There’s something appealing about knowing what happens next.

If we could somehow get tomorrow’s news early, we could prepare. We could avoid mistakes, make better decisions, and stop worrying about all the possibilities we can’t control.

In Mark 13, the disciples essentially ask Jesus for tomorrow’s news. Jesus has just told them that the magnificent Temple they’re admiring will eventually be destroyed. Naturally, they want details: When will this happen? How will we know it’s coming?

Jesus answers them, but He seems far more interested in preparing them for the future than satisfying their curiosity about it.

He tells them there will be wars, disasters, persecution, deception, and suffering. Yet woven throughout His description are commands about how His followers should live in the middle of it all.

Be aware, and don’t be alarmed. Be active, and don’t be anxious. Stay expectant, and don’t fall asleep.

That feels particularly important in a world where bad news is constantly within reach. We can spend hours consuming headlines, analyzing threats, debating what happens next, and worrying about circumstances completely outside our control.

Jesus doesn’t tell us to ignore what’s happening. He tells us not to confuse chaos with a loss of control.

In fact, our alarm can reveal where we’ve anchored our hope. If an election can destroy our peace, perhaps we’ve placed too much hope in a political kingdom. If a market downturn can take our security with it, perhaps we’ve trusted something less secure than we realized. If every frightening headline sends us spiraling, perhaps God’s sovereignty has remained more of an idea than an anchor for our souls.

Jesus gives His followers a better place to stand.

The headline at the end of the story has already been written: The Good King wins. Jesus will return. Evil will not have the final word. Brokenness will not last forever. Everything He has promised will ultimately prove true.

Knowing that doesn’t give us permission to disengage from the present. It gives us every reason to engage it.

Jesus says the Master has given each servant an assigned task. So perhaps the most important question isn’t, “When will Jesus return?”

It’s this: What has the King given me to do while I wait?

There are people to love, relationships to repair, neighbors to know, good news to share, and acts of obedience we’ve delayed long enough.

We don’t know everything tomorrow holds.

But we know enough about tomorrow to faithfully step into today.

Reflection Questions

1. What situation or headline currently has you feeling most anxious or alarmed, and what might that reveal about where you’ve anchored your hope?
2. What “assigned task”—a relationship, conversation, act of obedience, or responsibility—might Jesus be asking you to faithfully engage rather than postpone?
3. How would knowing that the Good King ultimately wins change the way you respond to uncertainty, suffering, or bad news in your life right now?