Embedded Files
Aug 28 - Sep 3, 2022
Compiled by Dr. "Joey" Alan Le, Ph.D.
Introduction
Introduction
As Jesus continued to teach and minister in Jerusalem, he offered a few glimpses into the future—first, the future for the Jewish people of his day, and second, for the future of God’s people at the end of time (Coleman 2019, 1623).
Icebreaker: If you could learn one fact about the future, what would you want to know?
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
13:1 WHAT IMPRESSIVE BUILDINGS! The temple was, indeed, a wonder to behold. It was built with huge white stones, some measuring thirty-seven feet long by twelve feet high by eighteen feet wide. The temple appeared to strangers when they were at a distance like a mountain covered with snow (Coleman 2019, 1623). What are some manmade objects that are typically held in awe?
Despite Jesus’ warnings not to be taken in by appearances of wealth, the disciples are awed by the massive Herodian masonry and the extensive buildings that were part of the Temple complex. Jesus predicts that the whole place will be completely destroyed (Perkins 1995, 685). When the Holy Spirit speaks to you through these passages, what idols do you feel convicted to let go of?
13:2 NOT ONE STONE WILL BE LEFT. Jesus dismisses the grandeur of the temple. Mark expects this new kingdom perspective (Garland 1996, 494). Jesus looks beyond the appearance to reality. No matter how secure buildings or institutions may appear, they can all be overthrown (Perkins 1995, 686). What should the new kingdom perspective be, then?
Old Testament prophecy is not about predicting the future but are diagnoses of the moral or spiritual health of the people. A prophetic word of judgment intends to promote repentance and reform, even though many people reject the prophet’s word. Destruction occurs only because the words of warning go unheeded. Thus, prophetic speech is a form of instruction, not fortune telling (Perkins 1995, 686). Have you ever experienced the prophetic before? How did it affect you?
vv1–2 Why was this a surprising statement on Jesus’s part? How did Jesus’s promise come true?
13:3–4 The disciples once again come to Jesus, privately asking him to explain his teaching. To them, an event as cataclysmic as the temple’s destruction must be one of the events that would usher in the new age (Mt 24:3) (Coleman 2019, 1623).
13:5 WATCH OUT. Apocalyptic literature always asked two questions: 1) How to live faithfully in the end times? 2) What will happen to the wicked versus the righteous? How does the Christian perspective compare and contrast with the non-Christian’s view of the end of the world?
This is a key theme in this section (vv21–23, 33–37). Vigilance, against being deceived by those who claim that the end times have begun or claim that they are prophets, is essential (Coleman 2019, 1623).
13:6–8 What specific signs did Jesus mention here? How have these signs been present throughout history? Various events will occur prior to the end: false prophets will come (v6), and there will be wars, earthquakes, and famine (vv7–8) (Coleman 2019, 1623).
13:7 BUT IT IS NOT YET THE END. The end of the age or the end of the world—that time which precedes the full and open establishment of the kingdom of God. Jesus does not say that the end will come immediately after these events, only that this is the “beginning of birth pains” (v8; i.e., they signal that something is coming) (Coleman 2019, 1623).
The desire to use apocalyptic prophecies concerning the end time to make sense of traumatic upheavals in the world remains a significant temptation for many Christians. Jesus provides a fundamental response, even to those who “come in his name”: The end time is not signaled by such events. Christians should remember that they have one concern: giving testimony to the gospel. Apocalyptic prophecies do not constitute the testimony about which Jesus speaks (Perkins 1995, 689). How much do witness and evangelism play a part in your life?
Persecution Foretold
Persecution Foretold
This section (Mk 13:9-13) is the most personalized section dedicated to Jesus’ apostles. It is more of an exhortation and pastoral preparation than an abstract prediction. It is almost like a digression squeezed in between Jesus’ list of signs to look for the end. Jesus’ heart is to prepare them for the time of waiting when their faith will be put to the test. This is not a warning to tell them to escape persecution, but to prepare them to endure the persecution faithfully (France 2009, 513). How do you respond to this notion that we are to endure persecution and not escape it? How does this square with what society or culture deals with hardship and the truth?
13:9 COUNCILS. If the local courts/councils, governed by local elders/priests/rabbis condemned and disciplined Jesus’ followers with flogging...then that means that they have been rejected by their own people. This is especially painful (Keener 1993, Mk13:9). Have you ever been hurt by your own people? How should we manage that pain?
13:9 BECAUSE OF ME. How have you defined “persecution”? The disciples will not be persecuted for no reason. It is specifically “because of me.” By following Jesus, who is himself about to stand court, and by proclaiming the good news about him...the disciples will get into trouble (France 2009, 515).
13:9 AS A TESTIMONY TO THEM. How will the good news be proclaimed to all the nations? By standing trial before Gentile governors and kings. Within the very persecution, the good news will make its way to “all nations” (Mk 13:10). The disciples’ very act of appearing in court will itself be an act of witness/testimony (France 2009, 515). Their persecution is part-and-parcel their witness. Share a story of your best/worst incident of witnessing Jesus.
13:10 THE GOOD NEWS MUST FIRST BE PROCLAIMED. Jesus is not saying that the gospel will be proclaimed universally, and then persecution will come, but rather, that the persecution is the context in which the nations will hear the proclamation (France 2009, 516). Why is there such resistance to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Why do Christians suffer for their faith? Why is there religious persecution at all, of any religion? What is the best way to handle differences of faith?
13:11 IT IS NOT YOU WHO SPEAK, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit is a powerful presence in our lives, enabling us to proclaim the gospel. Does this comfort you? Share of a time when you felt the Spirit speaking for you.
vv9–13 How did these prophecies come true for the disciples themselves? Where do you see people being persecuted today because of their faith in Jesus?
13:13 THE ONE WHO ENDURES. Jesus does not say that we can expect to overcome the hostility. He only encourages us to endure (France 2009, 519). What does this practically mean? It means loving God by loving other people. It’s serving them even though its costly. It’s standing in solidarity with those who are hurting/suffering. It means welcoming God’s just kingdom reign here and now.
Some things in life are speculative, and other things are certain. Naturally, during times of conflict, disciples want a clear date as to when Jesus will return. But Christians must learn to integrate the actual fact of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection as a decisive event, and the command to love/serve their neighbor. This means that they should boldly proclaim the gospel, be aware of false prophets, and not withdraw from suffering on behalf of the gospel (Schnelle 2009, 428). In which of these three areas do you feel you could improve on this week?
The Desolating Sacrilege
The Desolating Sacrilege
13:14 THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. The abomination desolation is an abomination that desolates.
This phrase appears in the book of Daniel (Dn 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). It refers to an event so awful that Jews will flee from the temple in horror. A similar event happened in 168 BC when Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian king, captured Jerusalem. He set up an altar to Zeus in the temple and sacrificed a pig there. He also put public brothels in the temple courts. Jesus warns that when such an event occurs again, the fall of Jerusalem is imminent (2Th 2:1–4) (Coleman 2019, 1624). Can you recall an event when something catastrophic happens that strikes at the core of your identity? How did it make you feel? How has that event affected your subsequent life decisions?
THEN THOSE IN JUDEA MUST FLEE. When the armies march against the city, Jesus’s disciples are to recognize that this is the sign that God’s judgment against Israel has come to a head. Instead of flocking to the city in anticipation of a dramatic messianic victory, they must run for their lives (Coleman 2019, 1624). Where do you find the courage to accept your responsibility in wrong, to repent from it, and to stop seeking refuge in the sin that you used to serve?
Read Daniel 9:24–27 and 11:29–35 to find more prophecies about this “abomination of desolation.” What were those prophecies pointing to in Daniel’s day?
13:23 I HAVE TOLD YOU EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE. Some see the fulfillment of Jesus’s words in the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Others are still looking for the “great tribulation” yet to come (Rv 7:14) (Coleman 2019, 1624).
Even if Jesus’ prophecies have been fulfilled in 70 AD, it does not mean that they are irrelevant to us today. When human societies and institutions set themselves up against the peace and love of God, producing arrogant and dehumanizing structures, deep injustices, and radical oppression, there may be a place for prophets to denounce and warn God’s people (Wright 2004, 184). In your opinion, what are the core things that God’s heart breaks over? What should Christians do to realign themselves with what matters to God?
The Coming of the Son of Man
The Coming of the Son of Man
13:24–27 Jesus now describes the second coming of the Son of Man in power and glory. The destruction of Jerusalem is the result of human failure and evil. It will bring suffering and hardship. The second coming will bring salvation and blessing to the people of God (Coleman 2019, 1624). How do you define or describe God’s glory? What do you look forward to about Jesus’ return?
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
13:28 LESSON FROM THE FIG TREE. They knew that the fig tree only got its leaves in late spring. When the leaves came, it was a sure sign that summer was near. This is a reference to the rather mysterious cursing of the fig tree by Jesus in 11:12–14, 20–21 and has to do with the judgment on Jerusalem, as Jesus’s teaching here shows (Coleman 2019, 1624). How do we know if we’ve committed the same grave mistake that the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day made (that we’ve made idols of our religiosity and failed our mission to be a light to all)?
13:31 MY WORDS WILL NOT PASS AWAY. On the one hand, Mark underscores the certainty of Jesus' word. Readers know that the death of Jesus on the cross does not end the story of salvation. On the other hand, Christians need not concern themselves with apocalyptic speculation. Disciples should remember that "doing the will of God" (3:35) has no relationship to the timing of divine judgment. Neither should Christians concern themselves with the fate of those who persecute them or who reject the gospel. When Christians rush to judge others, they should remember this exhortation. The only question the master will ask is whether the servants have been faithful to their call as disciples (Perkins 1995, 694). In your personal spiritual walk, how do you live out your call as a disciple of Jesus Christ?
The Necessity for Watchfulness
The Necessity for Watchfulness
What steps have you taken to prepare for your future on earth? What steps have you taken to prepare for your eternal future?
13:28–37 With all this as background (vv5–27), Jesus can now respond to the disciples’ original question (v4). His response is that one event (the fall of Jerusalem) will occur within their lifetime, but they are not to be deceived. This will not usher in the end time. The final event (the second coming) will be at a future, unspecified date known only to God the Father (v32). Jesus encourages the disciples to be vigilant, but not to worry about when all this will take place (Coleman 2019, 1624).
13:37 It is not just the Twelve who must get on with the mission when Jesus is gone. It is all of his followers (Coleman 2019, 1625).
Conclusion
Conclusion
As Pastor Sarah Henry preached on Aug 8, 2022, the Temple was commissioned by God himself. And yet the building and the institution had become an idol.
What man-made items are we clinging to for safety? What practices have replaced God in our lives? Where does our hope lie? Is our hope in our politics, our discipleship practices, our pastors, mentors, and teachers, in money, comfort, and family, in one particular theological perspective? These things might be good, and helpful, but it is not God. The good thing is that our faith is not based on a flawed system or people or place. God is bigger than we could ever imagine.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Coleman, Lyman. 2019. Life Connections Study Bible. Nashville: Holman Bibles.
France, Richard T. 2009. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text.The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans.
Garland, David E. 1996. Mark.The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Keener, Craig S. 1993. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Perkins, Pheme. 1995. "The Gospel of Mark." In The New Interpreter's Bible: General Articles on the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Schnelle, Udo. 2009. Theology of the New Testament. Translated by M. Eugene Boring. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Wright, Tom. 2004. Mark for Everyone. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
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