The importance of the fig tree lesson for today

Jesus said, “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. Similarly, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:32-33 NLT). Through the parable of the fig tree, he tells us that we can know when the time of his return is near. To avoid going too far into the Harold Camping or Edgar C. Whisenant errors, let me also add to that something else Jesus said. "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in Heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows" (Matthew 24:36 NLT). Let us not add to or take away from God's word. No one knows the day or the hour of Christ's return. But he clarifies in this passage that we can understand the general time in which his return should be most expected. If we weren't supposed to understand the signs of the time, Jesus wouldn't have given us any signs to pay attention to. Jesus said earlier in his life, "You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3 NLT)! Signs exist for a reason, to watch for what is ahead.

So how does that affect what we do today? It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life. "I've got a to-do list with 42 things on it." "I have to get my kid to such-and-such." "Occupy until he comes, right?" Yes, we are to occupy until Jesus returns (Luke 19:13), but not at the expense of ignoring the signs or living in the light of the fact that he can return at any time. The most evangelistic times in church history were the first few centuries and the previous two when the Bible prophecy messages took center stage in the church. In fact, being consciously, constantly aware of the imminent return of Christ is, perhaps, the most excellent motivator to invest the talents God has blessed you with during what is left of the Church Age. There is a special crown given for those who love Jesus' appearing. "And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8 NLT). That is why I find it such a problem that most churches have steered away from the message of prophecy, leaving their people ignorant on the subject and stripping us of one of our greatest motivations for service and evangelism. 25% of professing Christians don't even believe in a literal Rapture anymore despite the New Testament's clearly-painted word pictures of it. The vacancy left by the church in regards to eschatology can receive much of the blame for this. To use a quote that I remember hearing from May of last year: "We have to do better."