{"id":37368,"date":"2025-09-15T22:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T05:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=37368"},"modified":"2025-09-09T14:32:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:32:40","slug":"mark_13_28-37","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/mark_13_28-37\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to \u201cWatch\u201d for Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark\u00a0 13:28-37 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Mark 13:28-37.\u00a0 With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.\u00a0 Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?\u00a0 After you\u2019ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Mark 13:28-29 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n28\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
\n29\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 28-29:\u00a0 \u201cWhen you see these things happening\u201d, Jesus says, \u201cyou know that it is near\u201d (v29).\u00a0 What things?\u00a0 What\u2019s near?\u00a0 For us today the significance of these words are this:\u00a0 When you see Jesus coming in the clouds in power and glory (v26) and God\u2019s people being gathered to him (v27), you know the end is near.<\/p>\n

Mark 13:30 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n30\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 30:\u00a0 \u201cThis generation\u201d can be interpreted narrowly to mean the disciples and their contemporaries living at that time (see for example, Mark 8:12 and 9:19).\u00a0 Or \u201cthis generation\u201d can be interpreted broadly to mean a group of people who come from one common ancestor, and thus \u201cgeneration\u201d here is sometimes translated \u201crace\u201d as in the human race.<\/p>\n

Given the two possible meanings for \u201cthis generation\u201d, some scholars believe that there is a double meaning to Jesus\u2019 words.\u00a0 On one hand, when Jesus says that \u201cthis generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened\u201d, he is referring in the narrower sense to the fact that Jews living at that time would see the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.\u00a0 On the other hand, another meaning to this verse is that the human race will not pass away until these things \u2013 namely, Jesus\u2019 return and the end times \u2013 have happened.<\/p>\n

Mark 13:31 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n31\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 31:\u00a0 Through His words, God spoke heaven and earth into being.\u00a0 Thus it makes sense that Jesus\u2019 words will outlast heaven and earth, never passing away even when heaven and earth are no more.<\/p>\n

Mark 13:32-37 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n32\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
\n33\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
\n34\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
\n35\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back–whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
\n36\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
\n37\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 32-37:\u00a0 Jesus tells us all to watch for Him (v37).\u00a0 What does that look like practically?\u00a0 When we don\u2019t know when Jesus will return (v32-33), how do we stay alert and on guard for Jesus (v33) even while we have jobs to do, bills to pay, kids to watch and lives to live?\u00a0 Here are some ways:
\n1.\u00a0\u00a0Keep tabs on news around the world.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u201cKeep watch\u201d means don\u2019t live with your head in the sand. Don\u2019t live in a bubble.\u00a0 Don\u2019t just focus on what\u2019s happening in your own city, but take note of what is going on in other parts of the world.\u00a0 In particular, take note of what the church is doing around the world.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0Look forward to the day you can go home to heaven with Jesus.<\/strong>\u00a0That doesn\u2019t mean you need to have a death wish. But it means that you look forward to heaven one day.\u00a0 Like John and Paul (not the Beatles but the apostles!), you long to see Jesus.\u00a0 As John prayed, \u201cCome, Lord Jesus\u201d (Revelation 22:20) and as Paul wrote, \u201cI desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.\u201d (Philippians 1:23-24).\u00a0 See heaven as your home.\u00a0\u00a0Remember that your true citizenship is in heaven, not on earth (Philippians 3:20).<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0Spend time worshiping and praising Jesus through song.<\/strong>\u00a0Worshiping this way wets your appetite for heaven and prepares you for life there.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t live a sleepy, slumbering life but stay busy doing the things God has called you to<\/strong>.\u00a0 Verse 34 says that\u00a0God has put his servants in charge, \u201ceach with their assigned task\u201d.\u00a0 God has given you a mission to fulfill and a task to carry out while you are on this earth.\u00a0 It\u2019s a life\u00a0of worshiping Jesus, growing more like Him, serving Him, leading others to Him, and loving your church family.\u00a0 As Jesus says, \u201cIf he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.\u201d (v36)<\/p>\n

Jesus, thank You that You are coming soon.\u00a0 I pray I would stay alert and active, always remembering where my ultimate home is, longing for You more, and spending my life on the purposes for which You made me.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Mark 13:28-37.\u00a0 With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.\u00a0 Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?\u00a0 After you\u2019ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Mark 13:28-29 (NIV)
\n28\u00a0\u00a0“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
\n29\u00a0\u00a0Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.<\/p>\n

On verses 28-29:\u00a0 \u201cWhen you see these things happening\u201d, Jesus says, \u201cyou know that it is near\u201d (v29).\u00a0 What things?\u00a0 What\u2019s near?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37370,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37368"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37371,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37368\/revisions\/37371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}