Mark 13 Lesson

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS

Jesus is coming back!  

That message is consistently delivered throughout the Bible, including in the following five verses:

1. “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” - Hebrews 9:28,
2. “Behold, He is comingwith the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” - Revelation 1:7,
3. “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” - Mathew 24:27,
4. “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” - Luke 21:25-28,
5. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves.” - Revelation 22:12.

ONLY GOD KNOWS WHEN JESUS IS GOING TO RETURN

Nobody knows when Jesus is going to return except for God.

Consider the following three scriptures:

1. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” – Mathew 24:36,
2. “Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.” - Mathew 25:13,
3. “For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” -Mathew 24:44.

Since we do not know when Jesus is going to return, the time to prepare ourselves is now.

The consequences of being unprepared are so great that we simply cannot afford to wait!

What if Jesus comes tomorrow? 

Next week? 

Or next year? 

Will we be prepared, or do we have some work to do?

TAKING A SPIRITUAL INVENTORY

One of the best ways to determine if we are prepared for the second coming of Jesus is to take a spiritual inventory.   

This analysis will help us to determine if we have done everything that we need to do with respect to the five matters of salvation identified in the Bible.

Different denominations have differing opinions about what is necessary to go to Heaven. In the end, all that matters is what the Bible teaches, as all of the messages of the Bible are inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

FIVE MATTERS OF SALVATION

Listed below are five things that the Bible teaches are necessary for salvation along with the corresponding scriptures.

1. Believe in Jesus. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” – Acts 16:31, 
2. Confess our belief in Him. “For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” – Romans 10:10, 
3. Repent (turn away from) of our sins. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3, 
4. Be baptized. “Baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ .” – 1 Peter 3:21 and “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” – Mark 16:16, 
5. Obey God’s commandments. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” – Mathew 7:21. 

CONCLUSION

None of us know when Jesus is going to return.  Therefore, the time to prepare for his return is now!

Preparation begins with a self-assessment.  Taking our spiritual inventory allows us to evaluate the parts of our lives that need attention.   

When we take our spiritual inventory, we want to start with the five matters of salvation to see if any are lacking in our lives.  If they are, the time to act is now, as none of us are promised another day. (Proverbs 27:1)

We will conclude today’s lesson with the following words spoken by Jesus.

In this scripture, Jesus promises us that He is going to return, and Jesus always keeps His promises!

• “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. - John 14:1-3.