The Last Supper (Mark 14:10–26)

 

The Last Supper (Mark 14:10–26)

What do we live by? Not by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. A person is both a physical being and a spiritual being (Gen. 2:7). Yet there are physical people and there are spiritual people. A physical person is one who lives by bread alone. There are also physical Christians — those who say they believe yet remain in a physical state with no spiritual growth.

In Mark 14:10–26, at the last Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus announced that Judas Iscariot would betray him, and he established the blood covenant of eating and drinking his body and blood. The blood applied to the doorframes on the night of the Passover — which commemorated the day of liberation from slavery in Egypt — was none other than the blood of Jesus Christ who would be sacrificed on the cross. Approximately 1,300 years after that, Jesus received the sacrifice as the Son of God.

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus (Matt. 26:14–16; Luke 22:3–6)

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. (Mark 14:10–11)

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. From the very beginning Jesus had called him, stayed with him, shown him everything, and shared everything with him. Jesus loved him to the point of washing even his feet. Yet in the end Judas never opened his hardened heart — he kept it firmly shut. This was because he loved himself more than he loved God. He followed and carried out exactly what the devil does.

In the end, he made up his mind to betray Jesus, went to the chief priests, agreed to hand the Lord over, and watched for his opportunity. He saw and heard all of Jesus' love and words of truth, yet he did not receive them — he refused them. Instead of listening to the voice of God's love and mercy, he lent his ear to the whispering voice of Satan the devil. So though he was given countless opportunities to enter into God's salvation through Christ, he refused them all.

What is even more remarkable is that Jesus knew from the very beginning that Judas Iscariot would betray him (John 6:64; 13:10–11, 18; Matt. 26:23–25). Even so, Jesus loved him — he loved him to the very end. In the same way, God knows all things in advance, yet he loves every person to the very end. God desires that not one person perish but that all come to salvation (2 Pet. 3:9).

How does one know who has been chosen by God before the ages? We cannot know this. It is a secret known only to God. What we can be certain of is this: it is known through the response of understanding God's word and obeying it accordingly. It is known by whether our hearts overflow with gratitude for God's grace and mercy, and whether we receive the difficulties we face each day as God's refining love.

On the contrary, hardening one's heart in response to God's word — as Pharaoh king of Egypt did — is the path to destruction. Even after witnessing ten plagues, he did not submit to God, and as he pursued Israel he was destroyed in the depths of the Red Sea. The seed of the word that falls on good soil grows and produces a crop — some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown. But the seed that falls on the path, on rocky ground, or among thorns does not bear fruit and withers away.

The Passover with the Disciples (Matt. 26:17–25; Luke 22:7–14, 21–23; John 13:21–30)

12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. (Mark 14:12–16)

Jesus spent his last Passover on this earth with the twelve disciples he had chosen. Knowing that the day when he must return to his heavenly Father was drawing near, he prepared for it in advance. It was ordinarily women who carried water jars, so he arranged things this way so that the disciples could identify the man without difficulty.

The Passover is also called the Festival of Unleavened Bread because bread without yeast is eaten. The origin of this festival goes back to the time of slavery in Egypt. When God made his covenant with Abraham, he promised that his descendants would take possession of the promised land four hundred years later (Gen. 15:13). When the fullness of God's time came, he called his servant Moses and demanded of Pharaoh king of Egypt that he let his people go.

But Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to listen to or obey the command of the Lord God. Because of this, God sent plagues through Moses, the last of which was the plague on the firstborn. It was a terrifying plague in which every firstborn — from the firstborn of the king down to the firstborn of all the people and even the firstborn of their livestock — would die. Israel, however, was the exception: in obedience to the command of the Lord God, they applied the blood of an animal to their doorframes. Because the angel of death passed over the doors that had the blood applied to them, it is called the Passover.

On that day, the people of Israel slaughtered the lamb or goat they had prepared in advance and applied its blood to their doorframes. And after the angel of death passed through the land of Egypt that night, they left the land of Egypt in haste the following day. At this point, Pharaoh could no longer bear God's wrath and surrendered, releasing Israel. So they ate the bread made without yeast that evening, as God had commanded — which is why it is called the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

The blood of the animal sacrificed at the Passover symbolizes the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Observing the Passover is a remembrance of the death of Christ by the shedding of his blood. The way to receive salvation without facing God's judgment is to be redeemed by the blood of Christ. God saw the blood applied to the doorframes, and everyone inside those houses was spared from death. What God sees is the faith that applied the blood to the doorframes. God gives eternal life to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, his Son.

One of You Will Betray Me

17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me — one who is eating with me." 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely you don't mean me?" 20 "It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." (Mark 14:17–21)

This is the scene where Judas Iscariot crosses his Rubicon. According to John's account, after this scene Judas went out into the night (John 13:30). Just before saying these words, Jesus had washed the feet of each of the twelve disciples (John 13:1–17). Jesus washed the feet of Judas Iscariot as well. Though Jesus is the Creator God, he came to this earth clothed in the form of a servant and washed the dirty feet of his disciples. The washing of feet signifies the cleansing of what is unclean — being forgiven of sin and clothed in purity. This foreshadows Jesus being crucified and dying in their place for their sins.

God extends the hand of his love and grace to every person. From birth to the moment of death, God continually leads people to enter into the embrace of his grace and receive eternal life. Look at Judas Iscariot! He was called as one of Jesus' twelve disciples and spent three and a half years with him, receiving the grace of seeing and hearing up close everything he taught and all the signs and miracles he performed. More than anyone else, he experienced firsthand and directly the countless moments of mercy and compassion that Jesus showed without fail.

Yet not once did he open his heart and receive God's compassionate love. Through healing the sick, declaring the forgiveness of sins, and washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus was hinting at his coming crucifixion, death, and resurrection. More specifically, Jesus spoke directly and repeatedly about his imminent death and resurrection.

Yet to Judas Iscariot, Jesus was only a person who had come as an earthly messiah to overthrow Rome — the enemy — and establish what he imagined to be a Davidic kingdom. But Jesus did not fulfill his expectations in the slightest. In the end, from the very beginning Judas had never received Jesus as the suffering Christ prophesied in Scripture, and he refused him to the very end. Jesus said it would have been better for that man if he had not been born. Jesus came to this earth to receive the baptism of death.

The Last Supper (Matt. 26:26–30; Luke 22:15–20; 1 Cor. 11:23–25)

22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25 "Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:22–26)

At the Passover supper he shared with his disciples on this earth, Jesus told them to eat and drink his body and blood. Today, when we eat the piece of bread and drink from the cup in the Lord's Supper, we are commemorating the torn flesh and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bread and drink are the nourishment that sustains our bodies. Therefore, eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus means that this is the driving force that sustains both our physical and spiritual life.

What do people live by? Food is necessary, but more than that, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). We must eat not only the food of the body but also the food of the spirit. Food is something we depend on. We become what we eat. The person who depends on God's love and forgiveness becomes such a person. On the contrary, the person who feeds on hatred and resentment becomes a person of hatred.

What does it mean to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus? It is to believe in God and his Son Jesus Christ and to depend on and trust in him completely. Above all, we have been forgiven of our sins through the blood of Christ, and through that blood we are renewed day by day and clothed in new life. This life is the life of Christ, clothed through the power of the resurrection. Now in Christ, relying on the word of God — that is, his power and authority — we obey the word of his new commandment.

Eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus also means abiding in him and receiving him so that he abides in us. It means entrusting everything we are to Jesus. We do not have the power and authority to live on our own. We were created from the very beginning to depend on God and to live within him. Apart from God we can do nothing (John 15:6). We were created through him and can live only by his power and strength.

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me." (John 6:53, 56–57)

Amen!

September 27, 2026

Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2026, David Lee Ministries ©2026 – All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotes are from the NIV.

 

A Woman Anoints Jesus (Mark 14:1–9)

 

A Woman Anoints Jesus (Mark 14:1–9)

What is the greatest of all things a person can do? There is nothing greater than receiving salvation. For without salvation, one faces eternal punishment. This is because people have fallen for the deception of the cunning Satan the devil. God purposed before the ages that he would restore Adam, who had fallen into sin, through the woman's offspring — through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came as the Son of Man.

In Mark 14:1–9, Jesus received with delight the act of the woman who broke open the costly perfume and poured it on his head as the greatest of all things. This is because it was a preparation for the death and burial of Christ. Jesus came for that very purpose — to be the sacrificial offering that hangs on the cross and atones for the sins of this world. Therefore, whoever believes in the merit of Christ's death receives eternal life.

The Plot to Kill Jesus (Matt. 26:1–5; Luke 22:1–2; John 11:45–53)

1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 "But not during the festival," they said, "or the people may riot." (Mark 14:1–2)

The time had now fully come for God's Son to drink the cup of sacrifice — it had risen all the way to the throat. God's wrath came upon the children of the devil, whose hearts were hardened and rebellious, and they could no longer delay the arrest and condemnation of the Son of Man. They did not fear God — they feared people. So they plotted to arrest and kill the Son of God, deliberately avoiding the Passover festival when great crowds would be gathered.

The Jewish religious leaders had been grinding their teeth in their desire to arrest and kill Jesus of Nazareth for the past three and a half years. They had attempted to stone him to death on several occasions and had tested and challenged him at every opportunity to trap him. Their hearts had hardened like stone, and even though they witnessed with their own eyes the good and life-giving work of Jesus Christ, it was like reading the Scriptures to a cow — it went in one ear and out the other.

God would have been entirely justified in judging them at once. Yet in his patience he continued to lead them through truth and love, that they might turn back, repent, and come to salvation. Jesus taught them with the word of truth in unchanging love, in spite of all their tests and accusations. God stands all day long with arms spread wide, longing for his people to return to the embrace of the love of God their Creator (Rom. 10:21).

Yet they did not repent. Why, then, was this the moment? Because God leads and moves all things according to his will and purpose. At times, it seems to us that God is slow, as though he is doing nothing. But that is not so. With the Lord a thousand years are like a day, and a day is like a thousand years (2 Pet. 3:8). God created all of heaven and earth according to his will and purpose, and he governs it without the slightest deviation. God's time comes like a thief, suddenly arriving at a time no one expects (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10).

For now we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is seen dimly will be seen clearly (1 Cor. 13:9–10). We do not yet see all things in submission to the Lord God who is sovereign over all, but on the day when the Judge of all things comes, we will see everything bowing down and submitting at his feet (Heb. 2:8). But until the day of the Lord comes, all these things remain hidden — yet we see them, believe them, and hold to them with the eyes of faith.

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany (Matt. 26:6–13; John 12:1–8)

3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. (Mark 14:3–5)

This event is recorded in all four Gospels. However, it can be viewed not as one event but as two. Luke's Gospel is seen as recording a different event from the other three Gospels. In Luke's Gospel, a sinful woman appears, whereas in the other three Gospels it is Mary or an unnamed woman. The three Gospels differ in location and name, but in all of them the people viewed the pouring of the perfume as a waste, while Jesus said it was a preparation for his burial.

Why then did this woman pour such expensive perfume on Jesus? It was probably not with the intention of preparing for his burial. It was to offer gratitude and worship for the great grace she had received (Luke 7:40–42). We have had a debt cancelled that we could never repay (Matt. 18:24). It is a debt that is utterly impossible to pay back. Sin demands death (Rom. 6:23). There is no other way apart from death. Yet God made his Son the sacrificial offering in our place and atoned for our sins.

God first made Christ his Son — who gave himself up without sparing his own life — the sacrificial offering (Rom. 5:8). This was not because we had performed righteous acts before God. He had compassion and mercy on us who had fallen into sin, who could not see ahead and were groaning in the chains of darkness. He displayed on the cross a love that sacrificed the Son without reservation, and he gives eternal life to everyone who believes.

Now God has commanded us, in response to his love, to love the Lord God with all our life, will, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. God so loved the world that he did not spare his one and only Son but gave him up (John 3:16). Love is obedience. Obeying God's word is the proof of love for the Lord. Following the example of Jesus who died on the cross, we love our neighbors to the point of death. This woman gave everything she had for the Lord.

Then some of those present were indignant and rebuked the woman, asking what kind of waste this was. Matthew mentions the disciples, and John identifies Judas Iscariot — the one who later betrayed Jesus — as the one who spoke (Matt. 26:8; John 12:4). They were angry and indignant that the expensive perfume had not been sold and distributed to the poor. But in reality, it was not out of concern for the poor but out of greed for money. Judas Iscariot was in charge of the money bag, and he was a thief who used to help himself to what was put into it (John 12:6).

To judge and rebuke the pouring of the perfume as a waste was a complete failure to understand the woman's motive and sincerity. Those who are enslaved to their own greed do not hesitate to judge and rebuke people carelessly. In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you — for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 7:12). For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged (Matt. 7:2).

She Has Done What She Could

6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Mark 14:6–9)

Jesus looked at the motive at the center of her heart and received with delight the woman's pouring of the perfume as preparation for his own imminent burial. Jesus knew that his death was near. It was for this very purpose that he had left the heavenly throne, been clothed in the form of a servant, and was incarnate on this earth. Now God's time had fully come and the moment to offer his body as a sacrificial offering had arrived. Because Jesus came precisely for this — to bear the sins of this world and die — he commanded that the pouring of perfume on his body be remembered wherever the gospel is proclaimed.

Jesus had to die. For without his death there is no forgiveness of sins and no salvation. Without the blood of Jesus, no one can be freed from sin and death. And if one is not freed from sin and death, trouble and distress never cease; true satisfaction, peace, and rest cannot be found; and ultimately one falls into the eternal fire of hell (Rom. 2:9; Isa. 66:24; Mark 9:48). The life that is under sin is never filled no matter what it eats, and never finds fulfillment no matter what it does (Mic. 6:14; Isa. 9:20).

No one has true peace and joy until they are clothed in the righteousness of God. But when one is washed by the blood of Christ, they are freed from sin and enter into the rest of God's glory. And those who have been freed from sin are now at last able to do good.

"There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Rom. 2:9–10)

How does one put on the righteousness of Christ? We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God whom God sent, shed his blood and died in place of the sins of this world. We believe that Christ's death is an atoning death that stands in place of my sin and is the payment for my sin. God frees us from the heavy yoke and chains of sin and death the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not because we are worthy — it is through faith in Christ the Son alone.

Putting on the righteousness of Christ happens only through the spiritual and holy grace of God that belongs to heaven. We respond in faith with gratitude for the grace God pours out on us — and that faith itself is also a spiritual and holy gift that comes down from heaven. Faith belongs to heaven, and so does righteousness. Nothing is our own. Therefore, receiving forgiveness of sins and salvation in Christ is entirely by God's grace.

Then how does one do good? No one is good except God alone. Therefore, only God can do good. We cannot do good (Rom. 7:19). The ability to do good comes from being clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Whoever is clothed in the righteousness of Christ has Christ dwelling within them. When by faith we offer up our bodies — just as Christ offered his body as a sacrificial offering — Christ who dwells within us does good through us.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)

Jesus commanded that the preparation for his burial be testified to wherever the gospel of salvation is proclaimed. This is because without the death of Christ there is no forgiveness of sins. To enter into eternal life, one must be washed by the blood of Christ. God is pleased to receive our offering of our lives. This is because the debt of sin has been atoned for through the death of Christ.

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Heb. 9:22)

Amen!

September 20, 2026

Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2026, David Lee Ministries ©2026 – All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotes are from the NIV.

 

Learn the Lesson of the Fig Tree (Mark 13:28–37)

 

Learn the Lesson of the Fig Tree (Mark 13:28–37)

Everything has a day of reckoning. The family, the school, the company, the government, the church — all of them settle their accounts every year. Life, too, has a day of reckoning. Life is not an accident, nor a picnic — it has a purpose and a destination. We come from God and return to God. And each person will stand before God's judgment seat and give an account according to what they have done (Rom. 2:6). Those who have stayed awake, practiced righteousness, and obeyed the word will be given a reward, but those who have not obeyed will face eternal judgment.

In Mark 13:28–37, Jesus warned his disciples to always be on the alert because no one knows the day — that is, the day when the Lord will return. Being alert means understanding God's word and obeying it accordingly. This refers to a life filled with the Holy Spirit — following the way of the cross that Christ walked. For the suffering and death of Christ is the one and only path that leads to salvation.

When the Branch Puts Out Leaves, Summer Is Near

28 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door." (Mark 13:28–29)

By observing natural phenomena, one can predict what is about to happen. When dark clouds gather, rain is coming. God planned and made the universe and all creation according to his will and purpose. All things in creation reveal the purpose, will, and intent of God. All creation obeys God's law without the slightest deviation. Through this, God teaches people who have fallen into sin and are wandering and lost — using all of creation to lead them to repentance (Rom. 1:19–20).

Jesus taught his disciples about the signs of the end times. Many deceivers will arise, wars and rumors of wars will break out, natural disasters of earthquakes and famines will occur (Mark 13:5–8). People will be handed over to councils and persecution will come (v. 9). The abomination that causes desolation will stand in the holy temple (v. 14). And the heavens will be shaken, the sun and moon will fall, and then people will see the Lord Jesus coming on the clouds with the sound of the archangel's voice and the trumpet call (vv. 24–27).

The apostle John said in the first century that it was already the last hour (1 John 2:18). If that was true then, how much closer must the end be today in the twenty-first century. In fact, every person is living in the end times. At the moment we die, we will stand before the Lord Jesus — the Lord of lords — who comes on the clouds with the voice of the archangel and the sound of the trumpet.

The history of humanity has never been free from wars and rumors of wars, conflict and slaughter. Natural disasters continue as well — earthquakes, famines, floods, heat waves, and wildfires. Jesus said this is the beginning of birth pains. Birth pains, once they begin, cannot be reversed — they must be endured all the way through. Therefore, we can know that the day of the Lord's coming is drawing near.

No One Knows the Day or Hour — Only the Father

30 "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:30–32)

"This generation" refers to the period until God's kingdom comes and rules on this earth. Yet at the moment each person dies, they will see Jesus — who comes as the King of kings — with the voice of the archangel and the sound of the trumpet. Every person is given one life on this earth on equal terms. This period is a time to learn, absorb, and obey the secrets of God's kingdom. It is the period of preparing for the eternal kingdom of heaven in the age to come.

At the end of the age, the heavens will be shaken, and the solar system and all of heaven and earth will melt away like snow. Just as the landscape changes beyond recognition in ten years, so this world is not eternal — it will decay, become defiled, and pass away. This world cannot be our hope. The kingdom of heaven, which is eternally imperishable, unfading, and undefiled, is the true hope. To those who have believed God's promises and lived holding on to the hope of heaven, God gives the kingdom of heaven as their inheritance.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb. 11:6)

But God's word will never pass away — it is eternal. Not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means pass away from God's word before everything is accomplished (Matt. 5:18). Nothing on this earth can pass through death. But God's word is the power and authority that is alive and passes through death. When God speaks, the dead come back to life, the blind receive their sight, and leprosy comes and goes.

When God spoke, there was light; the waters above were separated from the waters below; the sea drew back and dry land appeared, becoming the earth. When God spoke, Aaron's staff budded, blossomed, and produced almonds (Num. 16:6). When God spoke, the Red Sea parted, water gushed from the rock, and manna fell from heaven.

The Word became flesh and came to this earth and displayed the glory and power of God (John 1:14). That glory and power was seen in the death of the Son of God in place of this world's sin. Through the shedding of his blood in sacrifice and his death, he broke the power of sin and death over this world. God raised his Son from the dead by his word and made him Lord of all. Jesus, who is the Word, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God's throne, reigning until his enemies bow their knees under his feet.

Yet no one knows when the end of the earth will come — that is, the day when Jesus will return. Only the heavenly Father knows, and even Jesus, who came as the Son of Man, did not know it (Matt. 24:36). Our lives are entirely in God's hands. Whether we live or die seems to be something people determine, but it is not so. It is entirely in the hands of God, who created heaven and earth and loved us to the point of sacrificing his Son.

The generation before the flood lived nearly a thousand years (Gen. 5). Yet Moses said that the years of our life are seventy, or eighty if we are strong (Ps. 90:10). God allowed the Amorites to remain in the land for four hundred years before judging them because their sin had not yet reached its full measure (Gen. 15:16). God delayed judgment on the city of Nineveh for a hundred and fifty years because they heard the prophet Jonah and repented (Jonah 3:10; Nah. 1:1; 3:13).

God desires that no one perish but that everyone come to salvation (2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:3–4). So in his patience God leads and guides people throughout their lives, giving them the opportunity to repent, turn back, and come to salvation. Every person has been given an equal opportunity to turn back to God, and God has planted in all creation the knowledge by which his power and glory can be known.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Cor. 10:13)

Be on Guard! Be Alert!

33 "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" (Mark 13:33–37)

Therefore, Jesus commanded us to keep watch. "Keep watch" appears three times in repetition. Not one of God's promises will fall to the ground — every single one will be fulfilled. Jesus is the Lord of all things who, as depicted in the parable of the tenants, made a vineyard capable of bearing good fruit, entrusted it to his servants, and went away to a far country. The meaning of what was entrusted is that good fruit should be borne and returned to God. Life on this earth belongs to no one. Since everything belongs to God, it must all be returned to him one day. This means that a day of reckoning for everything — good and evil alike — is coming.

The reason we must keep watch is that no one knows when the Lord will come. It could be tonight or it could be tomorrow at dawn. Because Jesus will come suddenly, we must always be prepared. We must not let him find us sleeping when he arrives. This does not refer to physical sleep at bedtime, but to not being alert. Jesus comes like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2; Rev. 3:3; 2 Pet. 3:10). Jesus will come suddenly at an hour no one expects (Matt. 24:44). No one knows when they will die.

Being alert means faithfully and wisely distributing the food — that is, God's word — at the proper time (Matt. 24:45). So being alert is faithfully doing the work entrusted to us when the master comes. What God has entrusted to us until the day of reckoning includes everything in this life — life itself and time included. Life is by no means something that comes and goes by chance — it has an origin and a purpose. And that purpose is to live for the glory of God whether we eat or drink (1 Cor. 10:31).

This is why there is reason to diligently study God's word. We examine all sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments without missing any of them, and day by day we strengthen our grasp of the secrets of God's kingdom and the hope hidden within the word. Living the life of a pilgrim and a sojourner, we hold firmly not to things of the earth but to the eternal and glorious hope of heaven. And by faith we humbly make that heavenly hope known to our neighbors.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Pet. 3:15)

Being alert also means, above all else, diligently loving our neighbor as ourselves. This is because this is the new commandment given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Love is not merely something expressed in words. Nor is it something done only in the mind. It means willingly bearing the shame and pain of the very cross that our Lord Jesus Christ carried. It is a heart that esteems others more highly and willingly yields. It joyfully bears the pain of self-dying. This is the example our Lord Jesus Christ showed on the cross.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.'" (Matt. 16:24–27)

Being alert also means, like the five wise virgins, having the lamp and the oil ready and being prepared to meet the bridegroom (Matt. 25:1–13). The lamp represents God's word, and the oil represents being filled with the Holy Spirit. But the five foolish virgins had the lamp yet had not prepared the oil, and so when the bridegroom came suddenly in the middle of the night, they were unable to participate. They had God's word but had not obeyed it (Mark 12:34).

What is being filled with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who bears witness that Christ died on the cross as the Son of God (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit also confirms that the way of the cross of Christ is the path that leads to life. Therefore, being filled with the Holy Spirit is believing and obeying that Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, is the Son of God — and following the way of Christ's cross in actual daily life.

Amen!

September 13, 2026

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Scripture quotes are from the NIV.