Wake up and watch for the return of Jesus.

Mark 13:24–37

vv. 24–27—Jesus alludes to two Old Testament passages concerning the final day when He sends His angels to gather His people from all places on earth.

—Isaiah 13:9–11/Daniel 7:13

—The stars falling and powers in heaven shaken signifies the defeat of spiritual forces.

—Angels are mentioned numerous times, and their role on the final day (see also Matthew 13:41, 49; 24:31).

vv. 28–31—Jesus references the fig tree and how it signals for new seasons.

“This generation” refers to the disciples who witnessed Jesus’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, as well as the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. On a small scale, these events represent what God will do on the final day.

—The permanence of Jesus’s words echoes Isaiah 40:8 and reveals His divinity.

vv. 32–37—No one knows the final day but the Father. This tension creates an urgency for every person to live with anticipation of the final day.

—Jesus’s ignorance is not a claim against His divinity but a claim for His humanity. He is identifying with the rest of humankind.