"How" is more important than "What" or "When."

All right, you can turn in your Bibles to Mark, chapter 13. We are going to be doing a continuation of the message from last Sunday. If you were not here last Sunday, I'm afraid you're out of luck because we don't have a recording of it. It's lost to time and eternity, and I apologize. So, part two is part one for you. Just enjoy it for what it is. As we did last week, and for the benefit of those who were not here, I'm going to read Mark 13 in its entirety because it is one unit. It's part of a discussion that Jesus had with some of His disciples as they were sitting on the Mount of Olives, looking back at Jerusalem.

So, let me read Mark 13:

As He came out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" Jesus responded, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." As He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?"

Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places and famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

"But be on your guard, for they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings for My sake, to bear witness before them. The gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. When they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all for My name's sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

"But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down nor enter his house to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days, there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation that God created until now, and never will be. If the Lord had not cut short the days, no human would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

"Then, if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ,' or 'Look, there He is,' do not believe it, for false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all this beforehand.

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"From the fig tree, learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

"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, at midnight, 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."

We mentioned last week that in this passage, there are essentially two prophetic focal points: a near focal point, which was the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD that resulted in, among other things, the temple being burned and torn to the ground, and a far focal point, the time of great tribulation just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. So, this is essentially one part warning and one part locker room hype speech, and we'll get to that in just a moment. Last week, we emphasized what Jesus is talking about—what is going to happen—and that's how we came to this understanding of these dual focal points. This is not unlike many Old Testament prophecies, where there would be a near fulfillment and then a fuller fulfillment or a different perspective on that fulfillment later on.

But more important to many people, including the disciples here, than what is going to happen tends to be when. When is all this going to happen? This is the question people seem to care most about. I may understand a little about what's going to happen, but I really want to know when. What can I expect? What should I be looking for? We see this in our day with an emphasis on discerning the signs of the times. What are the signs pointing to? Are the events of today indicating that Christ's return is just around the corner? This has led to so-called discernment ministries—not in the sense of helping Christians understand subtle deceptions or biblical truths, but ministries focused on discerning the times.

I grew up in the church. My parents were Christians, and I was raised in the church. I remember as a child hearing many variations throughout my life about who the antichrist might be. Just off the top of my head: Saddam Hussein was going to be the antichrist; more recently, Barack Obama; and my favorite growing up was Ronald Reagan because his name—Ronald Wilson Reagan—has six letters in each part, so 666. He was thought to be the antichrist. He's dead now, so maybe not. The pope was always a candidate, or the next pope. These are common predictions from people trying to discern the signs of the times and identify who will usher in these terrible events.

So, Jesus gives His disciples two clues relating to these world-altering events, specifically addressing when they will happen. The first clue is perhaps the most helpful: no one knows but the Father. When will it happen? Nobody knows. God the Father alone knows when the Messiah will return to Earth. As we mentioned last Sunday, even beings we might assume would be privy to this knowledge, like the angels in heaven who are in the very presence of God, don't know. In the book of Isaiah, for example, Isaiah sees the throne room of heaven, with angels declaring, "Holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory." Yet, they don't know. Even the Son, Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, does not know the specific time of His return as King of kings and Lord of lords.

We discussed last week how this addresses the dual nature of Christ—His humanity versus His divinity. He never ceases to be God, but in His incarnation, He willingly sets aside some privileges of His divinity to submit to the Father's will, humbly forgoing those prerogatives temporarily without sacrificing or diminishing His divine nature.

We are often very curious, aren't we? We want to know when things will happen. You take an exam, and as soon as it's done, you want to know how you did. You don't want to wait for the professor to grade it. It's instinctive for many of us—this curiosity about when something will happen. We like surprises, but we don't like to be surprised, especially about significant events. We're prone to worry about the unknown. Am I the only one who worries about what's out there on the horizon?

But this clue that Jesus gives—that no one knows the exact time—is not Him being condescendingly dismissive, saying, "Don't worry about it." That's not the point. He is inviting the disciples to trust in God's perfect plan, including its timing. We talked about this in the equipping hour, living by faith. In Hebrews 11, the illustrations show individuals acting on God's promises without knowing the outcome. Abraham left his land for the promised land without knowing where it was. Noah built the ark without ever seeing a flood, trusting God that it would happen. Jesus is calling for faith in God's perfect will and plan. You are not God, so you don't need all the information. In fact, as humans, we couldn't handle all the information. It's an invitation to trust His perfect plan and rejoice that we are not in control.

I love how Psalm 91 begins: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" This paints a poetic picture of a perfectly secure and sheltered place where you can rest because God will keep you safe. This is what Jesus is pointing to—trusting the careful plan and will of God and His ability to carry it out. Be comfortable exercising faith in God.

The first clue is that nobody but God the Father knows when it will happen. The second clue, perhaps less comforting, is that things will progressively get worse until it happens. We often think technology will make our lives better, don't we? We have an inordinate amount of faith in technology. The Industrial Revolution made certain things easier, and technological progress has grown exponentially since then. Yet, the things Jesus said to look out for—wars, famines, earthquakes—are still prevalent. Despite modern innovations, famines persist, wars rage, and armed conflicts have been ongoing for decades, often unnoticed because they don't directly affect our lives.

We tend to adopt new technology by first figuring out how to make a weapon out of it. The point is, the things Jesus said would progressively worsen have not been diminished by industry or technological advances. We instinctively bristle at not knowing when something will happen, and we want to believe that things will get better over time. We hope tomorrow will be better, and in some ways it is, but for many, it isn't.

You may not know when Christ will return by looking out your front door or observing global conflicts and political battles, but you can be sure that as time passes, things will worsen. As Jesus said, especially for His followers, the difficulties they face for His name's sake will increase. But the whole point of last Sunday's message, and for those who weren't here, the emphasis is that what and when are not nearly as important as how. How are you going to live? Jesus' main concern is helping His disciples and us, His followers, understand what it takes to succeed in life, knowing that this is how life will be as it gets closer to His return.

You might not have noticed when I read this, but this chapter is full of exhortation. Jesus instructs and commands His disciples on how to live in light of these uncertainties, encouraging them to trust God's plan, timing, and ways. Yet, even with that trust and faith, there is explicit action they are to take. They aren't supposed to dress in white robes, stand on their rooftops, and wait for His return, as some groups throughout history have done. Jesus tells His disciples how to live, knowing He will return, that things will worsen, and that opposition to Christianity and the appearance of counterfeit messiahs will grow.

Jesus gives three explicit commands:

Don't be led astray. In verse 5, Jesus says, "See that no one leads you astray." Impostors and religious counterfeits will use clever tactics to deceive, leading people away from the truth. They prey on natural fears or desires, promising disaster if you miss out on their brand of religion or riches if you follow, though the riches often end up with the leader. They alter Christianity in subtle but significant ways, replacing Jesus with the cult leader or undermining His identity by denying His deity or humanity. This is a call to discernment—not the kind focused on the signs of the times, but the ability to know the truth and identify impostors, false prophets, and false christs. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." Discernment is a spiritual ability to distinguish between good and evil, recognizing what is hidden to the spiritually immature.

Be on your guard. This is a call to know what you believe and nurture your faith. As the world becomes more intolerant of Christ and His followers, you need to be prepared to stand up for your beliefs. If your faith is flimsy, it will crumble under opposition. In verse 9, Jesus says, "Be on your guard, for they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My name's sake, to bear witness before them." The apostles experienced this persecution, many losing their lives as martyrs. They were bold despite threats and hostility. Even family bonds may succumb to hatred for Christ, as verse 12 describes. This has happened historically, as seen in events like Maoist China's struggle sessions, where family members turned against each other. Jesus is clear that this persecution will happen for His name's sake—because you carry His name as a Christian. Your faithfulness under hostility will glorify Christ. To be on guard, know what you believe, study the Word, depend on God, and be fervent in prayer. Paul says in Ephesians 6, "Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day... having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness..." These spiritual resources enable us to stand strong.

Stay awake. In the final statement of the chapter, Jesus says, "Stay awake." Be prepared for His return, as you don't know when it will be. He uses the illustration of a master leaving his servants in charge, commanding the doorkeeper to stay awake. They don't know when he will return—morning, noon, or night—but they must be ready. This isn't a warning to intimidate, like catching you doing something wrong. Instead, it's an invitation to look forward to Christ's return and the life described for believers: the end of the struggle with sin. Live with that in mind now. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes this blessed life: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted..." (Matthew 5). This encourages us to live out that life now, not in fear, but in anticipation.

Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank You for the joy of looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ. We thank You for what that will mean for this world and Your children, saved by Your grace through faith. We don't know when that day will come—whether it's around the corner or centuries away—but we have the confident assurance of Your promise, rooted in Your faithfulness, that it will come. Help us to be prepared, patient, and actively faithful as we await Your return with watchful eyes, awake and guarded. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.