Mark 13 - WATCH

 NUGGETS…from the WORD of GOD

WATCH

“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.”                     —Mark 13:33-34

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From time to time, when history takes a peculiar turn, Christians become much concerned that the return of Christ is at hand. “The coming of the Lord draws nigh,” may be the conviction of many in such days, and believers are comforted or challenged accordingly. Sometimes, as has happened recently, men of influence take up the cry, agitate many, and stimulate the unbelieving world to scoff at the whole idea. 

We need to remember that the return of Christ is a two-fold event. It’s first aspect is His coming for the church to catch it away before the Great Tribulation, an event to take place “in the air.” (Cf. I Thess. 4:17)  The second phase, if you will, is His coming with His church, to the earth, to establish His promised earthly kingdom. During Christ’s earthly ministry the apostles knew nothing of the former. Their concern was with that kingdom promised to Israel, which had been the primary focus of Israel’s messianic hopes. It was this that they had in mind when they asked Him, just before His return to the Father, “Wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) His response to their question was consistent with His teaching throughout His ministry: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power [Acts 1:7].”

Clearly, God has withheld from man’s knowledge the time of Christ’s return, either the rapture or the revelation. He has “reserved” that under His own “authority,” as several translations render it. “For ye know not when the time is,” and “It is not for you to know.” Those who make predictions are, in fact, false teachers.

Two things are clear. First, of tremendous import for the church and Israel, Jesus is coming again. Second, no one knows when. These two things lay the foundation for God’s word to both Israel and the church throughout this dispensation: watch!

In fact, our nugget for today makes three things urgent for the believer every day. The first is to live expectantly every day, that we may “not be ashamed before Him at His coming [I Jn. 2:28].” Times of tranquility are more dangerous spiritually than times of agitation; they tend to lull us to sleep in a “comfortable” world.

The second urgency is “pray.” Many (professing) believers pray little if at all. Many who do pray pray altogether for temporal rather than eternal concerns.The body dominates the soul, and earthly welfare, physical, economic and political, dominates our petitions. “Heaven can wait!” Compare the prayers recorded in the New Testament with those uttered in the average “evangelical” church to make the point.

Third, “work.” He has given “to every man his work.” Many have never considered that God has work for them to do as we “occupy” till He comes. (Lk. 19:30) If we really desire the Lord’s return, we will seek first the will of God for our lives, and fund more generously the advancement of the gospel, because “this gospel must first be preached unto all nations.” (v.10) 

There is nothing new in these observations, and for many, I fear, it will be a boring “re-run,” but the emphasis bears repeating in this day of growing complacency and apostasy. When I think on these things I am reminded of the young Bible institute student who commented after a message on the return of Christ, “I want the Lord to come, but not just yet. I’d like to get married first!” That reflects the mentality of the majority of professing Christians. We have temporal goals that preempt our interest in the “coming of the Son of Man,” and betray the fact that our love for Him and our confidence in His word are far from what they ought to be. Our concept of “reality” is earthbound and our concept of eternal life is woefully inadequate. 

May the Spirit of God awaken us to the truth and alter our values until we can say with the apostle Paul, ”For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain…For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better [Phil. 1:21, 23].”

—"Pastor" Frasier

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6/16/12