I have been there. I have done that. But I am becoming more and more convinced that our task is to live while we wait instead of calculating how long we must wait. Jesus command was, and is, to “Follow Me.” He didn’t put a condition of time (“Follow Me until February 15, 2017”). He didn’t include the condition of an event (“Follow Me until ___________ happens”). He didn’t include a condition of emotion (“Follow Me until you don’t feel like it anymore”). He simply said “Follow Me.” And that means to the end – as He defines it.
The problem is that following Jesus is hard. It requires sacrifice. But a greater challenge awaits those who do not choose Jesus. In the book, The Imitation of Christ, the author says it this way,
To many the saying, “Deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me,” seems hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” (Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, p. 40)
So what does Jesus say regarding the end of time? What does He want us to know regarding the end of time? Fortunately, the disciples asked Him a similar question. Let’s turn to Mark 13 to see what we can learn.
A Symbol of the Past
Anyone who saw the temple was reportedly in awe of it. The temple was, indeed, a sign of God’s presence among the people of Israel. While the new temple was as much a political statement by Herod the Great as it was a testament to God, it’s magnificence as a building was apparently without question. I can only imagine the awe of the pilgrims who came to Jerusalem three times each year. I still recall when we came out from a tunnel and saw the golden dome off to the south shining in the sun when we were there last January. How much more the Jews of yesteryear must have felt as they crested a nearby mountain from any direction and saw the gold and marble shining in the distance. The object certainly caught the attention of an unnamed disciple who marvels at it in 13.1. But Jesus is not concerned with the grandeur of the temple; His focus is on the greatness of God. Jesus is not concerned about the appearance of the temple, He is concerned with its effect on the people.
The day is still Tuesday, and as we have seen over the last several weeks as we have reviewed the end of Chapter 11 and all of Chapter 12, Jesus has been involved in a series of confrontations with the religious leaders while on the temple grounds – mostly in the Court of the Gentiles, although for the last few verses, He had moved into the Court of the Women, where the offerings were given.
Beginning in Chapter 13, He leaves the temple, and as far as we know, He never returned. In verse 3, Mark tells us that Jesus is on the Mount of Olives which is east of Jerusalem. This likely means that Jesus left through the East Gate, which provides a strong parallel to Ezekiel 10.18-19 and 11.22-23, written before the first temple was destroyed.
Mark 13.3 says that Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives – opposite the temple. Mark has created a wonderful word play here. First, the Mount of Olives is on the opposite side of the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem.
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| A modern day view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The green vegetation is the Kidron Valley. |
Jesus is seated (a sign of authoritative teaching in His day) opposite the temple. In Mark 12.41, He sat opposite the treasury after He pronounced judgement on the scribes. Here, Jesus has just pronounced the destruction of the temple. Again, in proximity, Jesus is on the other side of the valley. But in truth, Jesus was fully opposite (opposed) to the usual proceedings in the temple.
His opposition was seen earlier in Mark 11. Further, you may recall that Jesus cursed the fig tree causing it to wither to its roots (Mark 11.12-14; 20-21), you can read the post here)! The act was symbolic of what would happen to the temple – a prophetic parable in Mark 11 followed by a prophetic word here. And 40 years later, it would happen.
But His words intrigued the first disciples. As we continue in the text, notice that four disciples ask Jesus a question. The four – Peter, James, and John (Jesus inner three) plus Andrew. This was a private conversation. It was not meant for everyone. First, Jesus had withdrawn from the crowds where all could hear His teaching. We know the other disciples must be nearby because of the unnamed disciple in 13.1. But some disciples truly want to know Jesus. Some truly desire to be with Him more than others. These four – again, the first four Jesus called on the shores of the Sea of Galilee – were eager to learn more, even if they were not yet ready to understand.
A Question in the Present
The four disciples come to inquire about Jesus statement of the temple’s doom. Their curiosity is found in two questions:
- When will these things be?
- What will be THE sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?
Now, as we read these questions today, we are prone to consider them as relating to the end of the world? But that is not what the disciples meant. This is most evident because of the word “these.” The question that the disciples wanted to know was about the destruction of the temple. And subsequently, if the temple was to be destroyed, what did that mean for everyone? Effectively, the question is: “If the temple is to be destroyed, does that mean you will be the king and restore Israel?”
You may question my interpretation and that is ok. But let me remind you that the latter part of the paraphrased question I just suggested is what the disciples DID ASK in Acts 1.6 after the resurrection and just before Jesus ascended into heaven.
Acts 1.6 says, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And Jesus answered (paraphrased), “You are not supposed to know when. But you are supposed to tell others about Me until that day comes.”
A Sign for the Future
It is important to remember that the disciples question comes just after Jesus has encountered a series of questions from the religious leaders who were seeking to discredit Jesus because they did not understand who He really was. The disciples question Jesus, not to trip Him up, but because they earnestly seek to understand, but they still do not fully understand Jesus’ purpose. The disciples were seeking a sign to understand the times…to understand when Jesus would be king. After all, that is why He came to Jerusalem, right? That is why we are following Him, right? If this was their mindset, and Scripture gives us many clues that is was, then Jesus answer had to create even more confusion. Instead of giving them THE sign, He begins by given them a series of warnings about a number of items which He says are not really a sign at all.
So, what did Jesus answer?
1. Be aware. (vv. 5-6)
- Make sure you are not led astray.
- Many will come IN MY NAME – many will fall away.
- Many will say, “I am he” – that is, they will claim to be Jesus or Messiah or Lord. They are wrong! Do not turn to another; stay true to me.
2. Do not be alarmed. (vv. 7-8)
- Bad things will happen. They must happen. But don’t worry. And by the way, the end is not yet.
- Wars and rumors of wars will be commonplace. (Many believe that humanity has experienced more war since 1900 than in any other 100-year period.)
- Earthquakes will be common. (Some claim the earth has experienced more earthquakes in the last 120 years than any time before.)
In the first 40 years after Jesus said this, the Bible speaks of earthquakes and famines. We know of the battle that began in 66 AD with the Jewish uprising. These situations have happened throughout history and people always get worked up. And I used to as well. But not anymore…why? Jesus said these are just the beginning.
3. Be on your guard. (vv. 9-11)
- Don’t be anxious. Proclaim the gospel. The Spirit will give you what to say!
- You will be betrayed, arrested, beaten, and stand trial before all levels of government.
Jesus is telling these four disciples what will happen to them (and the others) because the exact same thing was about to happen to Him. He was betrayed, arrested, beaten, and stood before the religious leaders (Roman governor, the Jewish King, and again before the Roman governor). And, indeed, Jesus words were fulfilled in short order. The book of Acts records story after story that fit these words perfectly. Each time those who were arrested and beaten were given the opportunity to share God’s message to not only the people, but the rulers as well.
4. Endure no matter what. (vv. 10-13)
- Don’t worry! What is happening is part of the plan. The gospel must be preached.
- Don’t worry! I will give you words to say. Be prepared, but trust me. (This is not an excuse for a lazy preacher…it is about witnessing for Jesus in hostile situations!)
- Don’t worry! Your family will betray you, everyone will hate you, but you are ok if you trust Me.
The reality is that Jesus promises that a day is coming when people will turn on one another. This has happened for centuries. It happened in the first century. Imagine, living in the first century and you are arrested as a Christian. The judge (ruler) says, “You can be free if you give me the name of five Christians.” People gave up the names, and those people were arrested. Then the cycle repeated itself. Perhaps some were set free, but they would have soon been betrayed themselves.
Think of your friends and family. Think of other Christians with whom you worship. Will you betray them? Will they betray you? I am not the one saying this will happen – Jesus said it. It has happened throughout history (e.g., the Spanish Inquisition), and it will happen again. Jesus was betrayed by someone close to Him, and some of us may share the same experience by those who are close to us as well.
CONCLUSION
In the verses today, Jesus does not provide a direct answer to the question He was asked. As such, the disciples must have been confused. After all, if Jesus is the ruler, then why do they have any reason to fear going before other rulers? Is Jesus not going to be in charge? Like we have seen so often in this study, the disciples did not understand. They were not conditioned to understand. And apart from being on this side of the death and resurrection, we would have a very difficult time understanding as well.
What Jesus did do, in the passage we have studied today, was provide a pastoral warning to His followers to remain vigilant when these “signs” do begin. The signs mentioned today (wars, earthquakes, etc.) do not mean the end is near, but rather are a call to keep our focus on Jesus despite what may be going on around us.
In essence, Jesus is saying, “Don’t look to the signs of the times, keep your focus on Me.”
As we focus on Jesus, no matter what our situation, He promises to be there to guide us (through the Spirit). The whole purpose of Jesus’ words to His disciples then, and to us now, is to provide assurance for our faith. We do not need to fret when wars and earthquakes occur. We do not need to fret when we are arrested for being a follower of Jesus. Instead, we should turn each instance into an opportunity to share the message of Jesus.
JOURNEY:
Our JOURNEY letter for the week is: E – Engage.
I mentioned Acts 1.6 earlier in this post. The disciples asked – after the resurrection – if Jesus was now ready to take His rightful place as king and restore Israel. Jesus said, it wasn’t for them to know the time. Instead they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
What was true for His followers then, is true for us as well. We need not be ignorant of the news, but we need not be paralyzed by it either. In every situation, we can find some reason to share the hope of Jesus, and that is what He expects His followers to do.
OPPORTUNITY: We must follow Jesus, not the news. People will always chase a news story, but the challenge today is #fakenews. And even if it isn’t fake, does it matter? Well, maybe it does today, but will it be remembered 100 years from now? If not, it doesn’t really matter. Jesus does matter and He will be remembered until the end of time and then for all of eternity!
REMEMBRANCE: Keep God first. What has to be destroyed in your life for you to keep God first? For the Jews it was the temple?
NEXT STEP(S):
Live: Choose to live for Jesus regardless of whatever life may bring. Ultimately, nothing else matters anyway.
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