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Mark 13:3-8
As Jesus, Peter, James, John, and Andrew sat on the Mount of Olives looking out at the temple in Jerusalem (Mark 13:3-4, NKJV), the disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”
In Mark 13:5-8 Jesus gave them an answer that today is fulfilled, and I believe that it was fulfilled on the day it was spoken as well: that they should not be afraid nor deceived by the signs they will see. Jesus states in Mark 13:5-8, “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”
This is a promise that the signs of the end of time have been fulfilled, but it is only the beginning of sorrows.
Jesus states in Matthew 24:36-39, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
I believe the point that Jesus is trying to make with His disciples, and with us today is that we should be ready and not wait until another day to put God first in our lives. We do not know the amount of time that each of us will be alive physically, so the urgency to accept in our hearts the forgiveness that God has for us through professing Jesus our Savior should be a priority. And that should then become a priority to follow God’s will for our lives.
Dear LORD,
We all want to be ready for Your return; we all have a need for Your forgiveness; and we all need Your Holy Spirit to fill us and to be our guide to life – in Christ. Only You know the day and the time; I pray dear God that we all will be ready. In Jesus name I pray, amen.