Stay Awake

Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, assistant professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 13:32-37.

As Jesus concludes His discourse on the destruction of the temple and His second coming, He knows that His disciples will be tempted toward speculation. He knows that what they need is vigilance, and so He clearly states that only the Father knows the time of the Son’s second coming. The disciples do not need to calculate times and seasons; they need to stay awake. Jesus repeats this command several times at the end of His teaching, making explicit the emphasis that is present throughout. He pictures the lives of His people during the time between His ascension and His return as watchmen. Whatever their work, His people are to stay awake. Whether life is full of earthly blessing or earthly trouble, His people are to stay awake. The temptation is always to fall asleep, to be lulled into security in anything or anyone other than Jesus. Only Jesus brings eternal life. Therefore, Jesus commands His disciples then and His people now: Stay awake!

“The Gospel in Action” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Mark. The Evangelist hits the ground running with the very first verse of his Gospel account, and he never lets up the pace. As one deed of Jesus comes right after another, always paired with His authoritative Word, St. Mark proclaims the good news that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, revealed conclusively by His death on the cross.