Coming Judgement
The Gospel of Mark | The Suffering Servant • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewJudgment is coming. There is no escape.
Notes
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Introduction
We’ve discussed over the last few services the discussion of Jesus with Peter, James, and John about His return. This text leads right up to His Passion. It’s a great message of being on guard, getting ready, being busy, and a call to watch. Today, we are reminded of judgment coming. You do not have to worry about my offence or my judgment of you. You do have to worry about God’s judgment of you. Where will you stand on that Great Day of Judgment, Jesus’ second coming? Will you stand as saint or sinner? Saved or Lost?
Focus Passage | Mark 13:24-27
Outline
Judgment is coming (vv. 24-25)
For those that continue to live a life of sin and willful rebellion, Christian or non-Christian, God has a word for you, judgment is coming. This judgment will be unavoidable and will be eternal.
God’s great day of judgment will come - ‘…But in those days…’
The phrase, "in those days,” is an Old Testament quote, as much of this text is, about God’s great day of judgment to come. You may think you have time because of what is viewed as God’s slack on the sin of this world, but be not deceived. God’s perceived slackness is not slackness at all. It truly is His way of showing mercy toward you and supplying you ample time to repent. Do not neglect or shun away from this truth. Repent before it is eternally too late.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God has given us time to repent. He has given us ample opportunity to repent. We have chosen not to repent. Therefore, He is just in His judgment. He is the righteous judge.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
God’s great day of judgment follows the Great Tribulation - ‘…after that tribulation…’
God’s great day of judgment will be a day of terror - ‘…AND THE STARS OF HEAVEN WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken…’
As the prophet Joel writes…
“The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
God’s great day of judgment will be unavoidable
John writes about this day that the earth and mountains are rolled up as a scroll signifying the avoidable nature of God’s great judgment to come.
12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
You can play hide and seek with God, but you will lose. As the late R.G. Lee’s great message is entitled, “Payday Someday,” and as Hadden Robinson stated, “God may not pay at the end of every month…but God pays.” The apostle Paul wrote, we will only get what we have earned.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Oh, yes, God is just in His judgment of you and I. He alone is the discerner of the heart and intent of man. We can be sure, our sin will find us out.
But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure that your sin will find you out.
As we know now, judgment is coming. We must also know that…
Jesus is the Conquering King and Judge (vv. 26-27)
And then they will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.
Jesus’ return as conquering King and Judge will be visible
No one will be able to deny Jesus’ return, And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. As we look at our text, it is important to understand the distinguishing mark between what is stated within this text and what was is stated in 1 Thess 4. Within 1 Thess 4, Paul is writes to bring comfort to those brothers and sisters that the rapture, Jesus’ gathering of the church had not yet happened. This is different than what is taking place within our text.
Let us understand that there is a difference between. The rapture is Jesus’ gathering of the saints, the church, His bride. The 2nd Coming is Jesus’ physical return to the earth as judge, jury, and executioner. Jesus came the first time as the sacrificial Lamb of God. When He returns, He will return as the roaring Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
When Jesus returns as conquering King and Judge…
He will come with undeniable force - ‘…with great power…’
The Gk word for ‘power’ with in our text is ‘dunamis’ meaning force, miraculous force. This is the same word we render our English word, ‘dynamite.’ When Jesus returns, He will come with a miraculous, booming, force that no one can deny.
Jesus will return with undeniable authority - ‘…and glory...’
The rendering of the Gk for the word ‘glory’ gives the meaning of ‘authority’ and ‘splendor’. Jesus is the absolute authority and is King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus, when He returns, will make an open show of sin, death, and Satan. Just as Jesus made an open show of His enemies at the cross and His resurrection, He again will make an open show of them on the day of His Great Judgment.
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
This verse is in reference to when conquering kings would take captive the king they conquered and attach them to the wheel of their chariot and ride their chariot through the crowds showing the shame of their captive.
When Jesus returns as conquering King and Judge, it will be to gather His people that have come through the Great Tribulation
We must understand that there will be those that are saved through the Great Tribulation by the witness of those 144,000 elected Jews who will proclaim the Gospel throughout. As John writes...
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The Lord will collect ALL His people. Not one will perish, no matter where they may be.
The Lord declares that He will send His angels to gather His elect from the ends of the earth - ‘…He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds...’
The Lord declares that He will send His angels to gather His elect from the uttermost parts of the horizon - ‘...from the end of the earth to the end of heaven...’
What great comfort for a dispersed church. Jesus’ words were most assuring to a people that were scattered by the rendering of this text. These words brought God’s people great comfort right before bringing them to His Passion, which will solidify the teachings of Jesus.
Conclusion
On that great day of God’s judgment, where will you stand? Will you face the judgment of Jesus Christ as saint or sinner? There is but one way to stand innocent before God and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? If not, why? What is keeping you from surrendering to His Lordship? What is keeping you from Heaven and leading you straight to hell?