Why Did Jesus Not Know the Day or the Hour? | Mark 13:32 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark)

I invite you to turn in your bibles with me to the gospel of Mark in chapter 13. Today, we're gonna be looking at one verse, but I want to read the surrounding passages because there is a blessing in the simple reading of God's word. Mark chapter 13 beginning in verse 32, which will be the verse of our focus today. We read here, but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake. Lord, we ask that you bless the proclamation of the word, the reception of the word that the lord Jesus Christ might be exalted through it, more importantly through our application of it. Lord, you know the hearts of all men, and we pray that you give us, Lord, a willing heart, an open mind, understanding and clarity not just for the sake of growing in knowledge, but so that we can grow in our obedience and worship to you.

We ask these things in the name, the living name, the saving name of Jesus Christ. Amen. If God is all knowing. And we as Christians believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God. But at the same time, we see that Christ in this one verse admits to his limited knowledge, namely about the day or the hour of his triumphant return.

How do we as Christians reconcile this? It is very difficult to defend the omniscience of the son of God if he confesses in this one verse that he doesn't know something. Does he therefore disqualify himself as being divine? Perhaps you have wrestled with this in your own study of the gospels, or it's very likely that in your endeavors to preach the gospel, someone has brought this up as an objection to you with the intent of casting doubt because he himself does not acknowledge the divine nature of the son of God. And it's in this particular verse in Mark, which is also found in Matthew, Matthew twenty four thirty six, that is often employed to do just that, to cause others and to convince them that Jesus Christ isn't who we believe him to be.

But if you have been wrestling with this particular passage or you find it difficult to explain it to a skeptic, then I want you to take heart from the beginning that the focus of today's message is to bring clarity to it. And I believe the best way to understand and reconcile what Christ says here with who Christ is is by providing this answer in three steps. In other words, if someone were to approach me and bring this verse as a dilemma, then I would first want to ask them if they are willing to patiently receive a robust answer because it will require a listening ear and a humble heart in order to have a proper interpretation of this passage. And if you can remember this three layered response, and even if you rehearse it just a little bit, then I can guarantee you that you will grow in your peace with the veracity of the scripture, and you will also be able to have the confidence to convey it to those who may ask you for the reason of the hope that you have. And so this is a very simple approach.

I want you to take this message as a format of an individual approaching us and asking as they quote Mark thirteen thirty two, how do you believe Jesus Christ to be God manifested in the flesh if he claims himself that he does not know something? And the first step to this three stage answer, if you are taking notes, this will be helpful, is to ask the inquire, number one, to consider the implications of that very verse. That's step number one. Consider the implications of the very verse that you are bringing to my attention. Read Mark thirteen thirty two slowly with me once more before we expand on it.

But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows. Not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. Now, when the Lord Jesus says no one knows, what he means by that is no human being knows. And that would be more obvious if you held the King James version in your hands because that translation provides clarification in the following way. This is how it read in the King James, quote, but of that day or that hour knoweth no man.

But even if you don't have the King James translation as your go to text, this categorization is understandable since the Lord would not have to follow no one knows with anything else. If Jesus meant to say no one knows to encapsulate absolutely everybody, then he wouldn't have to say not even the angels of heaven nor the sun. Now, by the way, this is gonna be heavier today, so you gotta lean in and pay attention. You don't wanna doze off at one part because you might miss it. Why is understanding this important?

Because the Lord is making a clear distinction between classes of beings and his teaching. In fact, if you read it, you'll notice that there's a hierarchy here. He mentions how no human being knows, how no angel in heaven knows, then he speaks of himself by saying, nor the Son, but only the Father. So within the same text that people often use to dilute the nature of Christ, you actually have the Lord Jesus placing himself in an order that is superior. He mentions no one knowing, no rational intelligent human being is able to know.

Then he speaks about the angels in heaven not knowing. And after that, he says, nor the sun. He separates himself from spiritual beings and from human beings. And so this is why I say step one is to consider the implications of the verse because you have to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ is conveying something about himself. There's a intentional difference being spelled out here, something that I would ask a skeptic.

And if they're willing again to listen, then I would show how what Christ is saying here is in concert with the rest of the bible. And one of the go to passages for this to be echoed is the book of Hebrews. Turn to the book of Hebrews chapter one. Do you wanna know the goal of the book of Hebrews? The author there intends to show why Jesus Christ and the new covenant is greater than Moses as the mediator of the old covenant and the old covenant itself.

And right at the beginning of this letter, there is no time wasted for the spirit of God to demonstrate and declare the greatness and the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's greater not just more than Moses, not just over the old covenant, but over everything. He's superior to all things period. And And we weren't we're not gonna read the first three verses, but we read there that he is appointed the heir of all things. We read there that he is the creator of the whole world.

You read there that he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. You read there that he is supreme over everything. And in the same breath, you realize as you come to verse four that he is even recognized as greater in the realm of the spirit, more specifically among angels. Let's read verse four together. Having become this is speaking about the son of God.

Having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Or again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. And so we see here that the prominence of Christ is heralded in that he holds a unique title that no angel shares. And that he has a relationship with the father that no angel has.

And if that isn't convincing enough, you read in verse six something astounding. And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him. Worship the son of God. So not only is he superior because he has a name that they do not have. Not only is he superior because he has a relationship they do not have.

He is superior in that he is to be worshiped. He is to be worshiped by these heavenly beings. Now there are some who really really really don't want to believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. And so they would say, yes, he is superior. Yes, he does have eminence.

But among the creatures, he is the greatest of all creatures. He is distinguished. And that is what your friendly Jehovah's Witness believes. That he was the prized creature and through him God performed everything including the creation of the universe. But if one is honest enough to acknowledge what we just found in Hebrews, in the beginning of the book, then you have to also be honest enough to honor the rest of what the author says.

Look down here at verse eight. He's still again proclaiming the preeminence of Christ. And not only does he say that the angels worship him in verse six, but now the spirit of God through this author tells us what God says about the sun. Highlight this if you've never seen it. This is where God honors and acknowledges the sun in a way that is undeniable.

But of the son, he says, who's he? Verse five tells us it's God who's speaking. So it's the same person who is saying these things. But of the son, he says, your throne, oh God, is forever and ever. Who's speaking?

God. And what does he say to the son? Your God. God is telling the son of God that he is God. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. So the same God who declares that Jesus Christ the son is superior to angels is to be worshiped by angels himself acknowledges and crowns him with deity. Your throne oh God is forever and ever. You know, this obviously troubles many cults including Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Jehovah's Witnesses have their own version of the bible.

It's a perverted version. It's a satanic version actually. And what they've done with this particular verse, I'm gonna quote it to you, just to go to show how much Satan hates, how he absolutely loathes the truth that God, the mystery of godliness, manifested in the flesh. Here it is in the new world translation. And whoever came up with that translation is gonna is gonna be terrified when they stand before God.

Hebrews one eight, in the new world translation reads, but about the son he says, God is your throne forever and ever. What's in your translation? But of the son he says in verse eight of ours, your throne, oh God, is forever and ever. How did the Jehovah's Witnesses spell it out? God is your throne forever and ever.

And the scepter of your kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. And if you do engage with the Jehovah's Witness, you can actually prove from their own bible that whoever mistranslated this actually messed up because they didn't finish the rest of the chapter. So they went to the most obvious verse that declares the deity of Christ from the mouth of God himself, but God didn't finish speaking in Hebrews one eight and nine. There's a verse 10. Look at verse 10 in your own bibles.

The the bible is telling us here that God is still speaking. Look at verse 10. And quote now, God is still speaking to the son of the son and you, Lord. You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning and the heavens are the work of your hands. So somebody forgot to mistranslate verse 10 because God is now telling of the sun, you're Lord.

And he quotes Psalm one zero two twenty five to 27, which in that Psalm ascribes the creation and all these wonderful things to Yahweh. So the Lord is not just calling him Lord in the sense that we see it sometimes in the Old Testament as master, as a superior, when you see that he's quoting Psalm one zero two, he's actually God is actually saying of the son, you're Yahweh. You're Yahweh. So why am I bringing this all to your attention? Because if back in Mark, in our main verse, Christ contrasts himself from all men and angels, and Hebrews confirms that order that he's superior.

He's he's been appointed the heir of all things. He's superior to the angels while acknowledging that the son is God, then the skeptic has to reconsider his weaponization of Mark thirteen thirty two. Because Christ places himself as the son above the angels, above all human beings. And Hebrew elaborates on that and says, yes, he is above all things. He is above the angels, but he's above and it says that he is God over all these things.

So what is Christ implying by him placing himself in that order? That's why you have to step one, consider the implications of the very verse that you are quoting to deny the deed of Christ. Christ is actually confirming it. That's step number one. Consider the implications of this verse.

Step number two is to honor the immediate context. Honor the immediate context. So step number one is to consider the implications of that one stand alone verse. My follow-up to that in the second stage of my response would be to honor the surrounding passages. Anybody who is honest would acknowledge that it would be irresponsible and completely unfair to take one verse out of a body of text and rip it out to make it say something.

That is not faithful. That is not honest. That is not integral. Especially if that standalone statement is connected to a body and a flow of thought, and that's exactly what Mark 30 thirteen thirty two is. So if some insist that Mark thirteen thirty two means that Christ cannot be divine, then I would remind the person that Mark thirteen thirty two is not the only verse in Mark.

It's not. Mark doesn't begin in Mark thirteen thirty two and end with Mark thirteen thirty two. And so if you have been with us in the past, we've been in this, I think, over a year at least. I'm sure over a year. Probably close to two years.

Studying Mark together week after week after week after week, and we've seen one demonstration, one display, example and illustration after another showing us that God is in fact manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. From his profound teachings and claims to his demonstrations of divine power, we gladly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is our God. He bears the attributes of deity. So in the very same breath that Jesus says, he does not know the day or the hour, he thunders the following declaration. I mean, how many places can we go on Mark to show that he is in fact divine?

But you don't even have to go back to chapter one. You don't have to go to chapter three. You don't have to go to chapter five. All you have to do is look at the immediate context. And look at this, right before he says that he does not know the day or the hour, look at Mark thirteen thirty one.

We studied this briefly last week. He proclaims heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. For a mere man to declare that would be absurd, would be bold, but Christ is no mere man. He's no ordinary fellow. And the way he fashions the statement about the eternality of his own words was strategic.

Because as you remember, this is a little bit of review. As you remember, when he said that in the presence of his disciples, they would have connected it to what the old testament says about God's word. Here's Jesus saying, everything will pass away, but my words will not pass away. And those listeners would have said, wait a minute. Hold on.

Cause here's what Isaiah 40 verse eight says. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. And so Isaiah the prophet declares the exclusive trustworthiness and indestructible witness of God's word and yet Jesus of Nazareth comes along and he dares to claim that his word is on the same level as God's. The skeptic must make a conclusion either Christ is a blasphemer or he is claiming to be God. For him to authenticate his word as the same as God's is an astounding assertion.

But it's not even just that. I mean, we're still in Mark 13. Scroll back to Mark thirteen twenty six. And then he says, they will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And we touched on that how he is borrowing from Daniel's vision in Daniel chapter seven of one like a son of man who comes before the Ancient of Days.

And not only does the Ancient of Days recognize him and attribute to him the prerogatives that belong to God alone, but everybody will worship this one who is like a son of man. And most people who come to this passage just stick with verse 26 and don't realize that verse 27 is jam packed with evidence, Further evidence that Christ himself is more than just a man. Notice what he says, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. So he says, one like a son of man will come in the clouds with great power and glory. And it's like, that's obviously a reference to Daniel.

But then he follows that by saying, and he, the same one, the same son of man, he's gonna dispatch his angels, and they're going to gather the elect from the four corners of the earth and from even the ends of heaven. And again, if if you're saturated in the Hebrew scriptures, then you also with verse 27 would say, hold on. Hold on. Hold on. I read in many places that there is only one who has the authority and the ability to fetch for his people from such a distance.

From such a scattered state, there's only one who possesses that ability, and you guessed it right. It's God almighty. Here's one among many references that you can have. Write this down. Write it down.

In Deuteronomy 30, listen to what God says to his people after warning them if they disobeyed, how they would be in fact exiled. But he promises hope in Deuteronomy 30 verse three and four. And here's why I'm quoting this. I'm quoting this to show you that the things that Christ claims about his power and his ability and his authority can only be linked to one other person and that's God himself and it's no different here. Here's what the word of God says in Deuteronomy 30 verse three.

Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcast are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. You find in Isaiah, you find in other places, it's sprinkled. That whenever the Lord says this, he attributes that ability to himself and yet here's Christ in his teaching of the end times saying, me as the son of man, when I return, I'm gonna call for the elect. I'm gonna dispatch my angels because they're inferior to me, they serve me, and they will gather the elect to myself.

Who do you think you are? That's a simple question you can ask in the gospel of Mark or any gospel account. Who does Christ think he is? Never mind what you think. Never mind what may be convoluted and complicated for you, but who does Christ claim to be?

Obviously, he is claiming to be God. So step one, if I'm standing before a skeptic who's saying, if Jesus is God, then how does he not know? I would say, well, consider the implications of the verse. Do you realize the order? Do you realize the hierarchy here?

Where does Christ place himself? Well, I don't know what this means for him to be after the angels and the human beings. Well, let me show you in Hebrews what it means. And after that, I would say zoom out a little bit and look at the surrounding passages. What does Christ say in the same breath where he says he does not know the day or the hour?

What does he say about himself? What does he say about what he can do? Let's not even go throughout the whole neighborhood in Mark. Let's just stick here to this one street, so to speak. But this is where it gets exciting.

This is stage three. This is step three. If that person is able to endure everything that I just said, I would then say this, not just consider the implications of the verse, not just honor the immediate context, here's step three to this answer. Factor the wider testimony of Christ. Factor in the wider testimony of Christ from throughout the bible.

And what you notice about these steps is what? We're zooming out. Right? You start in the verse, then you look at the context just in Mark, and that's important because some people will say, yeah, well, that's what this person says, that's what that book says, but that's not what Mark says. Okay.

Let's just stay in Mark then. And if they're still willing to listen, then I would say, let's consider now what the whole Bible has to say because all of God's word is God's word. How much of Christ being more than just a man has presented to us. But not just that, there are even places where we see without a doubt Christ claiming or at least receiving the acknowledgment that he is all knowing. That he is all knowing.

Okay. So you have your Bibles with you. Right? Go to John 21. This is very important to see with your own eyes.

How can Jesus be crowned as God if he is not all knowing? Well, consider these verses in the gospel accounts that tell us he is all knowing. John 21 verse 17. Here's Jesus with Peter and some of the disciples. Peter decided to go fishing when he wasn't supposed to be fishing.

He was called to fish men, but disappointment in your sanctification and in your performance for Christ can really do a number. He he is so just distraught. He decides to go back to Square 1 before Christ called them to himself, and Jesus stands on the shore. What a merciful king we have. And he calls to Peter and the rest on that boat, and they recognize that it's Christ and they come to the shore and what do they find?

They find their master. And what does the master do? He prepared breakfast for them. Can you imagine God making you breakfast? He prepares a meal for them and he sits with them and this is so amazing because he's intending to take this opportunity for Peter who publicly denied Christ to now publicly affirm his love for Christ.

So after their bellies were full, Jesus turns over to Peter and he asked them twice before what we're about to read, do you love me? Peter says, I do. Feed my sheep. Do you love me? I do.

Tend my lambs. And look at verse 17. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything.

You know everything. You know that I love you. Wow. You know, I thought about that. Never mind.

We're making this is very much a theological session. I get it. But I just wanna pause here. Isn't it amazing that Peter under says something about Christ? That he did not even need to tell him he loved him.

He knew that Christ he knew that Christ knew that he loved him or not. Christ knows your heart. He knows my heart. The facade might fool others, but he already knows before I sing a note or preach a gospel message if I love him. Lord, you know everything.

You know that I love you. You know what Jesus didn't say? Peter, now, you said I know everything. I don't know everything. Remember remember that teaching when I said I don't know the day or the hour?

Jesus corrected Peter on many blunders. You read the gospel accounts, you discover that. Peter has a tendency to just say things right off the whim, right? And Jesus corrects him, sometimes rebukes him. But here's Peter saying, Lord, you know everything.

You know that I love you. And Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. He doesn't misdirect his thoughts. He doesn't correct. He receives.

He receives that acknowledgment. Now, you realize that John 21 is Christ post resurrected. Right? This is after his resurrection. This is before his ascension.

So that is to be taken into consideration, but go to John 16 and look at another account of the disciples having a conversation with Jesus where he tells them that he will no longer speak to them in figures of speech, but will speak to them plainly. John sixteen twenty nine. His disciples said, ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech. Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you. This is why we believe that you came from God.

So pause, take your time in understanding what the disciples are saying here. They realize it dawned to them the light was switched on. Oh, you you know all things and they followed up by saying, and do not need anyone to question you. What do they mean by that? Lord, you don't need anybody to test your knowledge, to probe you.

Because you've convinced us you know everything. So you you unlike others who might be subject to scrutiny and investigation and testing, you stand out among them all because you know all things. And the omniscience of Christ moved them to such a degree that they make this conclusion. Look at the last part of verse 30. This is why we believe that you came from God.

What compounded their conviction that Christ came from God? He knows all things. You know everything. We don't have to wonder about it. We don't have to second guess it.

It's so plain and so obvious. Now this is a major claim, is it not, for somebody to know absolutely everything? Wouldn't this be an opportunity for Christ? This is before his death, by the way. That's why I'm quoting it to you.

This is John 16. He hasn't gone to the cross yet. This is him while he's still on earth fulfilling his earthly ministry. Wouldn't this be the time for him to say, now, now, I did come from heaven, but I don't know absolutely everything? Instead, look what he says in verse 31 as his response.

Jesus answered them, do you now believe? Like finally you got it. Finally, you understand that, yes, I did come from God, but more than that, he's acknowledging everything that they're saying that I also know all things. So we come to this passage. The Lord doesn't deny it.

He confirms everything that they're claiming. So before the resurrection, after the resurrection, the scriptures directly deal with the person of Christ and declare that he is what? All knowing. So then how do we make sense of him? How do we make sense of him in Mark thirteen thirty two saying that he doesn't know something?

And this is where you and I have to take into account the dual nature of Christ. Everything that was presented up to this point, I hope confirms to you that Jesus did not cease to be God when he entered into this world. Yet we also believe that through the incarnation that the Lord of glory did come to become a true human, which means that as much as his divine attributes were present while on earth, we have to also remember that the components and the essential ingredients of being a human were also in function though without sin. So he was fully or truly God, but he was also fully and truly man. And if he was truly man, though without a trace of sin, you have to understand then that there's gonna be limitations by virtue of being man.

So he has to eat and he has to drink and he has to rest. And he has to, as we learn in the gospels, grow in his wisdom and knowledge. And part of that growth in wisdom and knowledge is that there is some restriction to a certain degree of data. And that is all to again confirm his humanity. And so the restriction that Christ underwent is part of his subjecting himself to the will of God by entering into this world as a man.

Now, you might think to yourself, this is so complicated, it can't be true. How do you make sense of the mingling of someone being truly divine and and truly human? What are the intricacies of the mechanics of that? The Bible doesn't give it. But let me comfort you in this, and maybe this is something that will help.

Never mind the complexities of two nature working in one person. Your nature alone as a man, we can't figure ourselves out. Do you realize that? The depths of consciousness, How your brain functions. Why certain things happen and why they don't happen.

We can't even figure that out. And here we are not renouncing our existence. And so it's it's something for us to take into account that we ourselves are complicated beings. And yet, we're willing to throw away the truth just because we can't wrap our minds around the person of Jesus Christ and his incarnation. There is a ceiling that you will meet in this.

And the Bible does not give us this in-depth kind of insight into how those things work. All it does is give us the evidence and we're supposed to acknowledge that evidence and humble ourselves at a certain point and say, you are God. That's why Timothy tells us that this is the mystery of godliness that God manifested in the flesh. It's a mystery. It's a mystery.

And we as creatures have to humbly accept mystery in our faith, though we are a rational faith. We're not people who who blindly accept things, but there are some things that we must be joyfully surrendered to. But again, this is the part where we go from wandering to worship because again, the restrictions of man is something that Christ willingly surrendered to. And that's why in Philippians two seven, you read this. In Philippians two seven, but he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of man.

So Paul tells us not only did he humble himself by becoming a man, but he became a servant. Yes, human, but not a king, not a human king, not a not a human ruler. No. He came as a man, but as a servant. And what's so amazing is that Jesus Christ indirectly speaks about one of the elements of being a servant that sheds some light into him not knowing the day or the hour.

If you wanna see it, you're already in John, I hope. Go to John fifteen fifteen and you'll be able to underscore what I'm conveying. John fifteen fifteen. No longer speaking to his disciples, no longer do I call you servants for the servant does not know what his master is doing. Paul tells us that when Jesus came to this world, he became his servant.

And look how Jesus qualifies what a servant the limitations of a servant, at least. He says a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. But I've called you friends for all that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you. Ah, Christ becoming a servant is willing to subject subjugate himself to a role in which he restricts his knowledge. So how do we tie this all together?

As a man, as the perfect servant of the father, The Lord Jesus Christ would not be able to recollect that which the father chooses only to make known to him. So he he surrendered to the father revealing to him everything that he needed to know as a servant. At the same time, the ability for Christ to recall all things always remained. So he surrendered himself to that limitation in his humanity but in his divine aspect, he did know all things. How to make sense of that?

Not easy. It's not easy but the evidence is plain. And so the intricacies of it, the harmonization of it may not be plain, but what it is plain is that he does know all things and yet in his humility and his mission to come save us, to identify with man, he applied limitations as a servant only being able to convey and bring to mind that which the father as his superior would make known to him. Well, we can end it there. Hopefully, you know now the three steps to answering that question concerning that that verse, but there is an alternative view.

There is an alternative view that I wanna present to you and it's a good case to make. Many people make it. Maybe this is the first time you've heard it. Maybe this is something that you believe. Go back to Mark thirteen thirty two as we're prepared to close in a moment.

He says, but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the son, but only the father. Now the word know in the scriptures can mean something else depending on the context. It can also mean to make known. So to know something isn't limited to the bible in the sense of having cognitive understanding of something. That word know can also mean to make known.

It's almost like a verb, to reveal or to disclose. And the the best example of that being the case is in first Corinthians chapter two verse two, where Paul tells these Corinthian believers the following, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. So what's happening here? Is Paul admitting that he knows absolutely nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified? No.

No. That's absurd. That's not what Christ that's not what Paul rather is saying. He's telling these Corinthian believers as he's reminding them that when he came to them to preach to them, he decided to make known, I decided to know, in his language, nothing among you. My central message was the gospel, the person of Christ and what he's done on the cross.

But notice the verbiage here, for I decided to know nothing among you. And so the alternative view is when you take this and apply it back to Mark thirteen thirty two, it could read the following way. But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows. One, because they don't have the ability to know. No human being knows the day or the hour.

Not even the angels in heaven because they also don't know. They're not omniscient. They don't have access to that. Nor the son, not because he doesn't know, but because as a servant, because he is subject to the father, he does not have the prerogative or the right to make it known. I cannot make that known unless the father gives me access and the authority to make it known.

I do know cognitively, but I can't like Paul says, I can't make it known to you. That's up to the father alone. And that's why he says, but only the father. So that is a view that many do hold to, even his historically, that is a view that many have held to and explained this verse in that way. But all in all, this is how I'm gonna end.

Because I don't wanna end it on that thought. But concerning that day or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the sun, but only in fire. What is he talking about that day or the hour? The day or the hour of his return, and when he returns, he's coming to judge. So we were in school today.

We this was heavy theology today, and that's good. The church needs it. But I wanna end by giving you an opportunity to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, a verse comes to mind, and I wanna quote it to you. It's in Acts 10 where the apostles say the following.

In Acts ten forty two, and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Let me tell you something. Jesus Christ was not just appointed to save the world. He's been appointed to judge the world. Judgment day is coming.

And for you who might be bothered by that message, you have to come to this verse and try to explain it because these are telling us that they were commanded to preach what? Judgment. He commanded us to preach to the people to testify that what? He is the appointed one by God to judge the living and the dead. Not a lot of talk of judgment from preachers today.

But this is apostolic. And so I wanna let you know that there's a day coming where God is going to, by the sun, take into account every single thought, deed, action, lack of action, and bring retribution to it. There is a day coming where you're gonna give your final breath, and in the very few seconds after that, your eternal destination will be sealed. And I heard somebody say it this way, that the job of the preacher is to preach and convince others to change their eternal address. You're going somewhere.

I'm going somewhere. I know you wanna try to live here as long as possible, but I heard another preacher say this way that he stood on the side of many death beds where people have fought for their breath and they couldn't keep it. Explain the sight and the sound of it that there have been people who tried to hold on to their breath and it's gonna leave you no matter how strong you are. No matter how many vitamins you've pumped into your body, no matter how many weights you've lifted, no matter how many things that you've done for you to be as healthy as possible, there's gonna be a day where your breath is gonna leave you and you can't do anything about it. And the moment you give that final breath, you're gonna enter into a world more real than this one.

And what's gonna happen is this. What you did with Jesus here will determine what Christ will do with you then. He has been appointed by God to judge. He's going to judge every wicked deed, every unbelieving thought, every single conviction that contradicts his truth will not be winked at. It will be acknowledged and it will be dealt with by a holy God.

And the scrutiny of his holiness, no man can dare stand there and even think that they can defend themselves. The very sight of his being will cause you to melt and realize that you have no chance. You have no chance to receive eternal life. But that's not the only thing that the apostle said here. In acts ten forty two, we're told that they were were to preach this message, but look at verse 43.

To him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. So it's not just judgment, It's grace, forgiveness. Judgment day is coming, but you can escape it. Judgment day is coming, but you can be forgiven. And notice that forgiveness for any sin, any deed, any action, any misaction is only applied and accessed through his name.

The name of the Lord Jesus Christ whom I serve. And I present to you that name. If you have not believed on that name, if you have not repented from your sin and received and applied your heart to that name, today is your day. Let your heart be at rest this afternoon knowing that you've made peace with God almighty. Let your heart be at rest knowing that you have received salvation as a gift from this Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

And so I wanna invite you today, if you have never made that choice, if you can't remember a time where you have decided, I will turn from my sin and I will receive the shed blood of Jesus Christ to wash over me. Why would you deny such a request? There is a time coming where many, many people will realize the foolishness of them rejecting this message that I present to you. You think we're just a random ball floating in the blackness of space and this just all happened? You think this is going nowhere?

No. No. No. No. No.

Every road is leading to judgment day. And God in his great love and steadfastness has made a way for us to hide from the wrath to come and to receive not just forgiveness, but fellowship with God. Fellowship with God. This is not just you erasing your account so that when when he comes, he's gonna examine you and say, okay, you passed. Now just tuck yourself somewhere in the peripheral of heaven.

This is God and his great love. Though judge is also one who desires to extend himself as father to his creatures. And he wants to receive you and know you, walk with you, love you, and for you to share in eternal communion forever. And so I herald this truth to you today. Repent from your sins and flee to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Run to him. Flee to the city of refuge before it's too late. I know many people wanna make other people feel good. You can make people feel good until they go to hell. That's not my job.

That's not the job of the preacher. The job of the preacher is to proclaim salvation and for people to enter into abundant life through his name alone. I'm not inviting you to a drudgery. I'm not inviting you to some kind of weighty way of life in which you're always looking over your soul. I'm inviting you to joy and joy abundantly.

It can only come from the one who made you. It can only come from the one who created you. It can only come from the one who saved you and wants to restore you and make you whole. You are a frag you are created in the image of God but it's fragmented. You are created to reflect his glory but sin has muddied it and only Christ can cleanse it.

Only Christ can restore you and make you whole. And I wanna tell you today in my closing that this Jesus Christ who I proclaim to you is not just the way into heaven. He's the way until you can know freedom here on earth. He sets free. He breaks any shackle, any bondage, any turmoil.

Let me tell you something. When I got saved, I know I got saved. Not into sinless perfectionism. No. No.

No. No. No. But I can tell you that the weight came off. The burden of sin, the power of iniquity was removed from my life.

And it's been twelve years and I can look back and still say I am a free man because of Jesus Christ. I invite you into freedom in Christ. But brother, do you struggle? Do you do you have bad days? You better believe it.

But I have Christ in my life, And I'd rather be with Christ on a stormy day than be without Christ on a sunny day. I want him. I I have nowhere else to go. You are a wanderer. You are lost.

You are abandoned without him. But here he is now inviting you to know fellowship and relationship with your maker. Do not deny it. He is stretching his hand to you on the Sunday afternoon, and he's pleading with you to come and receive the assurance of eternal life and life today. And so, I beg of you, come receive the living bread of heaven.

I beg of you, drink of this living water. If you come and sip from this, you will never have to look at another well again. I assure you that if you drink from this fountain, you will never have to explore another day in your life to no satisfaction. It's completely found in him and there's a day coming that this invitation I present to you has an expiration. There is an expiration date.

You cannot afford to wait. Did you notice what we read in the beginning? After speaking about that day or the hour in which you will return, he urges his listeners, stay awake. We're gonna talk about that next week. You don't know when it's gonna happen.

Don't don't allow yourself to stay asleep. Get up from your slumber and realize that the day of salvation is now is now. So I beckon you to get saved. Listen. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, the elders will be here.

Whoever came with you as a believer will be here to answer any questions and to help you find the light in Christ. That's what this is about. We're not here to play church. Didn't sign up for this thing to just go through an hour and a half every single Sunday and just go home. Souls are hanging in the balance every week.

And so I wanna let you know that we take this seriously. If you need to be saved, find one of us. Find one of us and ask, and we'll be glad. It will be considered a privilege to help you see the glory of Jesus Christ. I'm done.

Let's pray together as the praise team comes up. Before the actually, praise team come up and then I'll pray. I just want you right now in the silence of your own heart to evaluate yourself. If you're somebody here who doesn't know Christ, ask yourself why would I deny this gospel? Why would not I accept this free gift of salvation?

Believe if you're here, just rejoice in knowing that this bible that you hold is the truth, and give God glory in knowing that you have everything you need in him. Lord, we do thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this session in which we were able to understand the depths of scripture. Thank you for confirming to us that even in places in the bible that may seem to be challenging and those who may say he's contradicting, you've given us answers. We praise you for that. But, Lord, in this day or the and then in this hour, we realize that the gospel must be proclaimed.

Yes, explanations, but also the gospel that saves. Explanations can only go so far. It's this gospel that renews and redeems. So we pray that if even if there's one person in here that doesn't know Christ, that your spirit would continue his work. They're bringing that conviction that brings about change if it's responded to appropriately.

Lord, at this time we worship you. We thank you that you did send your son, the superior one who humbled himself and became a servant to serve sinners. There is no God like you, and we worship you and give you your due on this Sunday afternoon. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let's stand and give him glory and praise and exaltation. He is worthy. He is the king of kings. He is the lord of lords.