Signs of the Times
December 1, 2024
Mark 13:24-37
Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know
when the master of the house will come.
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Our lives are filled with signs - things that indicate the present and foretell the future. While not obvious in Florida, leaves turning yellow, orange, and red indicate the season of Fall and the coming of Winter. Jesus used an example familiar to people in Israel when he spoke of the shoots of a fig tree becoming tender and putting forth leaves as a sign of the coming of Summer.
In this passage, Jesus speaks about watching—watching for signs—signs that reveal what is about to happen. Signs that when you see the first, you know the second is close behind.
This is the purpose of signs - knowing what is ahead so we can be prepared for when it arrives.
Jesus' words to, "Keep alert!" and to "Stay awake!" are a message for the present, not the future.
"Keep alert" for you do not know when the time will come.
"Keep awake"- for you do not know when the master of the house will return.
Jesus calls for us to be ready. Now.
It is an invitation to live each day as if it were the day of Christ’s return
What would you do differently if you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow?
- Of which sins would you repent?
- What wrongs have you committed that you would make right?
- What would you tell others that do not know Jesus?
- What would you do that demonstrates God’s love?
- What would you say to the people you love?
Are there any good reasons to not do those things today? Are you in any way better off postponing them? Or, would your life and the world be better if you did them today?
Preparing for Christmas is not about shopping, decorating, and cooking. Preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth is about remembering the one who came, living as those for whom he died, and serving him until he returns.
Keep alert! Keep awake!
