August 16 - When You See

Matthew 24: 29-35

So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Matthew 24:33 ESV)

I love to travel. We used to drove across the country every summer to visit my brother in North Carolina. They were usually really fun trips to make, but I always like coming home. I love driving in on the interstate and keeping track of the signs that tell me how close I am to home.

During Jesus' teaching on the Last Days he told his followers that they would be able to determine the Last Days by looking at the signs. Will our generation be the ones to experience the Second Coming of Christ? What do the signs show us?

Some people get a little weird when it comes to this stuff. They start to make crazy predictions. I don't think that's what Jesus was shooting for. Jesus wasn't trying to teach his people how to calculate the moment of his return. He was stressing to them the importance of their continued watch. He wanted his followers to remain a perpetually ready people.

When I am driving home from a long trip I take note of the signs that point me to home. The reason why is because I am looking for them. I am seeking reassurance and direction. I believe that Christ demonstrates that for his people. When his return is imminent all of his followers will know it. They will be looking for him.

May 25 - No Signs

Read: Mark 8:10-12

And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." (Mark 8:12 ESV)

Why are we always looking for signs? We seem to be a people who crave the security of inside information.  We doggedly go about searching for clues or insights to the near and far future. We even sometimes fall into the trap of worshipping that kind of information, maybe not in ritualistic religious observances, but with our intense desires and passions.

The Gospels record Jesus being approached about his signs on a few different occasions.  People wanted proof of his claim.  They wanted some kind of supernatural ID, but they wanted it on their schedule and on their time.  He had already been demonstrating all kinds of supernatural things. Healings, exorcisms, and other miraculous wonders that superseded the natural world.

I believe God does supernatural things for two reasons.  He does them simply because He loves us and wishes to help us.  And He also does them to bring glory to Himself.  He does not do them to whoa us, wow us, or woo us.  No sign is coming simply to sate our estranged curiosity. God does not work on our time, to please our whims, or to satisfy our selfishness.

I think that leaves us with an important question.  Will be of a generation that freely receives from God simply because He loves us and is longing to demonstrate His love? Or, will we go to Him as the Pharisees did with our list of demands and conditions for belief? One option leaves us disappointed, depraved, and destitute. The other leaves us sitting as His feet, awaiting the Father’s good pleasure.

May 24 - Seeing Signs

Read: Luke 11:29-32

For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:30 ESV)

Seeing is believing right? For most of us it is simply easier to accept what we can see. But it is also important to ask yourself, what exactly do I see? What is the sign before my eyes?

Jesus declared that he himself would be a sign to his generation. The nation was in turmoil. They were occupied by a conquering force. They were crushed by a cruel puppet king. They were spiritually starving under the leadership of a corrupt religious aristocracy. Jesus was the sign that all of that would change, and it did.

What kind of sign is before your eyes? Do you see Jesus? Do you see him for who he is?

Jesus does change everything. His death was the catalyst for our new life and restored relationship with God. Look to him. Find answers. Find assurance. Find provision and find peace.

May 23 - Seeking Signs

Read: Matthew 12:38-42

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." (Matthew 12:38 ESV)

I use signs a lot when I'm driving. Especially if I am traveling into new territory or looking for somewhere/something new. In our culture we depend on signs so much that we invented technology to give us audible voiced cues as we drive down the road. We want to see and know what is ahead. We want proof.

The religious leaders in Jesus' time wanted proof as well. Or at least they outwardly claimed that it was proof they were aster. Some were motivated by their power, influence, and bank accounts, but ere were those among their number earnestly seeking to please God, and serve Him. I'm not sure what category the group fell into that first asked Jesus for a sign, but I know that his response addressed the real issue.

What is it about us that demands proof? Is it mistrust, a lack of faith, or absurd arrogance? Maybe it is a meandering conglomerate of all of them. Maybe we vacillate between varying shades of mistrust and arrogance in our pursuit of proof. But what lies at the core of what we are actually searching for in our pursuit of proof? Are we hoping to find irrefutable evidence for the existence of God or the supremacy of the human intellect? Many with varying opinions would argue that proof for both arguments already exists. No, the answer to what we are seeking is secondary, or maybe even tertiary. The chief question in our humanly selfish pursuit of proof is, why are we seeking proof? Or, why do we demand a sign? The answer to that question reveals a great deal about our hearts.