"Be on Guard"

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.  Therefore, stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”  (Mark 13:32-37 ESV)

This chapter of Mark has caused much discussion among believers for centuries. It discusses end-times events, which we all wish we knew more about. We don’t like being surprised; we want to be prepared for whatever is coming. I’ll get back to that point in a moment. This chapter talks about false teachers that will appear at the end of this age, “misleading many”, and we are told, “be on your guard”.

This chapter discusses events that will occur during what is called the “7-Year Tribulation” period. Where great geo-political events will happen, and nations will rise up against nations, and natural catastrophes will be occurring everywhere, things will be so bad that we read in verse 20,  “And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” In this chapter, we also read about Jesus coming back to this earth, called His Second Coming, to establish His earthly kingdom.  We are told in verse 31 that, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Oh my, so many things occurring that are completely out of our control, so our natural question is, “When will all of these things occur?” Jesus answers that question for us in verse 32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” and continues with some advice for those of us that claim the name of Jesus as our own. “Be on guard, keep awake.”

Remember, I said, “We don’t like being surprised; we want to be prepared for whatever is coming.” Well, that goes for all of us. We can argue over the sequence of end time events, weather the believing faithful will be here during this turmoil, what the “Mark of the Beast” means, who will be the Antichrist and what exactly is the “Abomination of Desolation”, and exactly how, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,” (verse 24). Yes, we would all like to understand these things, but knowing exactly what they mean, when they will happen, and how the world will survive these events will not prepare us for their occurrence. Knowing things will not prepare us for what is coming one day. They are completely beyond our control; the clock for these end-time events has begun, and only God the Father knows when they will occur.

Well, if that’s the case, then we are all doomed. I mean, if I can’t do anything to stop them, can I at least get ready for them? The answer is Yes!  Receiving the gift of eternal life right now will prepare you for these end-time events. We read in “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

You see, my friend, it is by trusting in Jesus that you can be prepared for the end of this world. God loved this world so much that He made a way for it to escape destruction. He sent His Son to this very world that He created to pay the penalty for our sins. Each one of us has sinned and separated ourselves from a Holy and righteous God. A God who demands that our sins be paid for, “It is appointed for man to die, then comes the judgment.”

We can choose to receive the consequences of our sins, being separated from a Holy God for all eternity. But that isn’t our only option, we can also accept the gift of eternal life with our Holy God, by changing our minds, that’s called repentance, from thinking we can be good enough to earn our forgiveness to accepting that the only way we can have this eternal life is by accepting that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”. By believing Jesus when he said, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” You see, my friend, there is good news: God has made a way of eternal life when there was no way for you. Jesus has paid the penalty for your sins, so you do not have to pay them yourself. God loved us to the point that He gave His Son to die, pay the penalty of our sins, so we wouldn’t have to.

So, to answer the question, “How can we be prepared for whatever is coming?” There is really only one answer to that question. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

This chapter of Mark can be concerning, with all the events described, but you can be ready by trusting in Jesus and accepting that His death was a complete payment for your sins. So, let’s “Be on Guard, Keep Awake!”, Jesus is coming.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"