Compelling Questions About the Future

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?" (Mark 13:3-4, NIV)

Here are the million dollar questions:

• When is this going to happen?  
• Will there be any signs to let us know?

Would you have been in this inner group asking Jesus to tell you more about the future?  I believe I would.  

Why would Jesus share any details about the future to His disciples?

• The 3 1/2 years that Jesus spent with His disciples was  time of preparation.
• The disciples would carry Jesus' message to the world after He was gone.
• They needed this to prepare for their future ministry.

I want to understand the future - at least enough to chart a good course.  If I am driving to work, I need to chart a good course to get to my office.  There may be areas of traffic congestion so I chart a course around those areas if possible.  Similarly, a good sailor navigates the seas by charting a course based on major shipping lanes, known islands or obstacles along the way, and previously identified rough waters.  The actual journey will deviate from the charted course in small and, sometimes, large ways.  But you have to have course plotted ahead of time and it is very helpful to have some idea of what to expect.

So Jesus gave His disciples the highlights of future events.  He provides some sequence as well as insight into is ahead.  And let's face it - this instruction is even more relevant for us today than it was for the disciples 2,000 years ago.

So to the first compelling question - what is going to happen?