Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Jesus continues to speak about the future – the far future in relation to the first century – in Mark 13:28-30: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; ‘When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near’: so shall ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.” Clearly, Jesus was not speaking about the “generation” alive in the first century, for “all these things” did not take place then. There are two possible interpretations. First, since the Greek word translated “generation” also means “family” or “race,” it could be referring to the Jewish people. It is then a promise that these chosen people of God will survive despite extraordinary hatred and persecution. The Bible elsewhere states that the Jewish people will endure to the end (Romans 11:26-27; Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5, along with numerous other references). Second, Jesus was teaching prophetically here and thus could have been speaking directly to “this generation” which will be alive at the end. As one scholar put it, “Those who witness the birth pains will witness the birth.” Certainly these two interpretations overlap, for both are true. The key point is that Jesus throughout this passage has exhorted believers to be alert (verses 5, 9, 23, 33) to the absolute truth of His statements. Thus, His words are applicable to all believers now and to the believers who are saved during the Tribulation period.