Mark 13

The first Sunday of 2019 was also the first in our two-part series on the end times, as we looked at Mark 13.

The details of this passage are notoriously difficult, but the implication in verses 32-37 is clear: stay awake! Nobody except the Father knows when Jesus will return, so we’re to expect him at any moment. And this command to stay awake is even more important now that we’ve seen the sign – the abomination of desolation (v14) – probably around AD68-70 with the destruction of Jerusalem. Having seen this sign we know that “he is near, at the very gates” (v29). We’re to expect his single, decisive return at any time, and so we must stay awake.

So, as we enter 2019, let’s fix our eyes on the finish line. Let’s not just drift through life with our heads down, occupying ourselves with whatever issues crop up day-to-day, but let’s live with a purpose, pressing on in the Christian life as we look forward to Jesus’ return. It could be today.