We end our study of Mark today (35 message started on April 30, 2006)….
1. I became a Christ-follower in 1974 as a college student.
Everybody was reading Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth on the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. From Amazon.com – The rebirth of Israel. The threat of war in the Middle East. An increase in natural catastrophes. The revival of Satanism and witchcraft. These and other signs, foreseen by prophets from Moses to Jesus, portend the coming of an antichrist . . . of a war that will bring humanity to the brink of destruction . . . and of incredible deliverance for a desperate, dying planet.
Thousands of people were frightened into becoming
Christians by this book.
2. around the same time I remember listening to Larry Norman’s song:
"I Wish We’d All Been Ready". Same topic -
Life was filled with guns and war,
And everyone got trampled on the floor,
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.
A man and wife asleep in bed,
She hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone,
I wish we'd all be ready,
Two men walking up a hill,
One disappears and one's left standing still,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.
I was discipled into the faith by people who taught me that
Christ was coming back within years. The world was coming to an end.
3. that was 30 years ago. More world events have come & gone & more The-Late-Great-Plant-Earth-like books have come & gone.
4. the founder of our denomination, A.B. Simpson, was convinced in his day – 100 years ago – that the return of Christ was near. Today his books on the 2nd coming of Christ can’t even be published because his predictions failed to materialize.
5. in every age of church history there have been those who were convinced that the return of Christ was days or weeks or just years away. In fact, the apostle Paul who wrote a good portion of the New Testament was convinced Christ was returning in his day.
6. In Mark 13 Jesus deals with 2 subjects: in vs. 5-23 the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem & in vs. 24-27 his 2nd coming. The chapter unfolds like this –
· 1-4 destruction of temple predicted
· 5-13 suffering
· 14-23 destruction of the temple
· 24-27 2nd coming of Christ
· 28-31 fig tree – temple
· 32-37 day or hour unknown – 2nd coming
13:1-4: destruction of temple predicted
1. the disciples were admiring the beauty & wonder & size of the temple in Jerusalem – massive stones & magnificent buildings.
The 1st temple was built by Solomon around 950 BC & was
destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 BC.
The 2nd temple was built by Ezra & Nehemiah around 450 BC
but was a shadow of the 1st temple.
Around the time of Christ Herod enlarged & almost rebuilt
the temple. When finished it was regarded as an
architectural wonder. Its white marble decorated with gold made it an object of dazzling beauty.
2. and Jesus said, Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down (2).
3. privately Peter, James, John & Andrew want the whole scoop. Jesus, when is this going to happen? Can you give us a sign?
13:5-13: suffering
1. what Jesus describes here are the events surrounding the destruction of the temple. Here’s what they can expect:
Ø 5-6 – rise of false messiahs
Ø 7-8a – more wars, more killing, more fighting
Ø 8b – earthquakes & famines
Ø 9 – suffer persecution for their faith in Jesus
Ø 11 – promise of the Holy Spirit’s help
Ø 12 – family division & betrayal
Ø 13 – widespread hatred because of Jesus
2. historically Jesus is looking ahead to AD 66-70 when Roman armies invaded Palestine, sacked Jerusalem & destroyed the temple. Says Jesus – the invading Roman armies are going to tear apart the very fabric of society. Christ-followers will be persecuted & hated. Family members will betray one another. As I was treated, so my followers will be treated.
3. the historical record of the time – written primarily by Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish historian who survived and recorded the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 – verifies Jesus’ predictions.
4. Jesus describes the cost of discipleship. Are you willing to be arrested for your faith? Whipped? Hated? Sentenced to death? Willing to place Jesus before your very family?
5. during the Reformation in Europe an Anabaptist woman was burned at the stake on October 5, 1573. She refused to stop giving witness to Jesus & his gospel. She was tried for heresy & was tortured by the civil authorities.
Part of her death sentence was this – her tongue was screwed to the roof of her mouth so she couldn’t say anything as she was led to the place where they burned her to death. Her two sons watched & the oldest sifted through her ashes to find the screw which he took!
6. should persecution come to us may God give us the grace to suffer for him.
13:14-23: destruction of the temple
1. this whole chapter turns on this cryptic phrase – the abomination that causes desolation (14) – found 3xs in the book of Daniel. It refers to something so detestable & abhorrent (the abomination) that it causes the abandonment of the temple (causes desolation).
2. remember, Jesus is describing the events of AD 66-70. The destruction of Jerusalem & the temple by the Roman armies. What happened?
3. here’s a possibility, from the pen of the Jewish historian Josephus – during the Roman invasion persons who had committed crimes were allowed to roam about freely in the temple & the Holy of Holies. People were murdered within the temple itself. And to top it off, the clown Phanni was crowned the high priest. The abomination that causes desolation!
4. once Jewish Christians witnessed this they fled to the mountains remembering the words of Jesus:
Ø 14 – flee to the mountains
Ø 15-16 – urgency of fleeing
Ø 17-18 – hindrances to fleeing
Ø 19-20 – reason for fleeing
Ø 21-22 – rise of false messiahs
5. this section does not describe the end of history BUT a moment-in-time crisis in history. The Roman invasion of Jerusalem & the destruction of the temple.
6. there’s one sentence that can’t be overlooked – those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equaled again (19). As horrific as AD 66-70 was, it hardly qualifies for what Jesus says here.
7. this time, then, is a foreshadowing of a future time that precedes the 2nd coming of Jesus. It’s 1st fulfillment occurred in AD 66-70. It’s 2nd fulfillment is yet to come. Which leads us on to….
13:24-27: 2nd coming of Christ
1. the last great act in God’s timetable for history is the return of his Son. The 2nd coming of Jesus.
2. vs. 24-25 the prophet Isaiah. They are a poetic way of describing the cosmic reaction to the majesty of Christ’s 2nd return. Creation will be called to attention for this great event.
3. 1st coming – Jesus came as a baby; 2nd coming – royal cosmic King. 1st coming – suffered & died; 2nd coming – he reigns over all.
4. and he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens (27). The good news – God’s chosen people will spend eternity with him. The bad news – everyone else will face eternal judgment & separation from God. We believe in heaven & hell.
13:28-31: fig tree – temple
1. the parable of the fig tree concerns the destruction of the temple – this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (30). That generation has died BUT Christ still hasn’t returned so this must be referring to the events of AD 66-70.
13:32-37: day or hour unknown – 2nd coming
1. these words are about the 2nd coming. Whereas Jesus knew when the abomination that causes desolation would strike the temple, only the Father knows when the 2nd coming will occur. Not even Jesus himself knows, Jesus in his humanity. No one knows about that day or hour (32).
What now?
1. I want to leave you with 3 responses to this chapter. There’s tons more to be said than what I have time for this morning. But if I were to boil it all down here’s what I believe Jesus would have us take away from his teaching.
1st preach the gospel (10)
2. there’s one thing that never changes. The good news about the life, death & resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of the world will never grow old! We are called to spread this word until Christ returns. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy, in season & out of season.
3. this means to be missional. To reach out into our community in the name of Jesus, those places where we live, work & play. Here’s some food, here’s a Habitat for Humanity home, here’s The Canby Center, here’s our building, here’s our time-hands-feet-energy, here’s our love, here’s our Jesus.
2nd be watchful (5,9,23,33,35,37)
4. we are never told in the chapter to try to figure out when Christ is going to return. Or create a timeline. Or publish our predictions.
5. but we are told over & over again to watch. To watch means to be ready for his return at any time. It means to live your life like Christ could come today.
3rd be ready for adversity (9-13)
6. troubles are going to come. Persecution is to be expected. As Christ was treated so his followers will be treated. Here’s a snapshot of what’s going on around the world today:
è Sudan: Christ-followers in Sudan are fleeing their country to escape genocide
è India: 1 week ago today in India a mob of 25 radical Hindus beat Pastor S Zakania who 1 year ago established a small church & Prayer House in the village of Goa
è Africa: I week ago today in Zimbabwe 3 pastors were arrested by the Central Intelligence Organization for giving children candy & toys
è Baghdad: an Al Qaeda-affliated insurgent group is giving Christians in Baghdad a stark set of options: convert to Islam, marry your daughters to our fighters, pay an Islamic tax or leave with only the clothes on your back – a US military official said they have now erected barriers around the largest Christian enclave in Baghdad’s Dora neighborhood to protect its residents (Detroit Free Press)
è Indonesia: Muslim hardliners stormed a church in Indonesia during services, smashing images of Jesus Christ and demanding that it be closed down, the pastor said on Monday. Dozens of churches have had to be closed in the Muslim-majority country in recent years, and Sunday's attack was the second on the small Protestant church in the West Java town of Soreang since 2005.
7. spread the news about Jesus in love, word & deed. Live a purposeful life. Live as if Jesus could come today. Don’t be surprised by suffering.
Warning
1. in closing, I believe there’s a word of warning for us in this Jesus story. The point is not the temple. God allowed it to be destroyed. The point is the God whose presence enveloped the temple.
2. what God values most is not physical buildings BUT spiritual ones. A new people for a new building is all about this – the building of a spiritual household, spiritual building, the body of Christ, the community of faith, those whose very lives become a temple for the presence of God.
3. the building is simply a tool, a means to an end. The end is the building up of God’s people into the likeness of Christ to be a transformed, worshipping, missional presence in Canby & around the world!
4. amen? Amen!
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