LANGUAGE:
(Part 1 - Mark 13:1-5)
I would like for you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Mark’s Gospel, chap 13. The focus of this chapter begins with a disciple’s admiration of the Temple, Jesus stunning response, followed by a question asked by Peter, James, John, and Andrew in response to Jesus’ comment about the temple.
Now keep in mind that the overall focus is on the Gospel of the Kingdom. In Mark 1:14–15 (NASB95)14 . . . Jesus preaching the gospel of God, 15saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Today we are looking at why we should repent and believe in the Gospel. – So the question before us is, Why should we repent and believe in the Gospel? Answer, because the end of time as we know it is coming to an end. That’s the point of Mark 13, Matthew 24-25, Luke 21, all the major/minor prophets, and Revelation. And so the Psalmist asks God in Psalm 39:4 (NASB95) “LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Why is that important? Well, Jesus answers that question in vs31-33 31“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. -- 32“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 33“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. So the Psalmist prays in Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days that we might acquire a heart of wisdom.” Why is that so important? Because Jesus said in Mark 13 the end is coming. I’ve entitled our study The Signs that our world time clock is running out.
Let’s bow in prayer: Gracious God, we’ve asked for the work of the Holy Spirit to descend upon our hearts. We pray now that the Spirit of God will illumine to us the Scriptures. You’ve given them to us by way of revelation, your Word. And now we pray for the work of the Holy Spirit by way of illumination, so that we might be able to come to terms with what it really means and how it applies. We need your help, and we humbly pray to this end. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
As we look at Mark 13, know that what Jesus said is also found in Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21. Bible scholars entitle this chapter as The Olivet Discourse, and it is very much part of the Gospel of the Kingdom.[i] We are only going to look at the first 5 verses this morning, but let me give a brief overview of the chapter, and kind of wet our spiritual appetite for the coming Sundays.[ii]
Why should we be alert? Because we’re told in 2 Peter 3:10-13 the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. And 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives. 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. (This is where the prayer in Psalm 90:12 comes in--“Teach us to number our days that we might acquire a heart of wisdom.” ) Because That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Let’s take a closer look now at vs1-4. Keep in mind also that we are in Jesus’ final week leading up to the cross which began in chap 11. It is now Wednesday of Passion Week. The next day will be Thursday when Jesus will celebrate the Passover with His disciples and institute the ordinance of Communion; on Friday, He will be crucified; and on Sunday He will rise from the dead[iii] to be declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness . . . (Romans 1:4)
V1, as Jesus was leaving the temple, one of the disciples said, Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!!! [i] It’s important that we understand what caught the wonder of the disciples. History tells us that the temple complex was absolutely stunning. It was considered as one of the great wonders of the Roman World. We’re told in John 20:20 it took 46 years to build. Much of it was plated in gold and silver. Its awesomeness was overpowering. Historian Josephus wrote: This temple appeared to strangers at a distance like a mountain covered with snow. On its top it had spikes with sharp points, to prevent any pollution of it by birds sitting upon it. Of its stones, some of them were . . . almost the size of boxcars.[v] Located on Mt. Moriah, it gave an imposing dominance over ancient Jerusalem.[vi]
There was also a great sense of security because this is where God said in Psalm 132:14 (NASB95) “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. Now granted, this was not Solomon’s Temple, but it was the place where God met His people, and where His glory was established.
The point is, the temple was at the very heart and soul of everything they understood about God. So imagine the shock when Jesus tells them, it’s about to be totally torn down, not one stone will be left upon another (v2). John Calvin comments that “The vast size and wealth of the temple” hung “like a veil … before the eyes of the disciples,” hindering their grasp of “the true reign of Christ.[viii]
While awed by the magnificence of the complex, Jesus pulls that rug right out from under them--V2Do you see these great buildings? -- In a manner of speaking He is telling them to feast their eyes. Don’t glance, but take a close look. -- Why? Because V2 (GW) Not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down.”[ix]
Apparently Peter, James, John, and Andrew picked up on that, v3 pull Him aside for a private question. V4NASB95 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”
When you think about it, that’s a very interesting question. But you know what is perhaps more interesting . . . the question they didn’t ask. I was intrigued by a comment by Alistair Begg. He points out that they were more interested in the When will this happen, vs the Why will this happen I wonder, why didn’t they ask Why Jesus forecasted coming destruction?
Because we are smart people, we can answer the unasked question, the Why of the coming destruction.
We also know that the destruction of the temple was actually judgment on the spiritual blindness of the nation.[xi] For example, nearly 500 years earlier Jeremiah recalled the destruction of the Temple at Shiloh and used it as an example of what God would do to the Temple at Jerusalem: Jeremiah 7:12–14 (GW) 12“ ‘But go to my place that was at Shiloh, where I first made a dwelling place for my name. See what I did to Shiloh because of the evil done by my people Israel. 13You have done the same things the people did at Shiloh,’ ” declares the Lord. “ ‘Although I spoke to you again and again, you did not listen. When I called you, you did not answer. 14So what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that is called by my name.
And just as Jesus said, the temple was indeed destroyed in 70AD. Historians tells us that the Roman conqueror Titus besieged Jerusalem and ordered that the temple be spared. But as the battle raged the temple caught fire. Its vast treasure of gold melted in the flames and some of the gold found its way into the crevices between the massive stones. The Roman soldiers, hungry for spoil, tore the stones apart piece by piece, scraping up the gold out of the cracks and crevices. So the word of Christ prevailed despite Titus' directive.[xii]
Back to V4NASB95 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”
Because the temple was central to their faith and identity, for the disciples, it’s destruction meant the end of the world. That’s what Matthew tells us in chap 21:3(GW) “Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?”[xiii] For the disciples, destroying the temple surely meant that Dooms Day was around the corner. That’s not much different than today.
Indeed, the Bible is very clear that this world is passing away, (1 John 2:17), and Jesus had something to say about that. Just as the disciples were very concerned about the end of life, it appears that our world as a whole is also very concerned. The idea of a coming doomsday is very real today. In fact in 1947 Scientists put together what they called Doomsday Clock—designed to indicate the world's vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, potential wars with Russia and China, climate change, and disruptive technologies. You might want to know, presently the clock is set at 100 seconds to midnight. [xv] In other words, there is a very strong premonition that we are indeed running out of life’s time as we know it.
Which leads me to ask, are you ready for that to happen?
Jesus now gives the disciples a peak into what lies ahead. Before He unfolds coming events, He starts with a strong admonition, v5, See to it that no one misleads you. This is not a flippant be-careful wording. In fact, as we work are way thru the chapter, Jesus highlights the warning three more times.
In other words, Jesus was saying, I am going to warn you about some pretty scary things to come: so you need to be solid thinkers. He was telling them that “not everything that seems to be a sign of the end of the world is in reality such a sign.”[xvi] From Jesus’ perspective, His disciples needed first class discernment . . . the ability to distinguish between what had to do with the end of their own little worlds and what has to do with the end of the world.[xvii]. This is really important for us to grasp because there is no shortage of end-of-world prophecies. For example
Talk about insanity. -- So Jesus begins his answer with a strong admonition, Be alert, don’t let anyone mislead you. – Jesus did not want coming events to cause undue dread or hysteria or distract from their calling.[xix]
What’s the coming danger? You’ll have to come back next time, as we are running out of time. But mark this down, Jesus is telling the disciples that they will need uncommon spiritual insight to be able to withstand the upheaval that was on the horizon. They will need to keep their wits so that they will not be led astray in the midst of chaos and cries of confusion. They must steel themselves to see through impostors, coming persecutions, cosmic disturbances, and crowd hysteria.[xx] In the midst of the storm, its steady as you go!!
Let’s pause at this point and reflect on what we have learned.
We need to anchor our souls on Jesus’ words in v5, See to it that no one misleads you. Our social, political, economic world is in so much trouble.
Jesus warned his followers about the future so that they could learn how to live in the present. He did not make these predictions so that we would guess when they might be fulfilled, but to help us remain spiritually alert and prepared at all times as we wait for his return. We must live each day close to Christ, always mindful that he is in charge of the timetable.[xxi]
We need to be sharp thinkers. We need to be like the men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32, they were men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do, particularly when it comes to the destiny of our world. There are pretenders out there who are smooth talkers, who think they know the future, and they will seek to destroy our allegiances to our Messiah and King. When the wind is blowing, and the house is shaking, and the earth is trembling, it’s easy to lose focus, it’s easy for our emotions to run amuck. That’s why being part of a body of believers is so very important. So Hebrews 10:25 (GW) 25We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.
Mark this down: We gather to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord during the storms of life. As we get closer to the day when our Lord will return, emotional and spiritual struggles will increase, and persecution well arise. Even now anti-Christian forces are growing in strength.
Perhaps two of our greatest difficulties is that our faith is being diluted and biblical illiteracy is on the arise because we are not meeting regularly. There is little iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17) happening during this covid pandemic. We should never let difficulties be an excuse for missing our gatherings. When difficulties arise, we should make an even greater effort to be faithful in attendance . . . because as Jesus’ day draws near it’s going to get rougher . . . and we need encouragement.[xxii]
Jesus tells us that the best way to prepare for the future is to stay faithful to him and away from imposters. Beware of groups who claim special knowledge of the last days. Notice, Jesus points out that no one knows when He will return (13:32). We need to be careful of being sidetracked by promises for social, economic, military, or political reform. The only sure way for the disciples (and all believers) to keep from being deceived is to focus on Christ and His words.[xxiii]
Let’s close in prayer: Heavenly Father, we have opened Your Word today. May we be reminded that we do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from Your mouth. May we be reminded that we have just held in our hands the Sword of the Spirit which is able to cut to the very core of our being. I ask today that You help us to see the truth which You have given to us today, and that by Your Spirit You would apply that truth to our hearts that would give us insight and understanding for every situation of life in which we find ourselves today and for the coming week. You’ve known from before the foundation of the world exactly what every hearer of this passage needs. So speak to our hearts, Heavenly Father, that we might glorify You as we live out our lives this week. In the name of Jesus , Amen.
[i]
https://www.biblicalfoundations.org/jesus-and-the-future-an-introduction-to-the-olivet-discourse/ “It is the longest discourse recorded in the Synoptic Gospels during Jesus’ final week. Its length and central location make it the centerpiece of Jesus’ instruction during this timeframe”
[ii] Ibid., four key topics that Jesus covers in his teaching about the future: (1) future persecution; (2) the escalating conflict that would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem; (3) the need for patient endurance before the coming of the Son of Man; and (4) the events surrounding the end, namely resurrection, judgment, reward, and punishment
[iii] John MacArthur, Mark 9–16, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 226. Depending on scholars, the Olivet Discourse came either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. McArthur believes it occurred on Wednesday, others post it as Tuesday. https://www.biblicalfoundations.org/jesus-and-the-future-an-introduction-to-the-olivet-discourse/ In this politically explosive time, Jesus entered Jerusalem, fully aware of the dangers and implications associated with his mission. On the Sunday before Passover, he rode into Jerusalem amidst a joyful crowd to introduce himself as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Filled with messianic fervor, the crowds hailed him as their king (Matt 21:9; Mark 11:9–10; Luke 19:37–38; John 12:13). Having been hesitant to identify himself openly as the Messiah earlier in his ministry, Jesus now accepts the title knowing he would be viewed as a political threat by the Jewish and Roman leaders.
§ On Monday, Jesus clears the temple of money changers and animal sellers, confirming the Jewish leaders’ suspicions.
§ On Tuesday, he is confronted by the same Jewish leaders and responds to their challenges to his authority.
§ Nothing much is recorded on Wednesday.
§ Thursday is spent in preparation for the Passover. Jesus spends that evening celebrating the Passover with his disciples.
§ By Friday, Jesus was crucified for his messianic claims and hastily buried in a tomb.
[iv] Luke 21:5 In Luke’s gospel we’re told that they were marveling at the beautiful stone work and carvings.
[v] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 708. Cf. R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 136.
[vi] R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 136.
[vii] 1 Kings 8:10–11 (GW) 10When the priests left the holy place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. 11The priests couldn’t serve because of the cloud. The Lord’s glory filled his temple.
[viii] John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, trans. William Pringle (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1846), 3:116.
[ix] https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/13/Mark-13-2.htmlIn AD 70, Titus and his army will allow Jews to enter Jerusalem for the Passover, only to turn and guard the gates and prevent travelers from leaving. Despite efforts by the Jewish historian Josephus to broker a truce, the Romans will maintain their siege. In August, they'll storm the city and massacre the weakened residents.
In the course of their looting, the Romans take the implements used in the temple. The temple itself burns, melting the gold that covers the east wall into the cracks of the stones in the pavement. In order to get at the precious metal, the Romans will tear the temple and the paving apart, stone by stone. When Jesus says that not a single stone will be left stacked, this is not an exaggeration. The destruction of the temple will be so complete that modern researchers, to this day, aren't exactly sure where it sat. the general location is known, but unlike other ruins, there is nothing left to precisely define the building.
Even worse, the loss of life in AD 70 will be staggering. During the battles, as many as 500 Jews will be crucified each day. Over 100,000 will die during the siege. Nearly 100,000 will be taken prisoner, thousands of whom would be conscripted as gladiators.
[x] Summary of Hebrews 10, sacrificed once for all. Alistair Begg, A Question For Jesus (Mark 13:1-4) https://www. truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/question-jesus/
[xi] Ibid.,
[xii] John Phillips, Explore The Gospel of Luke, https://www.preceptaustin.org/mark-13-commentary#13:1
[xiii] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dcc/mark-13.html. The first question dealt with the time of the temple’s destruction. Matthew’s account shows that their second question had two parts. They asked what the sign of Jesus’ coming and of the end of the present age would be. Mark combined these two parts into one simple question about the sign of "all these things" being fulfilled. The disciples viewed the destruction of the temple and the end of the present age as occurring together. In His answer Jesus taught them that these events would not happen at the same time. Again a question from the disciples led to a teaching session (cf. Mark 4:10-32; Mark 7:17-23; Mark 9:11-13; Mark 9:28-29; Mark 10:10-12).
[xiv] Bikos Konstantin, The Best Apocalypses in History, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/apocalypse.html
[xv] Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, The Doomsday Clock explained: What to know aout the troubling timepiece https://www.cnet.com/how-to/the-doomsday-clock-explained-what-to-know-about-the-troubling-timepiece/
[xvi] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 516.
[xvii] David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 491.
[xviii] Bikos Konstantin, The Best Apocalypses in History, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/apocalypse.html
[xix] David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 491.
[xx] Ibid., 492.
[xxi] Bruce B. Barton, Mark, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), 373.
[xxii] Bruce B. Barton et al., Hebrews, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997), 163.
[xxiii] Bruce B. Barton, Mark, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), 374.