Mark 13:28-31

Mark 13:28-31  “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.  Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.  I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 

Our eternal salvation rests with these words: my words will never pass away.  The scriptures clearly say that all we know, see, and hear can pass away, but his words, expressed through the unction of the Holy Spirit, will never pass away.  Sometimes as finite human beings we get confused by looking in the sky at night and beholding all that exists.  We wonder how can this infinitesimal place called Earth have any significance within the myriad of heavenly bodies that we observe?  How can we even compute with our finite minds the idea of that one light year is close to 5,880 trillion of our miles, and that our nearest star is 4.3 light years away, and that our galaxy, The Milky Way, is 120,000 light years in diameter?  How can we wrap our minds around such numbers?  Doesn't space reveal clearly our insignificance, our futile existence?  

But as Christians, we must remember that God is a spirit, that there is a spiritual domain where God exists.  The Bible tells us that the temple was filled with his presence.  People can be filled with his presence.  The spirit is like a wind; who can tell where it comes from or where it is going?  Genesis 1:1-2 says In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  From that Spirit came form, the tangible, the concrete.  We humans have been given a physical body with the ability to feel, touch, taste, see--to experience God's created reality, the material world.  Our bodies function well in this created world.  However, we really know only this material world, this existence that we can perceive with our senses.  Even the heavenlies in their unimaginable numbers are somewhat understandable to us because of our senses, but the spirit world is still largely unknown to us, for it is not perceived by our physical senses.  And that is where faith enters the picture, which biblically is known as the key to God's spiritual domain.  

The Bible indicates that faith alone pleases God--faith in his goodness, faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, faith that personal salvation comes through the cross and Christ's resurrection from the grave.  Everything we Christians know about God comes through faith in his words.  For sure, we believe his words will never pass away.  If our Earth, our universe passes away, if all the galaxies cease to exist, his spirit would still abide, and his words would still hold true.  When we pass from this earth, when our physical bodies cease to exist, our spirits will still abide.  Then we will truly see what existence is all about.  Jesus is saying in the above passage, when you see the fig tree budding, you should know that this age of physicality is coming to an end.  You will know that I will come again, and the heavens will be opened up to you.  In the twinkling of an eye, you will know all things.  You will understand the mystery of life.  The tears and absolute frustration that you are having in this physical world will disappear, for all your tears will be wiped away.  You will no longer look into the dark night and wonder why we are here.  YOU'LL KNOW, and your deepest anxieties will disappear, and joy will fill your heart.  THIS GENERATION IS YOUR GENERATION.  Ever since Jesus died on the cross, every generation has looked up to the skies for the soon coming of the Lord.  Every generation has said, come quickly my Lord and Savior.  Come quickly for I know you are my God.  I know you will satisfy all of my dreams, all of my fears.  COME QUICKLY!