Chapter 13

Great, Wonderful, and Everlasting

Mark 13:1-8

MARK 13:1-8

1 As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

MARK 13:1-2

“What wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

This chapter [Mark 13] is widely known as the Olivet discourse. Jesus leaves the temple for the last time, descends into the Kidron Valley and climbs out upon the Mount of Olives opposite Jerusalem. From that vantage point looking west (quite possibly with the sun setting behind the temple), Jesus begins to preach on the beginning of the end, a beginning that would start with his crucifixion, now just days away.

On the way out of town, a disciple makes a remark about the temple. This was actually the second temple at Jerusalem. Solomon built the first (and grandest) temple in 960 B.C. [1 Chronicles 22,28-29], which was destroyed in the seventh century B.C. by the Babylonians [2 Kings 25:9, 13-17; Jeremiah 52:13,17-23]. Ezra rebuilt the temple in the sixth century B.C. [Ezra 3:12, 6:3] but the Selucids desecrated it four centuries later [1 Maccabee 1:21-25, 37-39, 46-51, 4:38, 2 Maccabee 6:2-5]. Shortly thereafter, the Maccabees reconsecrated the temple [1 Maccabee 4:36-51] and Herod began his expansion there in 20 or 21 B.C. Herod’s rebuild of the temple was among the ancient wonders of the world. The massive white stones mentioned by Christ’s disciple could measure twenty-five feet by eight by twelve feet and weigh more than one hundred tons. The royal porch (over three U.S. football fields in length) was decorated with 160 such columns and Solomon’s porch was 1.5 times it’s length (1562 feet long). It stood above the city and occupied fully one-sixth of the city’s area.

Ironically, the temple would be completed only six years before the Romans would utterly and finally destroy it in 70 A.D.

The disciple’s wonderment seems more than just a country bumpkin’s amazement at city skyscrapers. Mark translates his statement using the term “potapos” [G4217] The phrase means not only, “how great,” but also, “what a tribute,” or even “how permanent.”

Can you imagine hearing a comment like that from Christ’s perspective? That would be like a seven-year-old telling his parent; “I love these shoes and I will wear them forever!”

Jesus had breathed divine air, created the most distant star and been one with the Creator of the universe. He alone knew these buildings from an eternal context and could see them in contrast to the creation of the cosmos. Even more, Jesus saw these chiseled and manipulated stones in contrast to God’s ability to create life. How could the grandeur of any building match against the beating of the tiniest heart? Jesus reminds us to consider, how can we place even the grandest edifice above the needs of the littlest child?

How great? How wonderful? How everlasting? Instead of turning to buildings and stones we should turn like the Psalmist in Psalm 65:

Psalm 65

1 There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God, and to You the vow will be performed. 2 O You who hear prayer, to You all men come.

3 Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You forgive them.

4 How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You to dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.

5 By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea;

6 Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might;

7 Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.

8 They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

9 You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth.

10 You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth.

11 You have crowned the year with Your bounty, and Your paths drip with fatness. 12 The pastures of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.

13 The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain; they shout for joy, yes, they sing.

Great, wonderful and everlasting; those titles belong only to God.

Not one stone will be left

What have we mistaken for permanent in our lives? This disciple mistook the temple as great, wonderful and permanent until Jesus prophesied to him. How much of what I have or do will stand eternally before God?

Paul tells us that only one thing will stand the test of eternity:

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

A dear friend of mine used to tell me that, “all that will remain standing as a testament of our lives before God is who we loved and who loved us.”

That is the ultimate temple we build for our God.

MARK 13:3-4

3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

“What will be the sign?”

This is an interesting question because these four Apostles are not asking, “When will this happen?” but, “When will all this be completed [G4931 sunteleo]?” Sun [G4862] teleo [G5055], means “with perfection,” to “be complete,” or to be a “completed work.” Jesus uses the same term when he tells the rich young man to sell all he has, give the money to the poor, and come follow me:

Matthew 19:21

21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete [G5055 teleo], go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

The phrase can also mean, "perfectly focused."

We often verbalize the wrong question while lingering deep in our hearts is the right one — the one too painful to ask. We ask for a drink when what we really need to ask for is help with our stress, anger or worry. We ask for a bigger car or new furniture when what we are really asking is; “Why am I bored or seeking escape in my life.” We seek a new illicit thrill when what's really wrong is that we are living a shallow existence.

Evidence suggests that what the Apostles were asking was; “When will all this be completed [G4931 sunteleo] so that we can finally take our rightful place?” What they really needed to ask was; “When will we be completely focused [G4931 sunteleo] so that we can serve you?”

MARK 13:5-8

5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

“See to it that no one misleads you.”

Jesus warns us against being misled [G4105 planao]. Quite literally it means deceived or manipulated. One of Satan’s titles is “the Deceiver,” or “the Manipulator” [G4108 planos]. It is used throughout the gospels with the prefix “Ho” meaning, “the greatest,” or, “the leader of” manipulators.

Yet, it is rare that a manipulator will come outright and say, “I am your new Lord, worship me!” Most deceivers are themselves self-deceived and convinced they are acting in the name of God. They act paternally — with piety — and always “for your benefit.”

The phrase that Jesus uses in this verse, “Many will come in My name [G3686 onoma],” means that many will claim they are acting with Jesus’ approval, his authority and not necessarily calling themselves the “Messiah” or the “Christ.”

Most deceivers are so self-deceived that they are convinced they are acting benevolently for your good or in God's name. Yet, their true end is control and they are not concerned with twisting the truth or destroying relationships to achieve their ends.

How do you tell if someone is a deceiver? They want to take over for you and make you dependent on them! Every addiction ends in unhealthy dependence, every addictive relationship seeks to undermine self-reliance and every deception is rooted in stealing self-sufficiency.

Deceivers appear to be kind, they purport to be friends, and act in the name [G3686 onoma] of love or God. Meanwhile, they weaken and disable their victims like an evil proconsul who whispers lies and dopes our senses. Satan offers to make our way easier and more pleasurable, he wants us to go to him instead of to God.

Instead Jesus offers us a harder way, a more difficult journey, but one that will lead to deep growth and liberation from this world’s vices. Jesus never offers to go to God for us; he builds the bridge for us to go to God. He clears the way so that we can walk it. He is the perfect sacrifice but also the perfect servant. He lays himself down over the uncrossable chasm of sin so that we can go personally and directly to Abba, our Daddy. God wants no mediators between him and us; he wants direct access to our hearts.

We are to be wary of anyone who would go to God for us. Those are the deceivers!

Wars and rumors of wars

Christ's prophesies in the Olivet Discourse are similar in format and purpose to all the end-time prophesies in scripture. It resonates with the words of Daniel [particularly Chapters 9-11], Isaiah [13:3-6] Joel [2:2], Ezekiel [32:7] and—in the New Testament—with Timothy [I Tim 4:1-2], Thessalonians [I Thess 4:16], and Revelation [6:12, 11:2].

Jesus’ prophesies about the Last Days can also be found in: Mt 24:1-28, Lk 21:5-24 and Jn 15:21. Prophesies of his Second Coming can be found in: Mt 24:29-31, Lk 21:25-28, and Mk 14:62.

Yet, prophesies about the future are rarely chronological (because God knows that our tendency would be to avoid change until the last minute). Many of the things about which Christ prophesied would happen within the disciple’s lifetime; like the destruction of the temple. Other events will occur in a timeline that are only for God to know. Jesus goes so far as to say that we are not even supposed to inquire about these timelines.

Acts 1:7

[Ac 1:7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

We are to take heart in these prophesies, be encouraged by them, pray for their completion, but mostly work our tails off “harvesting the grain” until they occur. According to Scripture, there is one true sign that will announce Christ’s return: his appearance upon the clouds in such a manner that all people will unmistakably recognize him!

Mark 13:26

“Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.”

Revelation 1:7

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

In short, why waste our breath on when. All we need to know is that Christ will return. Instead, let us use every breath to search every corner for any straggler who may not have been invited to the banquet.

In fact, if one accurately reads the words of Peter (given to him by the Holy Spirit during his own “last days”), one finds the groundwork for a whole new relationship between God and man.

II Peter 3:8-12a

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God!

The clear implication in these passages is that God is patient with us (believers), waiting for us to do our part (“not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”).

Jesus did his part but are we doing ours? Is God, as Peter states, waiting on us? If we can hasten the date by acting on his commission, then don’t we also delay the date by inaction And indifference? Let us “speed its coming” by leaving behind our trivial and argumentative ways and run to every corner where the Gospel is not heard. Let’s do our God-Ordained part:

Matthew 22:8-10

8 “Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.”

It isn’t preached much clearer than that. It is not our role to ask who is deserving and who is not. Our role as a servant is to run out to the streets and invite every person we see. We need to “fill the wedding hall with guests.”

Then, and only then, do we receive our reward:

Luke 12:36-37

36 “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.”

“These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

Hopelessness is pain without purpose. However, there is no hopelessness in Jesus.

Our Lord tells us we are seeing the birth [G746 arche] pains [G5604 odin] of a whole new order. That means that the nine months of gestation are nearly over! Sure, this reading means that the tough part is here — the painful part has arrived — but it also states that the day of his return is almost here!

Romans 13:10-12

10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

To understand God’s timeline, we must also understand the depth of the evil that our sin releases into this world. If it can take a person a lifetime to turn away from the compelling siren song of sin, then how much longer will it take to stop the currents of an ocean of sin and have them circulate the opposite direction?

An immense ocean tanker takes two miles to turn and that would not have even been possible were it not for an invention by inventor/philosopher, Buckminster Fuller. Prior to Mr. Fuller, large oceangoing vessels like super-tankers or container ships could not be built because no efficient rudder could be designed to turn them. The engine to power such a rudder would take up to three-quarters of the ship’s hold.

Fuller instead came up with the concept of a “pre-rudder.” It is a rudder slightly larger than a door in your house and cut into the tail section of the larger rudder (which is the height of a multi-story house). It only takes a small engine to turn the pre-rudder, which then uses the force of nature to turn the full rudder which eventually turns the great ship.

We are supposed to be the “pre-rudders” that turn the seemingly immovable mass of humanity from sin. Are we doing our job? Are we holding to the course even though we don’t seem to see results? If we determine to hold our course, God’s natural power will do the rest.

One might ask, “Does God really need our help?”

We could respond by saying, “Does a father need his five-year-old son to help him work on the house?”

Not really, but think of the potential joy of accomplishing a task together and the memories that child will carry into his own life if the experience was empowering.

In my own life, ever since I have had children I don’t fish anymore, I bait poles. I brag about what my son and daughter caught and somewhat endure being ribbed about how I caught so few. Our God is like that. He endures our poor attempts at casting and baiting in exchange for our involvement. Not for his sake, but for ours. He wants to do this with us, to be in relationship, and to share the joy together.

We have a place in turning the tide, in steering the tanker off the rocks, in being “fishers of men [Mt 4:19],” but are we doing our part?

Something great, wonderful, and everlasting is just about to happen. Greater than the temple, greater than any buildings ever built. It will exceed the machines we’ve imagined, the technologies we’ve amassed, even the natural wonders of this world. Jesus is about to return! Are we doing our part in hasten the banquet?

Mark13:9-23

He Who Endures

Mark 13:9-23

MARK 13:9-23

9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 “the one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 “But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19 “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20 “Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21 “And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.”

MARK 13:9

9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them."

On your guard

Being "on your guard [G990 Blepo]" was a primary theme throughout the Olivet Discourse. We are to prepare for:

· False prophets [v5 and 21-22]

· Torture, trial and imprisonment [v9, 11]

· Wars, natural disasters, drought and famine [v 11, 19, 24]

· Betrayal by friends and family [v 12, 13]

· Abomination [v 14]

· The Lord's return [v 26]

When most of us think about "preparing," we tend to think of getting the kids ready for church. That is surely a far cry from what Christ is discussing in this discourse. For those of us forunate enough to live in a secure environment, our struggle is against the effects of comfort rather than persecution. In our situation, we risk identifying a lengthy stoplight as persecution rather than being tortured for our beliefs. Feeling secure and comfortable can easily skew our view of "being prepared."

How do we prepare ourselves for true persecution and prevent ourselves from losing perspective as Christ's followers in a comfortable society? Here are five timeless suggestions:

· Habitual prayer

Don't leave prayer up to your mood swings or as a calendar fill-in. Plan your day around your prayer life.

· Habitual community

Christian community should not be an option in our lives. We need the engagment of like-minded people to live by our values. We seem to think that community is an option on the faith menu, but that is a community of convenience — not of commitment. To rephrase John F. Kennedy's inaugral challenge, we must constantly ask what we give to our communities and not just wait for a community to meet our needs.

Committed Christian community is not a spectator sport and we should challenge any community that does not allow us to engage on more than a "pew view" level. That is antithetical to the true purpose of church.

· Unconditional Service

Nothing gives us better perspective in life than unconditional service to people in greater need than ourselves. Unconditional in terms of not expecting the recipient to repay us, believe our dogma, or even "pay it forward." Give to be liberated not to be acknowledged.

· Study the Scriptures

An in-depth continual of the scriptures — and especially the Gospels — will always return us the the central precepts of a follower's life. Particularly the balance between personal transformation and communal restoration. When those two goals are imbalanced we lose sight of the mission of Jesus; "I have come to preach good news to the poor... [Luke 4:18]."

· Make time for Healthy Play

· If we don't make time for healthy play we will not only become boring but also imbalanced. Every healthy human, family, and community looks for ways to play together. Play reunites us and reinvigorates us and is too important to be left to chance. If we don't play, the primal centers of our brain look for ways to reduce stress by taking over. We begin using negative behaviors to offset our need for balance. Within a very short period of time, those behaviors become compulsions and addictions that harden into cognitive pathways. Better to play well and often.

Keep balance and keep perspective in your life by following these same paths that Christ used "religiously."

MARK 13:10-12

10 “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death."

Preached to all nations

Of course the first question the Apostle's would have to such a litany of woes would be: "When?" We would ask the same question and many still color their whole theology on "When?"

"Exactly when will Jesus return?"

Jesus never gives a direct answer to the question. In fact, he tells us it is none of our business — not even our place to ask.

Acts 1:7

7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority."

Jesus knows us well enough. He knows that if we knew "when" we'd be focusing on the time of arrival instead of the work at hand. When people shape their theology around studying the "when" of the end times they are like employees who watch the clock instead of do their work. Christ tells us that the end will come after the Gospel has been preached to all nations. Peter accents this teaching in his own writing when he says;

2 Peter 3:8-9

We are not clock-watchers, we are laborers in the harvest. The end will come when the work is done.

If I think the Lord is slow to come I must ask myself; "What am I doing to make sure the gospel has reached the nations?"

MARK 13:13-20

13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

The one who endures

Endurance [G5278 Hupomeno] is a very important term in the New Testament. It literally means to stand under my hand or remain within my power. It is used twenty-one times and by the writers of both the Gospels and the letters.

In the Old Testament endure [H1961 Hayah], is used thirty-two times and means "to commit" or to "come to pass."

It is most often used about God's infinite glory:

Psalm 102:25-27

25 "Of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 "Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment;

Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.

27 "But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end."

Our rich heritage indicates that if we commit ourselves — place ourselves under God's hand — we will experience two results.

We will be able to withstand trials

Our works will endure the test of time

Think carefully about this. Being a follower of Christ does not exempt us from pain. Indeed most of Christ's early followers experienced more pain because of their allegiance. This shatters the "feel good, consumer gospel" of this age. What it does mean is that we will be strong enough to endure and our works will endure. There's nothing flimsy or flippant about following this Jesus. Be prepared for hard work but know it will make a lasting difference.

MARK 13:21-23

21 “And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.”

False Christs and false prophets

The term false Christs [G5580 Psuedochristos] and false prophets [G5578 Pseudoprophetes] both come from the word [G5571 Pseudes] which means "to lie." In order to lie — or be false — you must first be convincing. A blatant falsehood is not easily followed. The worst lies are based partially in truth and that is why they are so dangerous.

The Gnostic Gospels were an early falsehood confronted by the early church. John writes his gospel primarily to confront the "half-truths" in that document. The writings heralded John the Baptist as the Christ and separated the spirit from the body. This second belief allowed that the body could engage in sin and not arrest the soul since they were separate entities.

I have written a great deal about the Gnostic Gospels of our age only I call them the Noxious Gospels; gospel mistruths that poison our spirituality. Three of the major Noxious Gospels today are

· A meo-theistic spirituality

This half-truth focuses on personal salvation but neglects communal restoration. The two concepts are married in the Old and New Testaments. Justice and mercy in the old, discipleship and compassion in the new.

· A consumer spirituality

Our culture worships having, we revere doing, but we are inept at being. We evaluate people by what they do or have, but isolate and distance ourselves from those who can't add material value to our lives.

This attitude has even seeped into Christianity as we focus more on membership than discipleship and more on numbers than depth. The size of a church is no more indicative of a church's health than the size of a person. Small or large, Christ's evaluation of a church can be found in

Matthew 25:41-46

41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

· A pain-free spirituality

We have a symptomatic society. We treat symptoms to avoid pain rather than using prevention to avert causes of disease. Christianity suffers from this as well. How often do we say what we stand against rather than what we live for? How often do we judge the consequences of sin rather than examine its systemic causes?

Sin is a poverty of healthy relationships. Jesus knew this and so he was accused of eating with sinners [Luke 15:2]. Not converting them, not judging them, but just eating with them. Will our faith be so strong that symptomatic and judging religious people will condemn us for "eating with sinners."

That is what the follower of Christ should strive to have said about her or his life. "God used me to build relationships with the least accepted and most rejected."

To break the power of sin — in its most insidious form (systemic poverty, systemic injustice, systemic ignorance) — is to build community among the forgotten.

I have told you everything in advance...

So there we have it. Everything we NEED to know has been told to us. We cannot say we were under-informed or misinformed, for we have been perfectly informed.

The key is, "What do we do once we have been perfectly informed?"

Knowledge that doesn't become action is wasted breath. We know the harvest time is coming and we know what we are supposed to do. No more waiting. No more contemplating. No more extrapolating. It is time to put the knowledge to work. Jesus has given each of us a scythe. It is time to act, time to do our part.

Mark 13:24-37

“No One Knows!”

Mark 13:24-37

MARK 13:24-37

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27 “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 “Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 30 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 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. 34 “It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 “Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

MARK 13:24-27

“In those days...”

As they left the temple, the Apostles could not help but stand in awe of its grandeur. The temple was awe-inspiring and its land mass covered over one-sixth of ancient Jerusalem. It was actually a series of buildings with grand porches, separate buildings and multiple courts surrounding the inner temple. The porches were outside the court and they were immense. Solomon’s porch itself was 1,562 feet long. The royal court was 921-foot in length and decorated with 160 columns stretching along its length. The massive, white stones that the disciple mentioned in awe measured twenty-five by eight by twelve feet and weighed more than one hundred tons.

To the Jews of Christ’s time this represented permanence. It was immovable and unconquerable. They were not unlike us, putting pride and confidence in buildings and structures — even institutions — that we think will stand for all time. Yet, it takes no more than a terrorist act or a natural disaster to remind us of the temporality of our edifices or how unprepared our institutions are for man or nature’s fury.

All the parables that Christ tells in this chapter (as the Disciples leave Jerusalem for Bethany the last time) have three major points:

1. The impermanence of man, his institutions and his endeavors

2. The permanence of God and his inevitable judgment

3. That we should always be ready for his return and to be held accountable to immortal, not temporal standards

Jesus tells the disciples to prepare, to be alert. Through them we learn that the way of Christ is anything but easy and comfortable. there is sin in this world and it has affected the entire cosmos:

Romans 8:18-22

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

2 Peter 3:11-12

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

Jesus warns the disciples of the upcoming hardships and then takes the original four disciples (John, James, Andrew and Peter) aside on the Mount of Olives and gives them deeper counsel. Our Lord knows that, 1) they need the extra encouragement, and 2) they will be at the forefront of the fledgling church during intense trials.

Still, our Lord's promise to them was consistent:

· Life will be challenging

· However, the more difficult it gets the more he will be present to them

Jesus offers us the same promises. At first glance the promise of challenging times doesn’t sound like good news. However, what Jesus offers us is that the hard times in our lives will help us to see him more clearly every day.

As we have seen in Christ’s life over the last few studies, Jesus used the adversity and anger of those around him to clarify his messianic claims to the people. The harsher Christ’s opposition; the clearer his claims were revealed. That is what he is offering to us during our toughest times. If we count on Christ during times of duress and if we seek his strength while facing adversity for his kingdom, then our Lord will be increasingly revealed.

MARK 13:27-32

27 “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

“My words will not pass away”

There are two wonderful words here that give us a glimpse of the fullness of our Lord’s promise. The first word is logos [G3056]. When logos is used by Jesus, we should not see it in mere grammatical terms. Jesus isn't speaking of human logic or words, he is speaking about God’s Word. God’s Word is not a contract; “only as good as the paper it is written upon.”

It is the promise — the living promise — of Élohiym, the Mighty God. God’s very son was the signature of his eternal covenant.

The other wonderful word is “pass away” [G3928 Parerchomai]. This term means more than to just disappear or dissipate. The phrase is something closer to overrule or overcome. Jesus, the promise of God — the very Word of God — can never be overruled. He can never be overcome. Could there be any greater promise in our lives?

Jesus is God’s Word, he is God’s signed contract. That contract will never be broken or overruled by any power or principality in the universe. Whatever trial we face — no matter how bad the adversity or condition of this world — God’s Word, Jesus Christ, never fails.

“Of that day or hour no one knows”

The disciples pressed Jesus for dates and times. Who can blame them? Think of the trials Jesus told them they were going to face. Yet, what good does it do us to know when we are going to face adversity? It is human nature to either avoid or procrastinate until the last moment before we prepare ourselves for impending disaster. Consistently, Jesus tells us that we must always be prepared; we must always be alert.

The word used for "knows" in the phrase, “no one knows,” is eido [G1492]. It means more than "no one has been told." It means no one can know the mind of God. In fact, it would also imply, “And you shouldn’t try!”

Jesus tells us that the Angels do not seek to know this and neither does the Son of God (an indication of how incarnate he became); they are more concerned with doing what God has required of them. And what is it that the Lord requires of us?

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

However, the Lord does give us many hints for when the time of judgment will come:

Mark 13:10

“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

And, through Peter:

2 Peter 3:8-9

When will the Lord return? He will return when the work is done and the harvest is in.

How soon do I want the Lord to come and restore justice to his creation?

How hard am I working?

We might compare those who look for exact dates and times to those who watch the clock at work. Instead of spending their time furthering the community's goals, they spend their time trying to guess whether the clock reads 4:58PM or 4:59PM. Conversely, anyone who has ever worked a harvest knows that quitting time means, "When the crop is in."

We don’t quit at five if there is still ripe fruit on the trees in danger of falling to the ground. We stay until every fruit is picked.

Jesus did his part. Are we doing ours? We have our commission, what is holding us back?

Matthew 28:19-20

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

MARK 13:33-37

33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34 “It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 “Therefore, be on the alert — for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning — 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

“Be on the alert!”

Can there be any doubt about the responsibility given with the commission of Christ? We are responsible for nothing less than the House of God! In Hebrew, that term, “Élohiym Bayith,” meant the “Daughter of God.” Because they were a nomadic people, church did not mean a “place.” It was a community where even the least little one would be raised in the safety and knowledge of the One Lord of Israel.

Is that how my church is known in my community? Does my church have a reputation for offering "the least little one" a place of safety in the tangible embrace of God’s love? Is my church constantly expanding that offer to the world? Are we going out to the world with this great offer of safety, opportunity, and love?

In one of our weekly sessions with juvenile offenders, the kids told us that they looked for two things from their community:

1. To be physically and emotionally safe

2. To be given fair access to opportunities regardless of race, religion, or socio-economic status

Is that the work for which people in my community know our church? If not, whose house am I minding? How alert are we? This is the accounting by which God will evaluate our tenancy. Did I take what he gave me and make it more fair, more loving, and more just?

“Be on the alert,” our Lord tells us. The word alert [G1127 Gregoreuo] means to be vigilant and watchful. It comes from another work, egeiro [G1453], which means to “wake up!” It is a very pointed word that would be also be used for waking a drunk from a stupor or shaking a night watchman from sleeping on duty. It also means to literally slap sense into someone who is facing ruin or obscurity.

Jesus is slapping us back from oblivion. He is telling us to take up his mantle, his mission, and to get to work. We are to be the Élohiym Bayith, the “House of God” wherever we find ourselves. We must become known for providing safety, opportunity, and justice for the “least, little one.”

We have our commission; let’s go do it.

Chapter 13

Mark 13:1-8

MARK 13:1-8

MARK 13:1-2

“What wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

Not one stone will be left

MARK 13:3-4

“What will be the sign?”

MARK 13:5-8

“See to it that no one misleads you.”

Wars and rumors of wars

“These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

Mark 13:9-23

MARK 13:9-23

MARK 13:9

On your guard

MARK 13:10-12

Preached to all nations

MARK 13:13-20

The one who endures

MARK 13:21-23

False Christs and false prophets

I have told you everything in advance...

Mark 13:24-37

MARK 13:24-37

MARK 13:24-27

“In those days...”

MARK 13:27-32

“My words will not pass away”

“Of that day or hour no one knows”

MARK 13:33-37

“Be on the alert!”

Mark 12

Mark 14