WATCH OUT! Luke 21:29-38
Introduction: Nearly 108 years ago there was a ship out on the water in trouble. This ship was considered unsinkable, it had the latest technology built in. The Captain of the ship said, “I can’t Imagine any condition that would cause this ship to flounder I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this ship.” On a moonless night at 11:30 p.m. the watch out saw a black shape ahead There were many warning signs of impending disaster, but no one heeded them. There was an iceberg ahead and the mighty Titanic went down.
Titanic’s disaster was one of the worst maritime disasters in history on that fateful day just before midnight on April 14, 1912. Of the more than 2220 persons aboard, about 1513 died.
The Titanic sank in less than three hours. Subsequent investigations found that the ship had been steaming too fast in dangerous waters, that lifeboat space had been provided for only about half of the passengers and crew, and that the Californian, close to the scene, had not come to the rescue because its radio operator was off duty and asleep.
These findings led to many reforms, such as lifeboat space for every person on a ship, lifeboat drills, the maintenance of a full-time radio watch while at sea, and an international ice patrol. The Church and we as individuals in a lot of ways are like the Titanic and is sailing right towards an iceberg, there are warning signs but we are not heeding them.
God is saying wake up! Wake up! there’s danger ahead! In the passage, we read, after giving various signs about the end times, Jesus warns his disciples to “WATCH OUT!” He warns them how not to live and how to live in the light of His imminent return to the earth and the end of the world. In order to teach them a lesson, he gives them a clear sign of his return and the establishment of His eternal Kingdom on earth. He tells them a parable of the fig tree.
I. THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE: (Vs 29-31)
Vs 29, Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree or any other tree. 30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.”
What does the fig tree or any other trees have to do with Christ’s return and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on the earth? Merely from a horticulture point, unlike most Judean trees, fig trees lost their leaves each year; they produced new leaves when summer was coming, before the wheat harvest and well before the grape vintage. When the fig branch “puts forth leaves,” only a short time remains until summer. Likewise, when the final labor pains begin Christ’s return “is near; it is at the door!” The truth of this lesson is even much deeper.
According to some interpreters, from a historical and eschatological point of view, the fig tree plays a vital role in fulfilling God’s prophetic promises for the nation of Israel. Jesus was prophetically speaking here about one of the signs that would take place before his return to the earth. Jesus was using the fig tree as an object lesson. It is mentioned in the three gospels: (Matthew 24:32-36, Mk 13:29-32, and Luke 21:29-33) In Matthew and Mark it reads, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree.”
II THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE
What is the lesson we ought to learn from the fig tree? What does the fig tree represent in these passages? Let us backtrack to some ancient prophecies. In the OT we often read God comparing Israel to a fig tree. Consider these scriptures. Hosea 9:10, “The Lord says, “O Israel when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season.”
Jeremiah 24:3-5, “Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I replied, “Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat.” 4 Then the Lord gave me this message: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians.” The figs in these passages represent the nation of Israel. So often they rebelled against God’s decrees, for which God punished them by sending them into exile. However, when they repent, he promised them healing and restoration.
III THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL
Here are a few prophecies that tell us of God’s restoration of Israel Ezekiel 37:21-22, “And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms.”
Isaiah 11:10-12, “In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people…He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.”
I am not a fanatic of the end time prophecies; however, I cannot help but see the movement of God in the last 100 years, in bringing about the fulfillment of these prophecies in a faster phase. These end time signs are being fulfilled right in front of our eyes. Undoubtedly when we hear, see and read what is happening to Israel right in the news, we should not give credit to any man but praise God only, because He is rapidly fulfilling what he said he would do. How are we paying attention to the work of God in the world even more so in Israel? In the light of Christ’s imminent return what message does, the Holy Spirit has for us?
IV. WATCH OUT!
All these signs were not given for our curiosity or intellectual stimulation, but they were given for us to warn us and to watch out! I know you might be thinking this song, of Santa Claus coming to town, “You better watch out, you better not cry Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town.” Well, the day of the Lord’s return is not going to be like Santa Claus coming to town. We have no clue as to what that day is going to be like.
There are 86 verses in the Bible give us a glimpse of that fateful and awful day: Here a few scriptures: Amos 5:18, “You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light.” Zephaniah 1:14-15 “That terrible day of the Lord is near. Swiftly it comes— a day of bitter tears, a day when even strong men will cry out. It will be a day when the Lord’s anger is poured out— a day of terrible distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.”
The Prophet Isaiah says13:9 “For see, the day of the Lord is coming— the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it.” You may be wondering why am I sharing all these scriptures? To put some fear in us lest we live like as if the end of the world is never going to come, and all there is to life is here and now.
The scripture is very clear to warn us about that frightful day. It is up to us now, either to remain skeptical about it or to repent of our sinful ways and be watchful of that day. If you don’t pay attention to anything at least pay attention to what Jesus has to say from the remaining verses Vs, 34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap.
For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” This warning to watch out is very much relevant to us in a time where there is so much focus on getting rich, pleasures, personal safety, and comfort.
What are we to watch out for in the end times? We are to watch out that our hearts are not dulled with excessive drinking and endless parties. We are to make sure that our faith is not choked and render us fruitless by the pleasures, and the anxieties of this life. We are to watch out that we are not too preoccupied with the vain pursuits of life and forget to prepare ourselves for the imminent return of Christ.
Eugene Peterson in the Message Bible clearly articulates the warning of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian believers regarding the end times. I Thessalonians 5:1-8, (The Message) I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would.
About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other— “We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.
4-8 But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So, let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others.
Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.”
As a young Christian, these scriptures about the end times freaked me out. They gave me a clear perspective on life and a strong determination to prepare myself to face Jesus face to face, and also share the good news of the gospel to as many people as possible throughout my lifetime. When you go home I encourage you to read up all the references pertaining to the “end times.”
My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will challenge you and equip you so that you will be ready to meet Jesus whenever he may return to the earth. As you leave I want you to ponder these questions. How are you living your life in the light of end times? What is consuming your time these days? Are you being watchful or, are you being swept away by the torrents of life? Watch Out, Christ will be coming back sooner than later, at a time you least expect of him to come back. Are you ready to meet Him if he came back today? One of the ways we can prepare ourselves for his return is by developing a lifestyle of prayer. Jesus made prayer an essential part of his life. May the Lord Help us all to be prepared and to Watch Out! Amen!
