How to be ready for Jesus’ return (Mark 12:1-13)

Are you looking forward to the Lord's return?

We should be.  It’s a sign of a healthy Christian walk

But I think there is one reason that may cause us to want Jesus to wait.  We may be praying for people who have not yet come to Jesus and we want Jesus to delay to give them further opportunities to repent.  That’s okay.  The apostle Peter tells us that this is a reason why Jesus is delaying.

What do we look forward to most about Jesus’ return?

Along with the whole creation we long for an end to sickness and decay.  It will be wonderful to see old Christian friends again.  But the greatest thing of all will be to see Jesus face to face!

However, it is hard to look forward to Jesus’ return if you lack assurance that you are actually a Christian.  In fact, without being assured that we are Christians, the thought of Jesus’ return is frightening.

I am aware that a lack of assurance can be more than a theological issue.  Some of you by temperament are prone to anxiety.  I suffer from an anxiety disorder and went through a terrible time of being afraid I was not right with Jesus.  But God wants his children to know that they belong to him—what sort of father would not want his children to know that he loves them?

As we look at Jesus’ teaching concerning his return I want to show us how we can be ready!

We can be ready as we look to his temple (1-2)

The temple has been the focus of Jesus’ activity since he arrived into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  That evening he had gone to the temple, but it was already late.  The next day he returned and responded in anger at the corruption he found there.  He went to the temple each day that week.  Jesus was passionate about the temple.  So, it might strike us a surprising that Jesus now says that it is God’s plan to destroy that temple.  The truth is that God was going to replace that temple with something better!  A new temple!

Jesus is leaving the temple with his disciples and one of them points out how great a structure it is.  “Look Teacher!  What massive stones!  What magnificent buildings!”   By all accounts this temple was an impressive structure.  The temple buildings were built upon a platform that occupied 35 acres.  According to the ancient historian Josephus some of the massive stones of the temple were 37 feet long, 12 feet high and 18 feet wide.  The whole thing must have spoken of stability and permanence.  Yet Jesus says that it is going to be torn down. “Do your see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus.  “Not one stone here will be left on another, every one will be thrown down.”  

Those were terrifying words for a first-century Jew to hear.  The temple was the dwelling place of God—it was his earthly footstool as he reigned in heaven.  It was a great symbol of the special status that the Jews had before Yahweh.  It was the focus of national pride and identity.  The disciples would have been taught of the heartache that had been caused when the temple had been destroyed twice before.  Was it now to be destroyed for again?  Yes.  Less than forty years later the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  It was destroyed because God had brought its time to an end!

Why did God do that?  He was judging the people for rejecting the messiah, Jesus.  It was also time for God to replace the temple with something better.

We no longer go to a building to meet with God—Jesus is our temple.  Jesus dwells with his people—the church is his temple.  He lives with those who are born again—our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus’ zeal for the temple is now poured out on his people.  He loved the church and gave himself for it.  It concerns me when I meet someone who claims to be a Christian but has no real connection with a local church.  Can we love Jesus and yet ignore his body?  Can we be ready for heaven, if you don’t want to be with Christ’s people on earth?

Ask God to help us be kind and tender-hearted to each other, forgiven as we have been forgiven.  Ask God to help us love our Christian bothers and sister who we have seen, and so showing that we love their God who we have not yet seen.  Ask God to bring you to the place where, with the psalmist, you can declare, ‘your people are my delight’ (Ps. 16:3).  As your love for Christ’s people flourishes see that as evidence of his Spirit within!  See how he has made you ready for his return.

We can be ready as you stay close to Jesus (verses 3-8)

The disciples were presumably in a state of shock as they continued their journey out of Jerusalem.  When they reached the Mount of Olives, from where you could look across the ravine to the marble temple—Peter, James, John and Andrew made a request: “Tell, us when these things will happen?  And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Why did they want to know when these things would happen?  Presumably so that they could be ready.  But we should be living in a constant state of readiness.

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no-one deceives you.  Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and deceive many.  I am comforted that in the parallel passage in Matthew points out that it is impossible for a true Christian to be deceived.

Just a couple of weeks ago I received a call from a young woman inviting me to a conference.  When she mentioned that she was from the New Heaven and New Earth church I recognised that this was a cult.  False teachers are out there—just look at all those wealthy televangelists promising you health and wealth if you line their pockets with your giving.

The message of the gospel can be summed up with the words, ‘we preach Christ crucified.’  Always keep that central.  We never move beyond the cross, we move deeper into understanding its implications for our lives.  We don’t need to be distracted by end time guessing.  We need to constantly be rejoicing in the message that shines its light on Christ.

When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.  These are the beginning of birth pains. 

Remember that the whole thrust of this chapter is that the day and hour are unknown.  Birth pains indicate that a birth is on its way, but they don’t tell you how long the labour will last.  Two of our children came after relatively short labours, but Anya took most of a day.  Jesus tells them that when they see such things they are not to be alarmed—we are to be assured that God remains in control.  These things remind this world is passing, but we don’t know when.

On the last night of the year A. D. 999 crowds packed the streets of Rome singing and praying, waving torches and palm branches, awaiting the Lord’s return—interestingly the people were relieved when it didn’t happen!  They expected Jesus’ return then, but he has waited at least another thousand years.  He could come this year, he might wait another thousand years, the important thing is to be ready as we keep a clear focus of the Christ.

We can be ready as we seek to spread the good news (9-13)

Some people think that being a Christian is a promise of an easy life—that God wants us to be healthy and wealthy, to enjoy all the blessings of this world.  I don’t know how such people could read verses 9-13.  Jesus certainly doesn’t promise his disciples a comfortable life.

‘You must be on your guard.  You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.  On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them ... 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 ...  

We are reminding of these realities when we have Open Doors, Church in Chains or Asia-link visit.  There will be pressures on us too.  There will be people that will not like you for what you believe.  They will say that our views on sexuality or intolerant.  They will say that it is unhelpful and arrogant that we think that Jesus is the only way to God.  Some of our closest friends and family might decide they can no longer tolerate our views.  That is one of the reasons we need the encouragement of sound Christian friends.

We are not alone.  We have those in our church who will love and encourage us.  We also have the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will be with them.  He will give us the wisdom and words to say in the face of those who interrogate us.  He will be our strength to ensure that we make it to the end.

Verse 10: And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.  It is as if Jesus is saying to them, ‘Instead of asking me ‘when’ questions, get busy.  Go into the world with the good news.’  In a sense this happened in their lifetime.  In Colossians, Paul could write, ‘all over the world is the gospel is bearing fruit and growing.’  Instead of wasting time trying to figure out when the Lord will return (a pointless exercise considering we are told we can’t know) we are to get on with something really important—sharing the good news as await his return.   

Conclusion 

‘Those who stand to the end will be saved.’ 

Becoming a Christian is not about a decision that is made in a moment.

Becoming a Christian is about a heart that is transformed by Jesus, and those who are truly his will show they are truly his by standing firm.  Yes, there will be times when you fall, but he will always get you back.  In fact, as he keeps bringing us back to himself we begin to realise that he is keeping us. 

How do I know I am ready for the Lord’s return?

We have seen that the church is the new temple.  Do we share Jesus’ zeal for his people?  Ask him to enable you to love them, and as he draws you to love them see this as evidence of his Spirit within you.

We have seen that we must stay close to Jesus.  Does the message of the cross still delight us?  People make terrible mistakes when they look for deeper truths.  Growing in our understanding about the faith is never moving away from the cross but simply seeing more and more of the implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We have seen that we are to be spreading the good news.  Don’t sit around speculating about the Lord’s return.  Instead, fulfil the calling of praying for the lost and asking the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say.  As he uses us we see that we belong to him.