An Introduction to Mark 13

AN INTRODUCTION TO MARK 13

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: September 12, 2021

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

After a five-week break, we return to the Gospel of Mark. We make our re-entry at Chapter 13. Let’s honor the Lord’s Word by reading the whole chapter. Holy Scripture says:

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.

¹⁴ “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ¹⁶ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁷ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸ Pray that it may not happen in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ²¹ And then 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 arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.

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 in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 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 concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. ³⁵ Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:1-37)

INTRODUCTION

For a long time I anticipated that the two most difficult passages to preach would be Mark 10:1-12 and Mark 13. Mark 10:1-12 is Jesus’ instruction on marriage and divorce. I anticipated that it would be difficult to preach, not because it is difficult to understand, but because it is so profoundly counter-cultural and thus very challenging and sobering for us to hear.

As for Mark 13, the reason this chapter is difficult to preach is more complicated. Even if someone believes that Mark 13 is straightforward and easy to understand, the fact remains that there are wildly divergent opinions on how to rightly interpret Mark 13 among faithful Christians. And I emphasize ‘among faithful Christians’. Among devoted believers who cherish Jesus, treasure His words, and love one another, apparently plausible interpretations of Mark 13 are all over the place. Of course, believers can be quite opinionated and passionate about the views that they hold. This makes it doubly important to keep the big picture in clear view.

The Big Picture

The big picture is so important. Our unity as believers – our unity as a church family – is not dependent on our detailed perspectives of the end times. The big picture is clear and glorious; the details and proposed timelines are less clear, often debatable, and sometimes downright dangerous.

We confess the clear and glorious big picture in the Nicene Creed:

“We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

“And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.

“And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in only holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.”[1]

Our risen and ascended King Jesus “will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead”. When Jesus appears in glory, those of us who belong to Him will appear in glory with Him.

“We look forward to the resurrection of the dead”. The bodies of those who belong to Jesus will be raised up and beautified.

With redeemed and immortal bodies, we will enjoy “life in the world to come” in our Lord’s everlasting kingdom. There we shall delight in unhindered fellowship with the Triune God and with one another, forever and ever.

Can you imagine the blessedness of large-hearted love, flowing from the King to and through His people, and back again, without even a hint of impurity or selfishness? Can you imagine a bountiful banquet in which every participant is humble and holy and happy all the way down to the depths of the heart, and the festivities never end, and every relationship is healed, and there is no danger to be found anywhere? Those who trust and love and obey Jesus in this world, will inherit the fullness of eternal life in the world to come. But those who persist in unbelief and un-love and disobedience will be condemned to unending punishment.

That is the big picture. It is clear and glorious and weighty. Live in the big picture. Do your best not to get lost in detailed theories about what may or may not happen before the dawn of eternity. Focus your attention on what is certain. Keep the main thing the main thing. Stay faithful in the everyday. And don’t divide or get contentious about secondary and peripheral and debatable matters.

Navigating Particular Viewpoints

Among faithful believers there are amillennialists, postmillennialists, and premillennialists, and the premillennialists subdivide into dispensational premillennialists and historic premillennialists. These big terms are shorthand for particular viewpoints about a range of issues that relate to the end times. It is not my intention to define or explain these terms today, I just want you to have an awareness that there are some significant differences among faithful believers on how to think about the end of history, the rapture, the millennium, the relationship between Israel and the Church, and the future of Israel. And the way that a person puts these things together ends up influencing how that person makes sense of a particular passage – perhaps a passage such as Mark 13!

One of the safest views to hold is the one Charlotta likes to profess – panmillennialism! A ‘panmillennialist’ says ‘I don’t know about the details but I’m confident that it will all pan out in the end’. Keep a big picture perspective and believe that, in God’s faithful hand, everything will pan out in God’s time and in God’s way. That is a healthy outlook! And yet, if you are teaching God’s Word, regardless of what “millennialism” view you do or don’t hold, you must make an honest effort to understand specific passages. All of God’s words, including the difficult-to-understand words, are intended to build us up and strengthen us.

One author, George R. Beasley-Murray, refers to “the notorious difficulty and complexity of the task of interpreting the chapter [Mark 13]”.[2] Walter Wessel and Mark Strauss say about Mark 13: “Here is the longest connected discourse in Mark’s gospel. It is also the most difficult.”[3] William Lane puts it this way: “In the Gospel of Mark there is no passage more problematic than the prophetic discourse on the destruction of the Temple.”[4] James Edwards claims that Mark 13 is “one of the most perplexing chapters in the Bible to understand, for readers and interpreters alike.” [5]

A big part of the disagreement, in fact, is whether this passage is about the end times at all. Virtually everyone agrees that Mark 13:1-2 (and probably extending to verses 3-4) is about the destruction of the temple, the temple that was rebuilt by Herod the Great and was then standing in the city of Jerusalem in the early decades of the 1^st century. But after verse 4, all bets are off.

Some people believe that the entire rest of the chapter (verses 5-37) is about the second coming of Christ at the end of the age. Other people believe that the entire passage (verses 1-37) or that most of the passage (verses 1-31) is about the destruction of Jerusalem which took place in the year 70 AD. Let me pause here. Isn’t this remarkable? Some faithful believers think and teach that this passage is almost entirely about something that has not yet happened, and other faithful believers think and teach that this passage is almost entirely about something that already happened about 1,950 years ago.

This illustrates for us one of the challenges in discussion about the end times: sometimes faithful believers will disagree about whether a particular passage is even relevant to the discussion. If you assume that Mark 13 is about the end times, then it will shape your view of the end times. If you assume that Mark 13 is not about the end times, then it won’t shape your view of the end times.

So far I’ve only give you the two polar opposite views on Mark 13: some think it is primarily about the end times, others think it is primarily about the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1^st century. But there are actually other viewpoints that land in between those two viewpoints.

For example, some people hold that verses 1-23 are about the destruction of Jerusalem, then verses 24-27 are about Jesus’ second coming at the end of history, then verses 28-31 are about the destruction of Jerusalem, and finally verses 32-37 are about Jesus’ second coming at the end of history.

Someone else draws these lines differently: verses 1-13 are about the destruction of Jerusalem, verses 14-27 are about Jesus’ second coming at the end of history, verses 28-31 are about the destruction of Jerusalem, and verses 32-37 are about Jesus’ second coming at the end of the age.

Still others may not want to pin down every verse to either the destruction of Jerusalem or Jesus’ second coming, but they see a blending of these two themes throughout the passage. Wessel and Straus put it this way: “The best solution may be to see in the discourse an intentional prophetic merging and overlap of the two events, with the goal of viewing one as a pattern and model for the other.”[6] For example, the tribulation and judgment upon Jerusalem in the 1^st century might be seen as “a pattern and model” for the final tribulation and final judgment that shall befall the world at the end of history.

It is my earnest desire that faithful believers in our Lord Jesus Christ be gracious and warmhearted to each other, regardless of the particular views that they hold on the end times, including whether or not a passage like Mark 13 is even about the end times. We must learn to walk in humility toward other believers, assuming the best about people’s mindset and motivation. We should test the content of the teaching that is presented to us. Don’t assume that everything you hear from your favorite teacher, or everything you read in your favorite study Bible, or everything that is spoken from this pulpit, is correct. Know your Bible. Challenge assumptions, theirs and yours. Have lively discussions with others without taking things personally. Have a teachable spirit. Keep first things first, and second things second. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember that knowledge without love puffs up and turns others off. But love builds up – and love knows how to humbly and wisely use knowledge as part of the building-up process.

It is my desire – and more importantly it is the Lord’s desire – for Mark 13 to build you up, to encourage you in your walk with the Lord, and to strengthen you to live courageously and fruitfully as a Christian. So let Jesus’ words – spoken in verse 2 and in verses 5-37 – let His words edify and fortify and beautify your life, your household, your fellowship within this church family, and your mission to the world.  If His words don’t do that for you, but instead only stir up a useless argument or unprofitable speculation, then you’re not hearing His words properly.

All that I have said up to this point is important groundwork to the rest of today’s sermon and to the next two sermons. In the remainder of this sermon, I want to do three things:

First, I want to tell you my basic viewpoint of Mark 13.

Second, I want to tell you some of the reasons why I hold that viewpoint.

Third, I want to press home one of the very important applications of this passage.

Then next week, we will do a careful walk-through of verses 1-31. The week after that, we will consider verses 32-37.

MY BASIC VIEWPOINT OF MARK 13

So here is my basic viewpoint of Mark 13. In my view, in verses 1-30 Jesus is prophesying the destruction of the temple and the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in the 1^st century. Verse 31 is a transitional verse, emphasizing the durability and permanence of Jesus’ words. Finally, verses 32-37 look forward to Jesus’ second coming at the end of history, and our corresponding need to “[stay] awake” (Mark 13:37).

One obvious implication of my viewpoint is that I believe that Mark 13 has very little to say about the end times. Although verses 32-37 look forward to the end of history, it only paints a very general picture and doesn’t give us a lot of specific information. The specific information that is found in verses 5-30 doesn’t relate to the end times, but was fulfilled in the second half of the 1^st century. That is my view.

Now I might as well tell you that my view is a minority view, that is, most people don’t hold it. Some hold it, but not many. It is worth saying that many people do believe that verses 1-30 are primarily about the destruction of Jerusalem, but they usually separate out at least verses 24-27 and say that verses 24-27 are about Jesus’ second coming. Few people believe that all of verses 1-30 are about the destruction of Jerusalem.

In one sense, the fact that I hold a minority view doesn’t matter to me. I take the Bible very seriously: it is God’s Word, and it must not be tampered with. What the Bible says, God says. Each passage must be read carefully in light of the whole Bible. To stand in the pulpit and give forth erroneous teaching is a big deal: at best, it brings confusion and imbalance; at worst, it misrepresents God and misleads God’s people. Furthermore, erroneous teaching is often divisive. Confused, imbalanced, and/or misled people are not apt to be unified in the truth.

Now I want you to understand that I value a unified flock feeding on the green pastures of God’s gracious Word more than I value everyone agreeing with me on Mark 13. This is one of the reasons why I am taking time to emphasize the big picture, to put first things first, and to keep the main thing the main thing. If we hold fast to the clear and glorious and weighty big picture of the gospel, then all of us can withstand some humble uncertainty and kindhearted disagreement about Mark 13. So I’m not on a mission to get all of you to agree with me on a passage that is regarded as problematic, difficult, complex, and perplexing by Christian scholars who are more learned than I am. At the same time, I accept the responsibility to teach the whole Bible, including Mark 13, and to do it in an honorable and no-nonsense way. So that’s what I plan to do. Everything I have said and will say, I commend to you for your nourishment and edification. And I encourage you to receive it for your nourishment and edification.

SOME REASONS FOR MY PERSPECTIVE ON MARK 13

Now let me give you some reasons for my perspective on Mark 13. As you know, I care a great detail about the context of a passage. It is my conviction that in order to rightly understand a passage, it must be understood in light of the immediate context and, at the same time, it must be understood in light of the whole Bible. Keep that in mind, and let me give you some reasons why I see Mark 13 the way I do.

Reason #1: The Context (Mark 11:1-13:4)

First, I think that verses 1-30 are about the destruction of the temple because the context has paved the way for this emphasis. The lead-up to Mark 13 spotlights the temple and its demise. In Mark 11:11, Jesus “entered Jerusalem and went into the temple.” In Mark 11:15-17, Jesus “came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” In Mark 11:27, Jesus and His disciples “came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him”.  And Jesus interacted with these religious leaders from Mark 11:28 through Mark 12:12.

In these two chapters (Mark 11 and 12), it is clear that Jesus is bringing a word of judgment against the temple and its leaders. In Mark 11:12-14 Jesus inspected and cursed a fig tree, and this unfruitful fig tree represented the unfruitful temple. Thus Jesus inspected the temple in Mark 11:11 and enacted a preliminary judgment against it in Mark 11:15-17. Then in Mark 12:1-12 Jesus told a parable that indicted the religious leaders. The vineyard owner’s beloved son came to the vineyard, but instead of honoring the son and yielding up the fruit that rightly belonged to him, the tenant farmers (representing the religious leaders) killed the beloved son. Now what is going to happen to these renegade religious leaders? The vineyard owner (representing God) “will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Mark 12:9). The religious leadership, their nation, their temple, and their entire religious system – it is under judgment and its days are numbered. All this is directly relevant to the teaching that occurs in Mark 13.

Later in Mark 12 Jesus continues to teach in the temple. Mark 12:35 begins, “And as Jesus taught in the temple”. As Mark 12 concludes: in verses 38-40 Jesus pronounces a word of judgment against the outwardly impressive but inwardly corrupt scribes; then in verses 41-44 Jesus observes “a poor widow” putting “two small copper coins” (v. 42) “into the offering box” (v. 41) at the temple.  The poor widow gave more than the wealthy contributors. “Truly, I say to you,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)

Chapter 11 begins with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and His inspection of the temple. Chapter 12 concludes with Jesus teaching His disciples in the temple. Then Chapter 13 begins in the same place: “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”” (Mark 13:1)

Most of us are easily captivated by magnificent buildings. When I visited Germany in the summer of 1994, I was definitely captivated by the wonderful and historic castles and cathedrals that I had the opportunity to see. There is nothing inherently wrong with a beautiful mansion or palace or castle or temple. The problem is when we get overly attached to any earthly treasure that is destined to turn into a pile of rubble. Here at the beginning of Mark 13, the disciples are impressed by the magnificence of the temple, but Jesus sees the temple in light of its sure and certain destruction, which he has already hinted at in Chapters 11 and 12. “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.”” (Mark 13:2)

The message is clear: the physical temple in Jerusalem has no future. So if your well-being is tied to the physical temple and the religious system associated with it, then you are in real trouble. You must find something durable to build your life upon. Where will you find something truly durable? Look at verse 31: “Heaven and earth will pass away, by my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31) Build your life on Jesus and on His words, and you will not be disappointed.

Reason #2: The Question (Mark 13:3-4)

So in verse 2 Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple. Verses 1-2 then unfold into verses 3-4, because Jesus’ statement in verse 2 prompts a follow-up question. “And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”” (Mark 13:3-4) In light of the context of verses 1-3, in verse 4 these disciples are asking two basic questions. Question #1: When will the temple be destroyed? Question #2: What will be the sign that the temple is about to be destroyed?

As far as I can see, Jesus’ answer beginning in verse 5 and running through verse 30 is the answer to their question. This is the second reason why I believe that Mark 13:1-30 is about the destruction of the temple in the 1^st century, because this is what the question is about, and Jesus’ answer answers the question. The question (in v. 4) flows out of the context of the temple being under judgment in Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 (verse 2), and Jesus’ answer corresponds to the question that is presented to Him.

A Summary of Verses 5-30

Now is a good time to present a brief summary of verses 5-30. Next week we will look at these things in greater detail.

In verses 5-13 Jesus talks about a number of ordinary but difficult events that will take place before the temple is destroyed. When Jesus says “but the end is not yet” in verse 7, he is not referring to the end of history but to the end of the temple or to the completion of judgment against the temple. Because that is the subject under consideration, and that is the question He is answering. Context determines how words are being used.

In verse 14 there is a critical event – “the abomination of desolation” – that signals that the time for the temple’s destruction is drawing near. This critical event also introduces a time of intense tribulation that runs through verse 23.

So verses 5-13 might be summarized as “the beginning of birth pains” (Mark 13:8). Then verses 14-23 might be summarized as great travail, encompassing the desolation of verse 14 and the tribulation of verse 19.

After this great travail comes the climactic end of the temple in verses 24-27. The language of verses 24-27 draw heavily from the Old Testament and indicate decisive judgment against an ungodly people. When some people read verses 24-27, they automatically assume that it must be about Jesus’ second coming at the end of history. And I can understand why someone would think this way. But in my view this takes verses 24-27 out of context. There is another interpretation of v. 24-27 that make good sense in context – and we will consider it next week.

Reason #3: The Unity of Jesus’ Answer in Mark 13:5-27  

With this summary of the passage in mind, the third reason why I believe that verses 5-30 are all about the destruction of the temple in the 1^st century is because of the unity of Jesus’ answer in verses 5-27. The sequence of thought is “beginning of birth pains”, followed by great travail, and then concluding with climactic judgment upon the city of Jerusalem and its corrupt temple system, with resultant blessing for God’s true and faithful people. Verses 5-27 hang together and show increasing intensity. It is interesting to note that people who believe that verses 5-30 are all about something that happened in the 1^st century and people who believe that verses 5-30 are all about something that has not yet happened but will happen sometime in the future, though they have very different views nevertheless they have this in common: they understand that Jesus’ answer in verses 5-30 presents an interconnected and unified line of thought related to one historical period.  

Reason #4: Jesus Assigns a Time Frame (Mark 13:28-30)

Then in verses 28-30 Jesus brings His answer to a fitting conclusion. In view of all that He has just said in verses 5-27, He now says: “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” (Mark 13:28-29) The phrase “he is near” can just as easily be translated ‘it is near’, and context must determine which translation is most appropriate. Maybe we will get to that next week. But regardless of that, Jesus’ statement in verses 28-29 circles back to the original question about “the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished? (v. 4)” Thus verse 29: “when you see these things taking place, you know that he [or it] is near, at the very gates.” In other words, when you see the desolation and tribulation of verses 14-23 taking place, then you know that the decisive judgment of verses 24-27 is about to be carried out.

Then comes verse 30, and this is the fourth and perhaps most important reason why I believe that verses 5-30 are all about the destruction of the temple in the 1^st century: Jesus assigns a time frame to what He has been teaching. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Mark 13:30)

“[All] these things” – running from verse 5 to verse 27 – will take place when? Before “this generation” passes away. The phrase “this generation” refers to Jesus’ contemporaries – the people who were alive when Jesus spoke these things around the year 30 AD. In other words, some of the people who were alive at the time when Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple, will still be alive when the temple is actually destroyed.

Reason #5: What Actually Happened in 70 AD

And this leads to a fifth reason why I believe that verses 5-30 is about the destruction of the temple in the 1^st century: because it actually happened just as He said. The terrible Jewish War against the Romans took place in the years 66-70 AD. The generation alive in 30 AD had not yet passed away when the Romans decimated Jerusalem and its temple in the year 70 AD.

Therefore, since the context of Jesus’ teaching (Mark 11:1-13:2), the question presented to Jesus (Mark 13:3-4), the unity of Jesus’ answer (the unified development of thought from v. 5-13 to v. 14-23 to v. 24-27, then fitting capped in v. 28-30), the “this generation” time marker that Jesus gives (Mark 13:30), and the actual historical outworking are tied to the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple just about 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, it seems to me that it is unnatural, forced, and too dependent on linguistic gymnastics to suppose that Jesus is talking about a time period that still lies somewhere in the future. When Jesus spoke these words, the destruction of the temple did lie in the future – but it clearly lay in the short-term future, before the current generation passed away. And as Jesus foretold, so it happened. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31)

With verses 30-31 functioning like ‘punctuation marks’ after verse 1-29, I think that in verses 32-37 Jesus is looking beyond short-term history to the final day and final hour at the end of history. More on that in a couple of weeks.

BE ON YOUR GUARD

Thus far I have told you my basic viewpoint of Mark 13 and some reasons why I hold this viewpoint. Now I would like to conclude today’s sermon by pressing home one of the very important applications from Chapter 13. One of the fundamental mistakes that Christians can make when it comes to passages like Mark 13, regardless of their interpretation of it, is to focus predominantly on the historical information and to forget about the spiritual exhortations that Jesus gives. Now the historical information is important, but it isn’t the only thing going on in this passage.

Think about this sentence written by Walter Wessel and Mark Strauss: “There are nineteen imperatives [commands] in vv. 5 – 37, thus making it abundantly clear that the discourse’s main purpose is not to satisfy curiosity about the future but to give practical, ethical teaching.”[7]

I urge all of us to ponder the significance of how Jesus answers the question that is asked of Him in verse 4. He had been asked two questions: 1) When will the temple be destroyed? 2) What will be the sign that it is about to be destroyed? Jesus could have answered the question in what would have amounted to a couple of verses: The temple will be destroyed before this generation passes away. And the sign that it is about to happen is that religious sacrilege and social tension and political instability will reach epic proportions before the temple falls. That would have been mere information. But what does Jesus actually do? He says things like: “See that no one leads you astray.” (v. 5) “[Do] not be alarmed.” (v. 7) “[Be] on your guard.” (v. 9) “[Do] not be anxious.” (v. 11) “[You] will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” (v. 13) “[Do] not believe” false messiahs and false prophets. (v. 21-22) “[Be] on your guard.” (v. 23) “Be on your guard, keep awake.” (v. 33) “[Stay] awake.” (v. 35) “Stay awake.” (v. 37) Do you see?

We will have opportunity to reflect further on these things in the next two sermons. But right now I just want you to realize that Jesus is addressing one of the fundamental problems that we face: all of the right information in the world will not prove beneficial to you if you are not spiritually alert.

What should you do in response to Mark 13? Walk so closely to Jesus that you would never be duped by a false messiah. Know and cherish His words so deeply that you would never be duped by a false prophet. Resolve to obey Jesus no matter what, so that you will endure through the tough times. Make your calling and election sure, so that you can have confidence that the Lord will keep you safe in troubled times.

And pay attention to what happens in the aftermath of a sermon like this. Some people will want to analyze and examine and re-examine and discuss the informational content of this sermon in relation to the various “millennialism” views. There is an important place for this, so go ahead. I’ve done it myself. It is worth doing. Diligent study is important for every Christian. It is part of being a good student and testing all things. But here’s the real question for all of us: in and through and beyond the informational content, will we let Mark 13 drive us toward greater faithfulness, greater vigilance for the direction of our hearts and lives, greater endurance in the face of suffering, and less alarm and less anxiety when trials bear down?

Jesus taught us that the outwardly impressive but inwardly corrupt temple was destined for destruction, and so it happened in the space of about 40 years. Blessed are those whose well-being was not tied to that man-made temple, but instead to the temple built without human hands, the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ who is the Cornerstone of the true temple that will never end.

Brothers and sisters, “the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17) And what is God’s will? “[This] is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” (1 John 3:23-24) 

Dear friends, trust Jesus and love each other. Live in this big picture, and keep the main thing the main thing. And always “[be] on your guard, and stay awake.”

ENDNOTES

[1] Available online at the Christian Reformed Church website:

https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/creeds/nicene-creed.

[2] George R. Beasley-Murray, Jesus and the Last Days: The Interpretation of the Olivet Discourse. Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2005: p. vii.

[3] Walter W. Wessell and Mark L. Strauss, “Mark”. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, Volume 9: Matthew and Mark. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2010: p. 914.

[4] William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974: p. 444.

[5]  James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002: p. 383.

[6] Walter W. Wessell and Mark L. Strauss, “Mark”. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, Volume 9: Matthew and Mark. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2010: p. 916.

[7] Walter W. Wessell and Mark L. Strauss, “Mark”. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, Volume 9: Matthew and Mark. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2010: p. 915.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002. 

R. T. France. The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Kenneth L. Gentry, The Olivet Discourse Made Easy: You Can Understand Jesus’ Great Prophetic Discourse. Chesnee: Victorious Hope Publishing, 2021 reprint (copyright 2010).

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt AD 66-74. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2013.

R. C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus: When Did Jesus Say He Would Return? Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.

James W. Voelz, Mark 8:27–16:20 (Concordia Commentary). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2019.

Walter W. Wessell and Mark L. Strauss, “Mark”. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, Volume 9: Matthew and Mark. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2010.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

N. T. Wright. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.