "stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." For those who know the Coming One, these are words of great joy! Are you getting ready for his coming?
First Sunday of Advent
Pastor Greg Smith
Both Jesus and Jeremiah, separated by six centuries, stood on the streets of Jerusalem and announced its destruction. The announcement gave them no pleasure: it brought both of them to tears. A prophet is someone who knows what time it is. Jeremiah knew that it was time for the people of Jerusalem to let go of false hopes: after a long and terrible night, Jeremiah said, God would bring a brilliant dawn of righteousness and justice.
15 “In those days and at that time
I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’
When Jesus speaks as a prophet, he uses the powerful prophetic imagery to speak both about the coming destruction that Jerusalem would experience, and to all his followers in all times and places: "stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
People have long been fascinated by the Second Coming of Jesus. While I was a pastor at St. Luke’s in Richmond, I received a booklet in the mail. In it was a man's calculations of when Christ will return. He had it down to an exact day— October 1 of that year. That was when Christ was supposed to return and secretly rapture away the true Christians in order to begin the events of Christ's second coming. The booklet had gone out to many 1000’s. A few even started to sell their property in order to get ready.
On the Sunday morning before that October 1, I was the first to arrive for church and found by the front door a box full of the booklets. We United Methodists were now responsible; there would be no excuse for not knowing.
— I went to Bodega Bay the next day— the day when all this was to begin and true Christians raptured away— for a meeting of a committee of other pastors.
— It was a retreat with little contact with what was happening back home.
— I remember not being completely sure the whole bunch of us hadn't been left behind! Maybe I'd been hanging around with the wrong crowd! (After all, I was with a group of United Methodist pastors!)
There is a long and sad history of those who have calculated the time only to lead many to disappointment. And it's not just Christians. In the Sacramento Bee last Sunday there was an article on the speculations and fears about the year 2012. Let me read some of the article.
Dene McGriff wants to make sense out of the last days – the end of times. He has turned to the Bible. Others have turned to ancient calendars, prophecies and even movies.
All see the same message: The end is near.
McGriff, a retired Carmichael businessman, runs a Web site called Tribulation Network, which is devoted to Bible prophecies about the end of the world as we know it.
"People are looking for answers, there's a lot of anxiety right now," said McGriff, 67.
They have browsed for answers in an array of books on the subject, with titles such as as "The Mystery of 2012," "Time Storm 2012" and "2012: The War for Souls." They have watched for them in the movie "2012," which opened this month and earned more than $200 million worldwide in its first week. And they have perused the proliferation of Web sites like McGriff's.
There's more to come. "The Road," based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy about a post-apocalyptic world, opens Wednesday.
"We're in an apocalypse bubble," said John Hall, a sociologist at the University of California, Davis, "in the same way that there was a real estate bubble and a dot-com bubble."
Many credit, or blame, the current end-of-the-world interest in the examination of one ancient Mayan calendar – and there are three – that some have interpreted to say that the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012.
On that date, the Mayan "long count" calendar marks the end of a 5,126-year era. The day is also the winter solstice. The Mayan calendar is so well known that it has spurred its own cottage industry.
"There is also an incredible alignment of the stars on that day," said Colin Andrews, who has written about end-times prophecies in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012." "I do think we are entering another cycle, that we are going to have a major realignment of some sort."
NASA, in response to 2012 inquiries, has posted answers to frequently asked questions debunking the 2012 predictions on its Web site, www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html.
"Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012," the site says. "Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."
Crazy stuff! Yet like so many ideas on the internet these days, they take on a life of their own that have nothing to do with facts.
Let's focus back on Jesus' Second Coming. It will happen— there is no doubt. But when? People have long searched for answers.
People are naturally drawn to solving mysteries. And there are many mysterious gaps in what the Bible reveals about the Second Coming of Christ.
— When?
— What are the signs that might give us a clue that the time is near?
— Are true, faithful Christians raptured away first, like the Left Behind series indicates?
Unfortunately, puzzle solving can sometimes lead to date-setting, or if not a particular date, then rigid notions about the order of events near the Jesus’ coming. So I would like to be clear about my opinion on this: It is not true that there is a more faithful group of Christians that have a hot-line to the truth.
I’m adamant that you can’t be adamant. In fact, humility is the order of the day. When what God reveals is clear, we must be clear. When God chooses to be vague, then we have to believe that is best. No use trying to outsmart God!
One of the most important lessons in studying the Bible is this: it’s best to be humble.
— There are many things in the Bible that we don’t know and much more that we don’t understand, especially about the Second Coming of Jesus.
— So I resolve to be clear where the Bible is clear and and to accept the fact that God was right when he left some questions unanswered.
— The spiritually mature are not those who have a special knowledge of hidden truth (like the Left Behind series seems to say). The spiritually mature show themselves by their faithfulness.
While some puzzles will remain until the Second Coming, we can focus on what we do know.
1. First, look at the realistic way that Jesus prepares his disciples for his Coming.
Look at verse 9. It’s a good summary of the attitude that Jesus wants to teach.
9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Jesus says that there is much that is alarming; there will be many signs that will catch our attention and even give us great dismay, “but the end will not come right away.”
The signs that Jesus points to are indeed dismaying! Let’s look at some of the signs:
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
In this chapter, Jesus seems to be teaching his disciples about two events.
1) The destruction of Jerusalem that took place about 35 years of so after Jesus prophecies.
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
2) But Jesus was also teaching about his Second Coming at the end of time. Look at Luke 21:5-7.
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
What was important for people to know in 65 AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple is relevant to any person going through a crisis.
9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Jesus says that there will be much that is alarming, many signs that will catch our attention and even give us great dismay, “but the end will not come right away.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Near but not here! That seems to be Jesus’ message. Don’t be overcome by fear: wait and trust.
8 He replied, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Be aware of the signs; but don’t be overwhelmed by the signs. The signs are important because they point to the most wonderful event that any believer can hope for!
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
2. Secondly, Jesus teaches his disciples that when the end does come, it will an awesome, mighty event.
The second coming of Christ will be a public event. No secret coming here! Verse 27:
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
The first coming of Jesus went mostly unnoticed by the world. Sure, the shepherds heard the angels sing and told their friends and neighbors. A few wise men followed the star, conversed with Herod and then returned to their land, probably to have their story fall on skeptical ears. But, great Caesar in Rome was never bothered by the news of Jesus' first coming.
The second coming will be different. It will be a public display of Christ's power and glory. It will reveal to the entire world what Christians have already learned by God's grace: Jesus is the Son of God, the mighty Lord and Savior.
The rest of the New Testament is consistent with this. Here are some of the Greek words used.
— Parousia means "appearing or coming": used of the arrival of a great military or political leader.
— Apocalypsis means "revelation:” Christ's glory is now hidden, but then it will then be fully revealed!
There will be no "secret" coming known to only the few and hidden from the rest. Christ's second coming is a public event, shouting the message of his lordship and kingdom to all the world. Like Jesus says, "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
Jesus' return will be a his vindication. His Second Coming will convince the world beyond doubt that the Bethlehem baby is indeed the mighty Lord, God in the flesh. What was hidden in the past will be fully evident. Jesus will show himself for who he truly is and no one will argue to the contrary.
3. Christians are called to be faithful to Jesus even while the truth is still hidden.
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Faithfulness to Jesus means trusting his word.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Some things are puzzling but this is not: Jesus wins in the end. It may be hidden now, but then all will see.
The timing of Christ's Coming does remain a mystery. Look at verse 32 is the key:
"Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place."
What did Jesus mean by this? Was he, after all, the first in a long line of forecasters who have been mistaken about the timing of his return? Not at all! I think Jesus was saying two things:
1. Everywhere else in the gospels that speaks of “this generation” his is speaking of those that are rebellious against God’s will. Until Christ returns, there will be those that rebel against God’s will. So don’t be surprised when the truth is rejected and believers are persecuted for Christ’s. In every generation, followers of Christ have suffered.
2. The second thing is this. Once Jesus was victorious in his death and resurrection, the end of the story has been certain. All would be accomplished in their generation, that is, all that was crucial for victory. Now it's just a matter of time until Jesus' accomplished victory is revealed to all the earth. You can see what I mean from the WWII. After the successful landing at the beaches of Normandy and even more when the battle of Stalingrad was won by the Soviets, Germany's defeat was sure. It was only a matter of time.
Will ours be the generation when Christ will return? When Jesus went to the cross to die for us and when he conquered sin, Satan and death on Easter, all that is needed for God's victory in any generation has already been accomplished There is nothing that must first take place, no events that must take place before Jesus' return. Today could be the day!
The victory is sure in Christ. We know that Jesus’ promises are sure and certain.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
4. So then, what shall we do until Jesus returns?
Look at verses 34-36:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 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.”
Two groups are again contrasted in these verses.
— For one group, Jesus' coming catches them "unexpectedly, like a trap" because they are "weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life." "Dissipation" means "something diverting, amusing, or entertaining." Jesus' coming catches them by surprise. They can't see the signs — the "greening leaves" of Jesus' parable — because they are so caught up in worry and ways to escape the worry.
— The other group is marked by spiritual alertness and pray. Jesus is asking us to live our lives with expectancy, knowing that we live them before the eyes of God. We can live with our eyes open to the signs of the times because we know who is at the end of all time.
But we know that these days are times of trial. There is a struggle going on. "Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
But thank God that the way that we will be able to stand before the Son of Man is no secret: We will stand through the saving grace of God that is ours through faith in Christ. We stand through the armor of God: prayer and God’s word.
So, how about you in this holiday season. Is your life marked more by "spiritual alertness and prayer" or by worry and escapism? Are you so caught up in preparing your gift list that you forget the One who we are waiting for?
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Jesus' words are here to wake us up, to lift up our heads to the joy of our coming salvation. Jesus is reminding us to "stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." For those who know the Coming One, these are words of great joy! Are you getting ready for his coming?