Second-Last Sunday in the Church Year-St. Mark 13:24-31

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch become tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.”’ (V. 28)

This passage is stated by Jesus at the end of His ministry, back in chapter 11 Jesus had cursed the fig tree. The following day, the disciples saw that it had in fact withered. So, do any of us know when a fig tree should be producing ripe fruit? We do not have any which will grow in our area.

However, they do grow in Southern California. When I visited my now deceased Grandpa and Grandma, my uncle pointed out to Rachel and myself that we could eat some figs that we passed growing on a tree. We visited them that time in August of 2004. So, when the branch is tender and if a tree is putting out the first leaves then it must be the beginning of the growing season, summer.

We do not have fig trees. Yet, we all know the signs we look for to know that summer is near. We do the same thing as Jesus’ listeners. Some today may look for Punxutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. Some may read the latest Farmer’s Almanac. Others, perhaps the some from the first two groups, look for the trees to bud or this or that animal or bird to return. Some may even watch for the farmers to be out planting. Whatever our signals, we all have them.

What Jesus is telling you and me is this. If you can predict when the next season will begin, then you can also read the signs I am telling you now for the end of time.

‘“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.’ (Vv. 24, 25)

In this chapter of Mark’s Gospel, it is difficult to separate what is going on at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D. and what will occur at the end of the universe. It is clear though that today’s gospel lesson speaks about the end of all things.

When we hear of such things as the darkened sun or a moon that will not give its light. These things did not happen when the temple was destroyed in the first century. What will happen when Christ returns, this is not something that you or I can comprehend. Even with the advent of nuclear weapons, we still have no idea. The rest of Scripture reminds us of this. ‘The heavens will disappear with a roar’ (2 Pt. 3:10), ‘and the sky [will be] rolled up like a scroll’ (Is. 34:4). Isaiah’s prophecy is one of those descriptions that we can all wrap our minds around. Yet, even this is only the Holy Spirit giving us an idea using terms we understand to describe the incomprehensible.

If any of you have ever pulled a rolled up sheet of paper out of the closet after a year sitting there in the dark with a rubber band for structure, you know what Isaiah means. If not, try it when you get home! When I try to unroll such a thing, if my hand slips the whole roll of paper comes slapping against my other hand with a loud rumble of paper.

This is what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us when Isaiah writes his words.

All of this terror that Jesus is describing for you and me is for we who can only imagine our own world here on earth. Christ will devastate the universe—and this is all because of sin. This is why we repeatedly hear in the Gospels that creation groans. Creation groans as it does because of the burden of sin. All of this is because of that fateful action in the Garden. That choice of Adam and Eve twisted the entire creation, beyond repair. This world must be destroyed and replaced with a new heaven and a new earth.

‘“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And 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.”’ (Vv. 26, 27)

This is what the prophet Daniel is referring to in our Old Testament lesson when he wrote. ‘As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; … the court sat in judgement, and the books were opened.’ (Dan. 7:9-10) With the fiery throne of the Ancient of Days and the limitless crowds gathered around, this scene painted for us by Daniel presents a terrible picture of the judgement. It seems as if we should view all of this that Jesus tells us and that the prophets and Apostles tell us seems as if it should be read as terrifying.

This is not the case however.

For you and I, those who are baptized, those who are redeemed and made sons of God (Gal. 4:4-7), this is not a terrible thing to hear about. This is not something we fear, rather, it is something that we welcome. We even look for it and long for it to come. After all, at that time our present tribulation will end and we will become like those spoken of in the gradual. ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Rev. 7:14).

Just as Jesus preaches of clouds to judge the quick and the dead (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pt. 4:5) in the Gospels. So, at the end, at Jesus’ Second Coming, you who have not resisted His first coming, you will not tremble at His second. You will in fact rejoice that your King has returned to take you home to be with Him.

This whole cataclysmic event will be greater than anything we have seen done in Hollywood will. We all know the drama and theatrics and special effects employed in that classic movie, The Ten Commandments. What will happen when Jesus returns will put even the best modern movie’s special effects to shame. Christ will visibly appear in the clouds shown to all from all four corners of the world. All who have pierced Jesus will even see this (Rev. 1:7).

At this time, all the elect will be gathered from the four winds and ‘the books will be opened’ (Dan. 7:10). Many will claim that they loved the Lord and even spoke in His name (St. Mt. 25:41-46). These will be ones who have been hugging that small tattered robe of the little righteousness that they feel they can claim for themselves. These think that they will be in those books if only they have “done their best”. “If I have done this”, they say, “then I will get what I deserve”. Those who believe this way are correct. They will get what they deserve. This will be learned in all its unpleasantness when Christ returns.

Others will say to themselves at Jesus’ return, “This man cannot be the one we rejected. We rejected a baby born in a stable, a carpenter who had delusions of grandeur, a prophet who let things get out of control and died.” Still others will say, “This one was only a great teacher like Moses or Mohammed. But this…” For all of these groups, the words will ring hollow in their ears even as they speak them on that day.

Finally, those who rejected the Christ will learn of their mistake when it is too late. They will have been given a chance to receive the forgiveness given by Jesus’ death on the cross and sacrifice for all men’s sins. For this baby born in a stable in Bethlehem, rejected by all men and crucified for their sins is the ‘founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)

‘“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch become tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.”’ (V. 28)

What happens when summer arrives? Summer is the beginning of the ingathering of the fruits of the harvest. By August, when those figs that Rachel and I tasted in California where ripe, many different fruits are coming ripe. So, summer in Jesus’ words signifies the end of the world[1]. When we see the sky rolled up like a scroll and disappearing with a clap! (Cf. 2 Pt. 3:10; Is. 34:4)

When this happens, rejoice! For you will know that your Savior has returned, He has come to take you home where you ‘shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever’ (Ps. 23:6)

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

[1] ACCS NT vol. II p. 189. Hippolytus, On Matthew.