Mark 13:32-37; Eph. 1:20-22, Jesus is Waiting

The conclusion of the Olivet Discourse (in Mark’s account) is a rather amazing statement from Jesus: no one knows the exact time when these things will take place, not even Jesus, the Son of God!  Only the Father knows.

We say this is amazing.  But it should not be difficult to accept.  At this very moment Jesus, the Son, is sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting for the Father to make His enemies a footstool for His feet.  This was the Father’s instruction (Psalm 110:1) and the NT affirms that this is where Jesus is now (Heb. 10:12-13).  What we see in this are the distinctions that are evident in the Trinity.  It was the Father who promised the Son that His inheritance would involve ruling the nations (Ps. 2).  Thus, it is the Father who will tell the Son when it is time to return.

There is another matter we should clear up.  Eph. 1:22 and 1 Peter 3:22 seem to indicate that Jesus already has authority over His enemies.  That is true!  After Jesus’ death and resurrection He said that the Father had given Him all authority (Matt. 28:18).  Paul said the same: He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.  Peter said, He is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.  But that is not the same as saying they are now His footstool.  Many Gentiles (people from the nations) are submitting themselves to Christ through faith in Him, but there is still plenty of rebellion in the nations.  There is an event still future, called “the supper of the great God,” described in Rev. 19:17-21, that will bring an end to rebellion.  After that event will be the Millennial Reign of Christ (Rev. 20:1-6).

Until then, Jesus calls all His followers to “watch and pray,” the same instructions He gave His disciples in Gethsemane (Mk. 14:38).  In the Garden the reason we need to watch and pray is that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”  In this passage we watch and pray so that we are being faithful to our calling when He comes.  Both passages have to do with faithfulness.  We are being encouraged not to forget about or neglect our Lord.  We always want to have a mindset, if you will, that Christ is coming again.  This is our hope as we walk with Him in this sinful world, carrying out His plan of building His church through the making of disciples.

The NT frequently emphasizes this watchfulness.  We are to look at the things “not seen,” the eternal things (2 Cor. 4:16-18), setting our minds on the things above where Christ sits at the right hand and from which He will come (Col. 3:1-4), looking unto Jesus, our forerunner who has run the race before us (Heb. 12:1-2).