Sermon - Proper 29, Year B, 2024 - Mark 13:24-37

The Last Judgment, Leandro Bassano, circa 1600

Be on guard and stay awake, for Christ is coming soon.

1. The time of Christ’s return is unknown, yet according to the signs it is imminent.

2. The warning is that we would remain ready, lest He suddenly return and find us asleep.

3. Let’s take stock, and see how we’ve done, and where we have room to improve.

Later today we have the end of the year voters’ meeting, where we look back on the past year and take stock of how it’s gone, and look ahead to the next to prepare ourselves. This end of the year taking stock is a common thing to do in many facets of life. If you run a business you may spend time reviewing your successes and failures, so that going forward you may be able to turn a larger profit. At home you might make plans for maintenance or upgrades, so that your home might run more smoothly. In the church we Christians do this as well, but not just at a voters’ meeting which deals primarily with transient business, but personally we reflect on our life of faith and examine ourselves to see if we are indeed heeding our Lord’s command: “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” 

You heard the apostles ask Jesus last week, at the beginning of Mark 13, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” Jesus told them the signs of the Lord’s coming, but ultimately He told them that the time of Christ’s return has not been revealed to them. Nevertheless, even if we do not know the time of Christ’s return, the signs obviously point us to realize that Christ is coming soon.

What are the signs Jesus told us to look out for? False preachers, wars and rumors of war, kingdoms conquering kingdoms, earthquakes, famines, persecution against Christians, the Gospel being proclaimed in all the world, families turning against one another, being hated for the faith, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, and the sun being darkened and the powers in the heavens shaken. 

It’s incredible that all of those signs have already been seen. By the end of holy week when Jesus was crucified the sun was darkened and the powers in the heavens were shaken, the earth quaked, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. A few decades later Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD. Since then there have been false preachers, wars, earthquakes, famines, and persecution many times over! These things continue to this day, and sometimes the severity of the storms and the increasing corruption of mankind on the earth convinces us that Christ must be coming soon, and He is!

Just as God gave the lights in the sky to determine the passage of time and seasons, so are all of these signs markers which tell us what time it is. These signs are to be as obvious as fig trees: “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.” When the tulips are sprouting and the lilacs are putting on leaves you know that summer is near; when the trees turn marvelous shades of red and yellow you know that winter is near. When you see the signs you know that Christ is near. He announces: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”

For the believer that is such a comforting word. As we confess in the creed, Jesus is going to come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, His kingdom will have no end, and we are looking forward to the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come. He comes as a Bridegroom, leading us in procession to the festive wedding hall. He comes as the Son of Man, descending in clouds with great power and glory, accompanied by angels, gathering together His Christians from the earth and from heaven. We shall forever live with the Lord in His eternal kingdom!

This glory and majesty He won upon the cross, where He was sacrificed once for all as the atoning sacrifice for sins. By His blood we have been redeemed from sin, death, and hell. By the death of Jesus we have been forgiven our sins, which are many. His resurrection therefore is our seal of hope, and the glory which we will one day see, when Christ raises us from the dead on that long-awaited final day. For those who believe, His return is not so much the end of all things, but the beginning when all things are made new. All of our hopes and dreams will be purified and fulfilled in Him on that fateful day. Finally our sins and death which cling so closely in this life will be unshackled from us and we shall be free to live with God face to face.

For the unbeliever, however, that day is one of unending terrors and living nightmares. For those unbelieving, sleeping outside of the faith, they will be caught unawares and doomed forever. Like the foolish virgins they will not enter into the Bridegroom’s wedding feast. Like the goats, they will be separated from the faithful sheep, and He will say to them: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” For without Christ their sins, death, and hell become bound to them for all eternity.

So in order that when the Master suddenly returns and He finds us on guard and awake, let us take stock of our lives and review how we’ve done, and where we ought to improve. It is important, nay, it is vital that we understand the significance of our souls and the eternal impact that our thoughts, words, and actions can have upon our immortal souls.

Remember: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will not pass away.” The things of this life are transient, they are not permanent, they will all fade away in time. “The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner.” I know it’s hard to grasp, but all of those things which seem so terribly important and valuable here on earth aren’t going to last. Of course you should do the work which has been laid before you, don’t neglect your earthly duties, but do them with eternity in mind. 

Though all this world will fade away, one thing remains: The Word of the Lord endures forever. Therefore be like the servants and the doorkeeper; although the Lord has gone on a journey He’s returning, and while He’s away He’s given us each our work and commands us to stay awake. Be on guard, keep awake, dear Christian! You do not know when the Lord shall return, but you know it will be soon. With that in mind, take stock of your life of faith; how are you doing?

I mean this question very practically and concretely. Examine your life in light of the ten commandments or the fruits of the Spirit. How is your church attendance going? How regular are your daily devotions? How often do you pray? How much scripture do you read? Who is shaping your mind, the heathen on the other end of the screen or the Lord through His Word? Are you controlling your temper and your passions? Are you keeping your lust for food and flesh in check? Are you loving your neighbor or ignorant of their needs? Are you daily fighting against the sinful flesh or giving in to it?

Perhaps in some areas you are doing well, and others need some (or a lot) of improvement. Take this time at the end of the church year to take stock of your life of faith, set some goals for the days ahead of you, and be on guard and stay awake. Don’t let the devil win by convincing you that you can be indifferent about your faith. Don’t let him win by leading you into pride, thinking you’ve mastered Christianity and have nowhere to improve. 

Also, don’t let Satan lead you into despair, thinking you’ve done so poorly there’s no longer any hope for you. You are a baptized child of God, Jesus is your Brother, and His heavenly Father is your Father! Your sins are washed away in Christ’s blood, and today is a new day for you. Your tribulations are nearly ended, and Christ is at the gate. You’re at the finish line, and the race is almost won. The angels shall soon descend with Christ, and their heavenly voices shall ring out: Wake, awake, for night is flying!