|
To listen click here
To save for later, right click and
‘Save as…’
Mark 13
It’s often been said that whatever dominates
the skyline of a city tells you what they worship. In that ancient city of Babel, they
sought a name for themselves so they tried to build a tower to heaven. In a sense they worshipped
themselves. The ancient cities
that Paul visited with the gospel would have been dominated by massive
shrines and temples, set up in the high places, towering over them. If you see portraits of London up
until, really the last century or two it was dominated by St Paul’s
Cathedral and hundreds of other church spires. Of course today our city skylines
continue to be dominated by our objects of worship. Today the great centres of finance
tower over us and remind us who we really serve.
In Jesus’ day, one building captivated the
hearts and minds of the Jews – the Temple. And with good reason. Way back in Moses’ day the LORD
revealed a heavenly blueprint to construct a model of heaven and
earth. Moses built this portable
model called the tabernacle. And
the Glory of the LORD, coming in a great cloud, filled the tabernacle
with the very Presence of God.
Later Solomon built a bigger solid version of this model of heaven
and earth – this was the first temple.
Again, the cloud of the LORD’s Presence filled this building. Here was the dwelling place of God on
earth. No wonder that the people
thought they were safe so long as they had the temple. (Jeremiah 7). And no wonder that when the LORD judged
the Israelites for their sin He struck at the temple. So in 6th
century BC the Babylonians came and destroyed the temple and carried the
people into exile. The people came
back after 70 years of exile and built a second temple. This time the temple was desecrated by
the Greeks. Then the temple was
rebuilt again by 20BC as Herod’s Temple.
That’s the one standing in Jesus’ day. And the disciples are very impressed by it.
1 As Jesus was
leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, Look, Teacher! What
massive stones! What magnificent buildings!
It was apparently the most impressive
building a Jew was ever likely to see.
Massive stones, magnificent structures. And here it was – God’s house – the
place where humans can meet with the Most High. Surely Jesus will be impressed also by
the temple. But His reply leaves
everyone dumbfounded:
2 Do you see all these
great buildings? replied Jesus. Not one stone here will be left on
another; every one will be thrown down.
It’s almost impossible to imagine the
impression these words would have had on the disciples. Think for a second of those stunned
faces witnessing the Twin Towers collapsing – that’s the level of shock
here. To strike at the heart of
America Al Qaeda struck at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon – symbols of
American pride and security. Well
take the shock of that attack and multiply it because here is God’s
building – God’s house – and Jesus says it will be rubble. After 9/11 America was in a state of
shock because if those
buildings could be struck, nothing was safe. Even more so with the temple. If God’s house was going to be
demolished then nothing on earth is safe.
After Jesus speaks no-one can say a word.
Maybe for an hour. Maybe even
longer. Do you see how verse 3 has
Jesus sitting on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the temple. No-one has said anything as they left
the temple courts, cross the Kidron Valley and climb the Mount of
Olives. All are silent because
Jesus has spoken of something truly earth-shattering. God’s house is going to be
demolished. We have the saying
‘safe as houses’ – and generally houses are safe. When our own houses are threatened we
feel incredibly insecure. Well here is God’s house and it’s scheduled for demolition. Is nothing
safe? Well the disturbing answer
Jesus gives is ‘No’. If God’s house is scheduled for demolition, rest
assured the rest of the world will follow. That’s Mark 13 in a nutshell.
SLIDE
Judgement from heaven always moves from the
top down. And the point of this
chapter is to show that judgement will hit the house of God first, but
this judgement will encompass the whole earth.
The stones of the temple will be completely
broken apart. But that’s just the
beginnings of things breaking apart.
Look at verse 8: Nation
against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Just like the stones of the temple,
they’ll be torn apart. National
and international breakdown. Then
v12 – family breakdown. Brother
versus brother & children versus parents. Then cosmic breakdown – verse 25: stars
falling from their placed in the heavens.
Cosmic breakdown – v31:
heaven & earth passing away (v31). The temple will be rubble first, but
then one day the whole universe will be rubble.
What gives you a sense of security? What makes you feel safe? Hebrews 12 says there’s a day coming when
everything that can be shaken will be removed (Heb 12:27f). And if even God’s house can be shaken,
where on earth can we find security?
Well the whole point of this chapter is to say nowhere. Nowhere on earth is going to give you
the shelter, refuge, security that your heart craves.
The judgement on the temple foreshadows a
cosmic judgement. It’s the truth
of 1 Peter 4:17 – judgement begins at the house of God. And it flows to the rest of the
world. The disciples know
this. Their question from v4 is
recorded in its fullest form in Matthew.
Their full question to Jesus is Matthew 24:3
SLIDE
"Tell us," they said, "when will
this happen [speaking about the temple], and what will
be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matt 24:3)
They’re asking two things – when’s God’s
house coming down and when are
you coming back to judge the world.
The disciples, very naturally and very rightly, make a link
between the destruction of the temple and the end of the world. And Jesus will tell them that one is
indeed a sign of the other. But
they won’t happen together. The
temple’s destruction will happen within a generation.
Do you see in Mark 13v4 how the disciples ask
about these things – referring
to the temple. Jesus picks up on
that phrase in v30:
I tell you the truth, this generation
will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
The destruction of the temple will happen
within a generation says Jesus.
Jesus is speaking in about AD30.
The temple will be destroyed in AD70. Take a wild guess how long a
‘generation’ is in the bible? 40
years. The Israelites wandered in
the wilderness for a generation – 40 years. So Jesus’ prophesy is right on the
money (surprise, surprise!). And
that’s when verse 14 and following happens.
'the abomination that causes desolation' is a phrase from
the book of Daniel about a terrible desecration of the temple that was
predicted to happen in between when the Messiah would be cut off and the
end of the age. Daniel predicts in
chapter 9 that after Christ dies for the sins of the people and before
everlasting righteousness comes in at the end of the age – in between
there will be a desecration of the temple. And Jesus says that’s going to happen,
and when it does – in about 40 years – run for the hills. But obviously
Jesus is not just speaking
about those local and immediate events in this chapter. He also speaks about His coming again. And
that’s not going to be within
40 years. No. Verse 32:
32 No-one knows
about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father.
When Jesus refers to the day and hour
(singular) He seems to be talking about the end of the age. And He says not even He knows the date
His Father has set for that. Jesus
is content to trust His Father to send Him when the time is right. We would do well to follow Jesus in
this and simply entrust knowledge of that day to God.
But that’s the point – there are two things
that are being linked together here in Mark 13. In fact there are three things.
But we’ll just deal with two for the moment. The two things are the temple’s
destruction and Jesus’ return. The
two are linked, but they are different.
One’s going to happen in a generation, and the other is going to
happen later at an unspecified time.
But Jesus is going to intertwine these two
events so that you’re often not sure whether He’s referring to AD70 or
the end of the age. And that’s
just what prophecy is like in the bible.
Throughout the Old Testament there’s all sorts of stuff about the
temple being threatened by the Assyrians or the Babylonians and the
prophets start speaking about those events and the coming of the Messiah and end of the world together. Bible scholars sometimes call it
‘telescoping’ the different time scales.
Foreshortening the prophetic horizon or other fancy words. It just means that they are weaving
together different earth-shattering events – the temple’s destruction in
the foreground and the true earth-shattering in the distance.
That’s over-all what’s going on in Mark
13. But let’s spend the rest of
our time just asking three questions:
What’s life like in these times?
What’s the end like?
What are we supposed to as we wait?
First, what’s life like in these times?
SLIDE
What
characterizes life as we wait for these earth-shattering things?
Well the whole thing is called ‘distress’
(v19,24) Pressure.
SLIDE
What does this pressure consist of?
Well firstly, deception:
SLIDE
5 Jesus said to them: Watch out that no-one deceives
you.
6 Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and
will deceive many.
21 At that time if
anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!'
do not believe it.
22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and
perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect— if that were possible.
23 So be on your guard;
I have told you everything ahead of time.
Look at v6 and note the word many – many will come and will
deceive many. Many deceivers and
many deceived... The cults should
not surprise us. Even miracle
working cult leaders should not surprise us. This is the age for that sort of
thing. Jesus says be warned.
SLIDE
Secondly, disasters – both man-made and natural. V7-8:
7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
8 Nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in
various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth-pains.
Please notice at the end of both these verses
what Jesus says: the end is still to come... these are the beginnings of
birth-pains.
So often natural disasters come and people
say, this must be the end. Jesus
says differently – the end is yet to come. People say ‘these must be the
last days now’. Well yes, the last
days is a biblical phrase used to describe the whole period from Christ’s
first to His second coming. The
last days have been going for 2000 years now.
Don’t be surprised by disasters, Jesus has
warned us and the end is not yet.
Third, this time will be characterized by opposition and gospel advance.
SLIDE
9 You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the
local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will
stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
10 And the gospel must
first be preached to all nations.
11 Whenever you are arrested
and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say
whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the
Holy Spirit.
12 Brother will betray
brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against
their parents and have them put to death.
13 All men will hate
you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Notice
how it’s both opposition and gospel advance. Notice the all of v10 and the all of
v13. All nations will hear the
gospel. And all men will hate you
because of Jesus. Incredible
gospel advance AND incredible opposition.
And even through the opposition there’s gospel advance. Even when you’re in front of judges and
kings - v9 says you’re a witness to them.
The meekest Christian on trial will be more effective than Billy
Graham as, v11, the Holy Spirit gives them words to say. Opposition and gospel advance.
That’s the characteristics of these last days
– pressure. Deception, disasters
and opposition with gospel advance.
What
will the end be like?
SLIDE
Earth-shattering (25) – where is your
security? Heb 12:27 – whatever can
be shaken WILL be shaken. Even the
temple can be shaken. Family,
nations and kingdoms, the cosmos.
Where’s your security? None
of these disciples can ever look at the temple again in the same way
after hearing these words. My
prayer is that none of us will look at our earthly security again in the
same way after hearing Mark 13.
End –
telos (v7,13) Goal, telescope, the end for which all
things are made.
Birth (8)
– renewal of all things Matthew 19:28
Summer
(v27) – after the cold of winter and after the tenderness of the leaves
in spring, all creation will blossom and flower and bear fruit.
Cloud (26)
– that cloud symbolizing the Presence of the LORD with His people, Jesus
is coming with the cloud. Light by
day, Shelter from the heat by night – the people knew that LORD was with
His people when they saw the cloud.
Jesus is going to come back in the cloud and neither He nor the
cloud of His presence will ever leave us again.
Gathered (27)
– as a hen gathers her chicks, Jesus will gather His people. Our lives are scattered lives in this
age, we are distant from one another and from Christ, one day He will
gather us.
Power
and glory of Son of Man (26) – The whole cosmos will be shaken -
what’s the one thing that will survive?
Jesus Himself. Think of how
He speaks. v31!
Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will never pass away.
That’s an astonishing thing to say! Who does He think He is? Well He knows Himself to be the One
Person who can last this judgement.
He and in a real sense He alone is what’s there on the other side
of this judgement. The last day will be the Day of the LORD.
And that’s the third thing that Mark weaves together. Remember I said there were actually
three things woven together in Mark 13.
There’s the temple, there’s the end of the age – but there’s also
Jesus Himself.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus is in the temple
driving out the money changers and the authorities ask Him:
"What miraculous sign
can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" 19
Jesus answered them,
SLIDE
"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 20
The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this
temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21
But the temple he had spoken of was his body. (John 2:18-21)
Jesus is the ultimate temple. The bible says the fullness of deity
dwells bodily in Jesus. (Col
2:9). He IS the house of God. He is the meeting place between
humanity and the Most High. Jesus
is the true temple, but Jesus is going to be torn down and raised up
again.
And here in Mark, we see the death of Jesus
spoken of just like the temple.
You see Jesus finishes chapter 13 asking His disciples to WATCH,
but then in chapter 14 and from v32 Jesus asks His disciples to
watch. He goes to Gethsemane and prays
but:
37 Then he returned
to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to
Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The disciples are asked to watch, they fail
and then v41:
Enough! The hour has come. Look,
the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Here is THE HOUR. Jesus spoke in v32 of judgement day as
THAT HOUR. And here He is a
brother being betrayed by His other brother Jesus. Here He is being handed over from one
kingdom, the Jews, to another, the Gentiles. And in chapter 15 as Jesus dies there’s
an earthquake that Matthew tells us about and there are signs in the
heavens, the sky goes black, the sun stops shining – and as Jesus dies,
what’s the very next thing that happens.
The curtain in the temple is torn in two from top to bottom.
Jesus is the TRUE temple being torn
down. Which means Good Friday is
judgement day come early. Remember
judgement begins with the house of God.
Jesus is the true house of God.
The cross is the judgement of the world concentrated down onto the
head of Jesus. Jesus bears the
brunt of Heaven’s justice and then rises up again as the firstfruits of
an incredible summer harvest.
And throughout Mark He’s been calling people
to follow Him. He keeps saying
‘I’m off to die. I’m to suffer
judgement day early – follow me.
He says in Mark 8:34 – Deny yourself, take up your cross and
follow me.
A Christian is someone who follows Jesus to
an early judgement day.
Jesus bears the brunt of Heaven’s justice –
we NEVER have to bear the brunt of Heaven’s justice, but we join Jesus by
taking up our cross. We join Him
in dying to this world which is going to come crashing down anyway. We count ourselves as crucified to this
world and the world is crucified to us as Paul puts it in Galatians
6. We stop living for this old
tottering order and follow Jesus in the way of the cross. And as we do that, He bears our
judgement so that for us who follow Christ, Judgement Day has already
passed.
If you’re with Jesus, judgement day happened
on Good Friday 2000 years ago when all your guilt was borne by
Jesus. Now you look forward to
Jesus coming again in power and great glory. It’s always a good test as to whether
someone’s really understood Jesus’ good news. Are you looking forward to Jesus’
return?
If your answer is “No – I’m a bit worried
about what He’s going to say to me”, then you haven’t understood that
Jesus has taken your judgement day for you on the cross. For the Christian, Christ’s return is not
Doomsday, instead it’s the End/Goal, it’s birth, it’s summer, it’s the
cloud of His presence, it’s gathering, it’s the power and great glory of
seeing Jesus our Saviour.
How
should we wait?
33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will
come.
34 It's like a man
going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each
with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 Therefore keep watch
because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or at
dawn.
36 If he comes
suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
37 What I say to you, I
say to everyone: 'Watch!'
Illustration of school teacher... They leave the class and say ‘Please do
excercizes 10-20.’
Now how does the class watch and wait for the
teacher’s return? By placing bets
on his return? By watching the
hall-way intently? By digging a
bunker and buying in some canned goods because the teacher might be a
while? No we wait by doing what
the teacher has left us to do.
What has Jesus left us to do? Verse 10: The gospel is to go out to all
nations. And that gives meaning to
every minute we spend on planet earth.
There’s work to be done.
There’s a world to be won.
And Jesus entrusts this precious work to you. There’s something incredibly confidence
inspiring about being entrusted with a job. Jesus has entrusted you with work. Befriending those neighbours, those
work-mates. Gospelling those friends,
those family members. Bearing
witness as you travel through an age which you know will come to an
end. As we sit loose to the things
that can be shaken, we have a work that endures eternally. So Jesus says,
don’t sleep, watch.
Oh our earthly securities will still be
shaken and we must look at the whole world the way the disciples would
have looked at the temple from then on – impressive – but it can never
capture our hearts again, not now that we know its future. Not now that we have taken up our own
cross and died with Christ, not now that we know the freedom of our
judgement day having past.
For us Christ’s return is not Doomsday. It’s the End/Goal, it’s birth, it’s
summer, it’s the cloud of His presence, it’s gathering, it’s the power
and great glory of seeing Jesus our Saviour.
And as Luther says:
“If we consider the
greatness and the glory of the life we shall have when we have risen from
the dead, it would not be difficult at all for us to bear the concerns of
this world. If I believe the Word, I shall on the Last Day, after the
sentence has been pronounced, not only gladly have suffered ordinary
temptations, insults, and imprisonment, but I shall also say: "O,
that I did not throw myself under the feet of all the godless for the
sake of the great glory which I now see revealed and which has come to
me through the merit of Christ!"
So let’s wait and watch well.
‘O that I did not throw
myself under the feet of the godless’ in this passing age, for Christ’s
return alone is the reality worth living for.
Back
to sermons...
|
