GIST: Knowing life will be hard, we should stand firm on the truth, be prepared for persecution, proclaim the gospel faithfully, and endure until the end.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:1-13
1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
We’ve had a week off from Mark as we’ve enjoyed being ministered to by the Shrum family. Now, we’re jumping back in...and talking about the end of the world! It might feel a bit jarring. In fact, I had originally planned on just tackling this whole chapter in one service, but came to the conclusion that that might be biting off just bit too much to actually be helpful. Instead, we’re going to take the first 13 verses this morning and discuss the rest of the chapter this evening.
Let’s start with a few observations.
1. This is a hard passage. In the Gospels, this is one of the most debated passages. This shouldn’t be the case. Мost arguments about passages like these come from trying to put things into the text which are not there, or trying to hammer down time-specific connections. There are smaller details from passages like these on which true believers can differ and not be misinterpreting Scripture. However, majoring in those minors is missing the point.
2. This passage has dual-fulfillment elements. The setting of this conversion was the temple. We’ve talked a bit about this structure lately, but we can’t forget just how big of a deal it was to these disciples talking to Jesus (and the whole Jewish nation). Not only was the temple absolutely beautiful (it’s often considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), it was also viewed as a sign of God’s majesty. This was where people were supposed to meet with God! It was a big deal...but had become something else entirely. Given that understanding, imagine how shocked the disciples were when Jesus said it was going to be destroyed. It had taken years to be completed. In fact, there were constant improvements being made, so that it wasn’t until AD 65 (about 30 years after this prediction, and 5 years before its destruction) that it was actually finished. Clearly, the disciples wanted an explanation. When will this happen? How will we know it’s coming?
However, in their minds the destruction of the temple was synonymous with the end of the world as they knew it. And that’s not just speculation. Matthew records their question like this: Matthew 24:3 “3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Therefore, Jesus’ response here is talking about both the destruction of the temple and the return of Christ at the end of the world--which leads me to the last observation.
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Even though some of this is, therefore, specific to the destruction of the temple, and some points more specifically to the end of the world, this is not a puzzle to be solved, but words of warning and encouragement meant to be practical. Trying to nail down specific modern day implications here is an exercise in futility. In fact, tonight we’ll hear Jesus tell us: “32... concerning that day or that hour, no one knows,”. All throughout time, people have tried to “figure this out”. That’s missing the point. “These things” are not events which will happen once and then Jesus will return, but rather the kinds of events which will continue to happen until that Day when the last person is saved and Jesus returns to end it all.
So, what’s the gist for us this morning? Knowing life will be hard, we should stand firm on the truth, be prepared for persecution, proclaim the gospel faithfully, and endure until the end.
I. These Things Will Happen
I know that was a little longer introduction than usual, but you can take that as like a pre-point. For the rest of the time we have this morning, I just want to divide this passage up into two parts. First, what are “these things” that will happen. Then, how should we react to “these things”--which is really your takeaways section--so this could be considered a one point sermon ☺.
That being said, here are the “things” we can expect to see happening both before the destruction of the temple, and, possibly even more so, before the return of Christ.
False Messiahs. “6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.“ I think there are at least two points to make here.
First, this will happen literally. People have and will come claiming to be Jesus returned. Many have believed them, and the results have sometimes been newsworthy-traumatic, like Jim Jones who caused 900+ of his followers to drink poison-laced Kool-Aid, but they have always been eternally-traumatic because people are putting their hope in the wrong Messiah, one who didn’t die to save them. Don’t be led astray. We’ll hit this more tonight, but you’ll know when Jesus is returning! He’s returning in the clouds as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Secondly, this will happen in less overt ways, as well. Think about this. If you’re not a Christian, you are still looking for something to “fix you”. I’m pretty sure there is no one in the world who truly thinks they don’t need help. Everyone is looking to have a better life. Why? Because, inherently, they know there is something wrong, something missing. So, when they go looking for the answer, how many options present themselves? Countless. Eat like this, exercise like this, join this organization, fight for this cause, listen to these speakers...etc. They might not use the same language, but they are making the same messianic claims. ‘Come to us. We will make everything right.’ But they can’t. I can’t. Only Jesus can.
Conflict. “7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” When has this not been true of our world? If there is not a war, there is the threat of war. Jesus says, “This is going to happen!” This is not the end, but it will continue to happen until the end.
Natural Disasters. “8b There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Similarly, there will be natural disasters. Think back over just the last few years. How many natural disasters have swept through and devastated the world? We live on a fault line and above a mine. We’re constantly dreading the devastation an earthquake could bring. Again, Jesus is saying things like this will happen.
Persecutions. “9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ...12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” These verse need no further explanation. Christians will be persecuted. This will come in various forms, some societal (being arrested) and some personal (family divisions). The key here, however, is why: “for My name’s sake”. We are persecuted for being like Jesus. People around the world are dying for Jesus. Right now, we are not experiencing that level of persecution here. However, wherever people are standing firm for Jesus, there will be some level of persecution. We have to remember this. If we’re really experiencing persecution, it will be because the sinful world hates Jesus. Don’t mope. Rejoice and endure--for His sake!
Birth Pains. (8b) These things will all happen. Again, and again, and again. In fact, as we’re told in Revelation, and will even see tonight, these things will grow progressively more intense. They are the birth pains. What does that mean? Two things I guess.
First, these are the natural result of the fall. Though I have never been pregnant personally, I’ve spent a good amount of time with my wife when she’s been pregnant☺. Going into the pregnancy, she knows eventually the result will be labor (and and baby). That’s the whole point of being pregnant, right? The natural result of sin? A world groaning under its effects and offering false hope, conflict, tragedy, and persecution.
Secondly, birth pains mean the end is coming! I have heard stories of women giving birth who had no idea they were pregnant. From my experience, that’s far from the norm☺! Every time Melissa has been pregnant, she was painfully aware☺. And when she went into labor, even with our first child, she knew something was about to happen. In the same way, these birth pains are not only the natural out working of sin in the world, but also signs that a change is coming. That change? Jesus!
II. So Do These Things (TAKEAWAYS)
1. Stand Firm On The Truth (vs 5) This isn’t going to be easy. Jesus says many will come falsely and many will be led astray. We need a reminder to stand firm because not standing firm is easier. How do we do that? Let me give you two quick points you’ve heard me make a lot, but two which will change your life. I’m sure you can say them by heart before I do. 1. Read His Word. I’ve always loved the Christian Research Institute’s catch phrase “[Christians should be] so familiar with truth that when counterfeits loom on the horizon, they recognize them instantaneously”. 2- Don’t neglect the fellowship of the Body of Christ. We need encouragement from one another. We need accountability. It is harder to fall victim to deception in a group of praying people.
2. Don’t Be Surprised When Tragedies Come (vs 7) So often, we are. Let’s just be real. Too often, we are slow to rejoice and praise when God is moving, but so quick to moan in despair at the first inkling of hardship. Things are going wonderful at church, but then someone gets upset, and the world is falling. God has blessed you with opportunities to serve Him, then someone you love gets terribly sick, and now the world seems completely bleak. We will face trials. That doesn’t make them less heartbreaking, but it does give us a rock to stand upon in the storm. Likely, you have or will face some devastation in your life. Jesus says as much here. Don’t be surprised. Praise Him in the storm that produces steadfastness (James 1:2-3). I know I’ve made statements like this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t praise Him in the storm, your fair weather faith is false.
3. Be Prepared For Persecution (vs 9) I had this conversation with a student this week. Persecution in America right now looks much different than it does for our brothers and sisters around the world--where their lives are literally being taken because of their faith. We aren’t facing that yet, but there is still persecution. Be ready. When you stand for Christ, people won’t always respond well. This particular student had essentially lost a dear friendship because of it, and it’s weighing heavy upon her. Yet, we should expect that. If you want to be liked by everyone, you should not be a Christian...but know...you’re not a Christian. Is Christ worth your reputation?
4. Proclaim the Gospel Faithfully (vs 9-11) By faithfully I mean, at least in part, share your faith in faith--trusting in God, not self. One of the promises of “these things” which must happen before the end is that the Gospel will be proclaimed to the nations, the peoples of the earth. Why has Jesus not returned yet? We don’t need to try to solve some kind of apocalyptic puzzle. One answer: He has not returned because he’s not done saving people yet!
So, we share in faith knowing that He will do the saving. In fact, we should do so….even in the face of persecutions. And we’re told not to worry about what to say when we encounter these persecutions. The Holy Spirit will do the talking. How often do you feel afraid to share your faith? Remember...it’s NEVER you who does the saving! Your words, even if they are the most elegant and intellectual, can never “convince someone into heaven.” Now, this isn’t an excuse not to ever say anything ☺. Trust Him..and open your mouth.
5. Endure Until The End (vs 13) Wait a second. Aren't we saved once and for all? This is an SBC church. Isn’t “once saved always saved” like the only doctrine anyone ever remembers☺? How do you know you’re saved? You stay saved. There is nothing that you can do to make yourself more or less saved, but evidence of the sincerity of your salvation is that it endures. When Jesus saves you, Jesus keeps you...and you stay kept. Don’t grow weary. Stay in His arms. Rest in His provision. Praise Him...even in the storms.
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