“Watch”
Isaiah 64: 1 – 9; 1st Corinthians 1: 3 – 9; Mark 13: 24: 37(Sermon)
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. During Advent we are reminded that it is time for us to prepare for the coming of
Jesus The Christ. In one month we will be celebrating Christmas, the birth of
Jesus. But for the Church throughout the ages, Advent has meant much more than
preparing to reenact the romantic story of Jesus’ birth in a stable in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.
Advent reminds us to prepare not only that
the Lord has come but also that Jesus will come again. Just as God prepared the
world for the first advent, God wants to prepare us for the Second Advent.
2000 years ago Jesus came as a child
in humility, to serve mankind. However, at the Second Advent Jesus will come
in power and glory and Jesus will come to judge the world. Jesus’ second
coming will be accompanied by cosmic upheaval. “The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly
bodies will be shaken.”
Jesus’ first coming was foretold
by the prophets just as Jesus’ second coming is prophesied. The heavenly
fireworks described in verse 25 & 26 of our text today were prophesied by Joel hundreds of years earlier. (Joel 2:28-32)
Verse 24 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.” “That distress” is the Great Tribulation period, which will last for seven years
and will precede the Millennium.
The people did not know the date when the
Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem any more than we know when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will come back to earth
to gather His faithful disciples, destroy evil, and establish His eternal kingdom.
Verse 32 of our text tells us that
no one knows when that day will come but Jesus tells us to watch, to be alert,
to be on guard, and to be prepared. He warns us not to be asleep but to “watch”.
We are to watch by being aware of
what God is doing in the world around us. Jesus may come tonight or Jesus may
not come for another 2,000 years. But there is one sure thing. Jesus’ second coming is one day closer today than it was yesterday.
Jesus tells us not to be concerned about the time but rather for us to be concerned about what we are doing today. We see that in verse 34. “It is 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.”
In verse 34 Jesus is represented
by the man going away, the house is the world, and we, Jesus’ disciples, have been left in charge and empowered. Please notice Jesus’ words, “each
with his assigned task.” We are to “be about our Father’s business.”
We are to keep alert by staying in
active service to our Master by serving our fellow man. Last week we looked at
Jesus’ words, “If you have done it unto the least of these by brothers,
you have done in unto me.”
Watching can be done out of anxiety or fear but as
Christians we are to watch in joyful anticipation. We are to be watching for the glorious return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Christian life is to be a constant vigil. We are not to
be stargazers. We know that from the angel’s words recorded in Acts 1:11. “Men of Galilee", Why do you stand
here looking into the sky? This
same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven". We are to be working while we watch. We
are to “be about our Father’s business.” We are to be doing the task that our Lord has assigned to us.
Verse 30 has troubled some people. “I tell you the truth, this generation will
certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” “This
generation” could have been translated just as easily as “this
race”. This race seems to make sense if we associate the
Nation of Israel with the fig tree in verse 28, and we find Israel compared to a fig tree in a number of scriptures. Or “this generation” could be speaking of the indestructibility of God’s chosen people. Or “this generation not passing away
until all these things have happened.” could be referring to the rapid sequence of the end time events once
they begin. This last possibility
makes the most sense to me but scripture backs up all of these possibilities.
Again the point is we are not to be concerned or
consumed by trying to figure out the date of Jesus’ Second Coming. We are
to be concerned about and we are to concentrate on doing the work our Lord has assigned to us.
We are to be preparing ourselves for Jesus’ return. We are
to be watching in joyful anticipation of our Lord’s return to establish
His eternal kingdom on earth! We are to “be about our Father’s business” working as we watch and as we anticipate our Lord’s return
Take comfort in words recorded by the Apostles Paul
in II Timothy 4:8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Amen
