Mark 13:24-31 - See (and Understand) the Signs - November 14, 2021

When it comes to signs, it’s one thing to see them; it’s another thing to understand them. For example, traffic signs are intentionally positioned so that you can’t help but see them – that is, unless you have your head buried in your phone like many of the drivers on the road. It seems to me that even though you can’t help but see the red, upside-down triangle at each entrance to a roundabout, a good number of drivers don’t understand that the “yield” sign means that unless there is a car coming from your left, you don’t have to stop. Also, if you’ve driven on the beltline lately you’ve no doubt noticed that they’ve begun installing the signs that will regulate the left-hand shoulder for an additional lane of traffic – I’m just guessing that there’s going to be a pretty lengthy learning curve – not for people to begin seeing the signs, but for them to understand and obey them. Today our Lord points out signs of his Second Coming; signs which everyone will see, but only those his listen to his Word will understand.

The first signs Jesus describes have been seen by all people of all time. Solar and lunar eclipses are world-wide events that have been observed for at least 4500 years, according to records from Babylonia and China. [1] NASA estimates that in the 5000 years between 2000 BC and 3000 AD there will have been almost 12,000 solar and lunar eclipses. [2] It’s safe to say that every adult on earth has seen an eclipse. (Fun fact, our second child, Joel, was born on the day we in Wisconsin were able to view a solar eclipse – August 21, 2017.) The same can be said about the shooting stars and comets that streak through the vacuum of space. If you look back in history, almost every ancient people viewed these astronomical events as signs of something big.

Of course, we aren’t ancient people. We are sophisticated, intelligent, scientific people. We might find it interesting that ancient people found meaning in a solar eclipse or a shooting star – but we have computers and big, fancy telescopes in space; we know better today. We know what shooting stars really are. We know that comets don’t really just appear out of nowhere. We can predict down to the second how long an eclipse will last and where and when it will be visible. We aren’t foolish, simpleminded barbarians who think that these signs in the heavens above us actually mean something.

But who’s really the simpleminded fool in this situation? Person who sees the signs and knows they mean something or the person who sees the signs but regards them as utterly meaningless? (Which type of person would you like to meet at a roundabout?) Jesus says that after that distress in those days (that is, the period of time after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Mark 13:1-23), the rest of the NT era), the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Everyone on earth sees these signs. But few, even very few Christians, really understand what they mean. We don’t have any excuse, though. In Genesis: God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night, and let them serve as markers to indicate seasons, days, and years (Genesis 1:14). From the very beginning God said that the sun, moon and stars are markers or signs of time – now Jesus gives them a deeper meaning (perhaps similar to what the Lord did with rainbows for Noah (Genesis 9:12-17)). Jesus says that when they fall out of the sky or go dark we shouldn’t just look at them as neat phenomena that can be explained away scientifically; but that we must understand that they are not only signs that he will indeed return, but as visible – yes, scientific – evidence that this world, this universe, won’t endure.

There are other signs that everyone sees, but that even many Christians do not understand. Jesus says that even as the powers of the heavens are shaken you will see the Son of Man coming on clouds with great power and glory. Have you seen this? Do you understand it? I’ll give you a hint: you’ve seen it if you’ve heard these promises from Jesus’ own lips where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them (Matthew 18:20); and, surely I am with you always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Do those verses clarify this sign for you?

Here’s the reason so many can’t see this sign and even fewer can understand it: you can only see Jesus with great power and glory if you understand – and believe – what the Bible says about his work. Most important is what Jesus himself declared from the cross: it is finished (John 19:30). Jesus only rarely displayed his great power and glory at his First Coming. He humbled himself to be born as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem (Luke 2). He went through a lifetime of humiliation so that he could take your place under God’s Law and keep it in your place (Matthew 5:17). He took the nature of a servant, humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross for our sins (Philippians 2:7-8). But as he said, that’s over and done with. Since Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, he has resumed the full and constant use of his divine power and glory. Easter Sunday introduced the last days, the end times. That’s why 50 days later, on Pentecost, Peter told the crowd that the last days which Joel had predicted were now here (Acts 2:14-41). That’s why Paul told the Corinthians that the end of the ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:11). Right now is when Jesus can be seen coming in great power and glory.

Here's the catch: this sign can only be understood with eyes of faith. Those with eyes that remain darkened by unbelief may see this sign, but (like those roundabout drivers) drive right past it without understanding the significance. Unbelief doesn’t see Jesus coming to earth in great power and glory to raise the dead to life in the water of Baptism (Romans 6:3-4). Nope, they just see plain tap water – or, at best a sign of a person’s commitment to Jesus. Unbelief doesn’t see the Judge of mankind (John 5:22) declaring his final verdict in the words of Absolution (John 20:23). They just see some lunatic in a robe pretending to play God. Unbelief doesn’t see Holy Communion as the first course of the wedding banquet that will be served in heaven (Matthew 26:27-28; Revelation 19:6-10). Nope, that’s just a piece of stale bread and a cup of cheap wine – or, at best a symbol which makes us think about what Jesus did on Calvary 2000 years ago. Faith not only sees and receives and believes in these means of grace but also understands that Jesus is coming in great power and glory right here and now through them!

The signs are all there: in the heavens, here at this font and altar. Does that mean that we should pack our bags and cancel our Thanksgiving plans? No. These signs don’t tell us when Jesus will return but rather that his return is certain. How can I be so sure that these signs don’t indicate timing but certainty – that these aren’t signs at the end but of the end? Because an angel told me. No, really. Here we must let Scripture interpret Scripture. In Matthew 13 and Revelation 14 – sections which are undoubtedly describing the Last Day, Jesus doesn’t only send out his angels to gather the elect. He also sends out other angels to gather unbelievers for judgment (Matthew 13:47-51; Revelation 14:14-20). This isn’t the Final Judgment here. It’s something else. This is Jesus sending out human messengers (the Greek word angelos means “messenger) with the Gospel during the New Testament era to gather his elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of the sky.

During his earthly ministry Jesus had restricted the scope of his disciple’s mission to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). But after his resurrection he sent them out to all nations (Mark 16:15). This is still going on today. It’s been going on worldwide for 2000 years wherever and whenever the Gospel of forgiveness, life and salvation is proclaimed to people dead in sin and they believe it. Right then and there Jesus’ messengers, his angels, are gathering his elect. This happened at some point in your life – and, by God’s grace, this happened in my life. See – an angel told me! Jesus is coming in great power and glory right here and now!

Can you see all these signs? More importantly, do you understand them? Can you not only see eclipses and shooting stars but understand that these signs indicate that this world is passing away? Can you not only see Baptism, Absolution and Communion but understand that through these means the Son of Man is coming with great power and glory to forgive and save? Can you not only see but understand that we as a Christian congregation; that Christian pastors and teachers, parents and grandparents are doing more than instilling morality or teaching Bible history – that they are actually God’s messengers gathering God’s elect?

Then listen as Jesus tells us what these signs mean: Learn this illustration of the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see these things happening, you will know that he is near – at the doors! I know that in the 21st century we tend to look to groundhogs and meteorologists to tell us when spring is coming – but they can be and are often wrong. But when certain trees – like fig or pecan trees – begin to bloom, you can be sure that summer is near. In the same way, every generation since our Lord’s first coming has seen these definite signs of his Second Coming. Every generation has seen the eclipses, the shooting stars, the passing comets and the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel gathering the elect. Every generation gets all the warning signs that eternity will soon smash the clock of time; that the created order is about to become extremely disordered; that this heaven and earth are passing away. No matter what the skeptics, the unbelievers, the scientists say about these signs – we need to understand that Jesus’ return is as sure as the changing of the seasons; and that even now he is near – right at the door!

And for that reason, we need to find a sure foundation to stand on – so that we will be ready to welcome him with joy when he comes; not cower in fear. By nature, we’ve got it all backwards. We think that this world we can see, touch and rely on will always be there. Jesus swears here that it will not. We think that we can find safety and security for ourselves and our families in things like money and real estate and insurance policies – but all of those things will pass away. Jesus swears that while the stars above your head and the earth beneath your feet will pass away, [his] words will never pass away.

Human words don’t last forever. Copyright protections only last 70 after the death of the author. [3] Pharmaceutical drug patents only last 20 years. [4] Even the vows you made on your wedding day don’t last forever – they expire upon death (Romans 7:2). But Jesus’ words – they will never pass away. The words of Baptism that were spoken over you 5 or 15 or 55 years ago are just as true today as the day you got wet; you have been joined with Christ in both his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). The Words of Absolution constitute your Judge’s unchanging verdict: you are not guilty (John 20:23). The life Jesus gives you through his body and blood from this altar doesn’t end when your heart stops beating – in fact, that’s when your true life begins. Yes, heaven and earth and everything in them are passing away. But of this you can be sure: [Jesus’] words will never pass away.

There are signs of Jesus’ Second Coming all around us. And yet it’s one thing to see the signs, it’s another to understand them. Many who see these signs see in them a reason to cling all the tighter to the things of this world. By God’s grace, we don’t just see these signs, we understand them – and instead of clinging to this fading and decaying world we cling to Jesus’ words, which will never, ever pass away. Amen.

[1] https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar-eclipse-history.html

[2] https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/SEcatalog.html

[3] https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-duration.html#:~:text=The%20term%20of%20copyright%20for,plus%20an%20additional%2070%20years.

[4] https://hmsa.com/help-center/what-are-generic-drugs/