In the World You WILL Have
Tribulation!
Mark 13:1-13
Introduction: Earlier in this Gospel, we saw that Jesus had
told his hearers to count the cost of following Him (8:31-35). There was no cover
up, no hiding of the hardship that would come with discipleship. He said “If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny
himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Here, in the Olivet discourse, He
once again warns His disciples that perilous times were coming, that in the
world they would have tribulation (cf.
Jn 16:33). The New Testament tells us
that things will become difficult in the “last days.” In the last letter that the
Apostle Paul wrote, before his execution while a prisoner in Rome, he said,
But understand this, that in
the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of
self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, 3
heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving
good, 4 treacherous,
reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, 5 having the appearance
of godliness, but denying its power... (2 Tim 3:2-5).
A little further down in that chapter he warns,
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted, 13 while evil
people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived… (2 Tim 3:12-13).
Paul understood that there was a cost to discipleship, that
we are in a spiritual battle and that the enemy will work hard to discourage us
and, if possible, to cause us to stumble. One of the practical applications
of prophecy, it seems to me, is to see the fulfillment of God’s promises and to
be assured that He is the Lord of History. When we turn to the New Testament,
the early church experienced the beginning of the birth pangs described in this
chapter. The disciples are arrested in Acts 4, arrested again and beaten in Acts
5. Stephen is stoned by a mob in Acts 7. Saul (Paul) comes to faith, and then,
his life under threat, has to flee in a basket over the wall of Damascus. In
chapter 12 James is put to death by the sword of Herod, and Peter is arrested…
Come to Jesus and you will have a peaceful life! On the contrary, “…all who seek to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted.”
The Maine* Idea: The assurance of God’s presence and the
certainty of victory will enable believers to endure both the trials of life
and the attacks of the enemy.
Context: Jesus had prophesied the
destruction of the Temple (13:1,2).
As he was leaving the
temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive
stones! What magnificent buildings!"
2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied
Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be
thrown down."
The disciples made an observation about the buildings in the Temple
complex as they were leaving, and Jesus made what had to be a shocking prophecy…
every stone would be thrown down—complete devastation! It seems the disciples
were so stunned (or bewildered!) by that idea that they walked in silence from
the Temple, out the gates of the city, through the Kidron Valley and up the hill
to the Mount of Olives. It was there that the disciples came to the Lord with
some questions, asking for clarification…
I. Be Discerning:
Do not be led astray (3-8).
The disciples had questions (3-4). They were
confused about what comes next.
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,
Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will these
things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be
fulfilled?"
Jesus knew the hearts
of His disciples, and we know from His answer, as well as from the parallel
accounts in Matthew and Luke, that they were asking Him not only about the
destruction of the Temple, but also about the end of the age and the coming of
the Kingdom. In their thinking those things went together, they didn’t know that
there would be an interval of many centuries between the Temple being leveled
and the Millennial Kingdom of the Messiah, of which the prophets spoke, being established.
For example, they knew the prophecy of Isaiah
2:2-4,
It shall come to pass in the
latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as
the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all
the nations shall flow to it, 3
and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain
of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war anymore.
This was God’s city, and the Temple was God’s
House. Were they to understand that one Temple would literally be torn down and
another built? If Jerusalem and the
Temple were to be the center of the Kingdom, and of the world, how could
it be destroyed? Jesus warns them to be on guard…
Deceivers
will come, leading many astray (5-6). First of all, don’t be led astray by messianic
pretenders.
5 Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name,
claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.
Satan is a liar,
and the father of lies. One aspect of that is that he counterfeits what God
does and says. Some have directly claimed to be the messiah, others have even
claimed to be Jesus incarnate. Through the centuries many have falsely claimed
to be Christ. The language here is even stronger, “Many will come in my name and say, ‘I AM…’ and will deceive many…” That
is the language that Jesus used, one of the ways he claimed and affirmed His
deity. Imitators, many of them, would come. And indeed they have! From the
first century to the present day, cult leaders have made such false claims and
have led astray people. Jim Jones, David Koresh, and the Branch Davidians, people
like them leading people down a path to destruction. Jesus said, “Watch out! Do
not be deceived!” He also said…
Don’t be alarmed by the “non-signs” that
come with life in a fallen world (7-8).
7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and
famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
How will we know
that the end is near? Is Jesus saying that wars and earthquakes and famines are
signs of the end? I think His point is quite the opposite: these kinds
of things characterize life in a fallen world. They were happening in the early
first century, they would be happening in an intense way in the siege of
Jerusalem in the late 60s until it’s destruction in AD 70, and they will be
happening until the Lord returns. Wars,
rumors of wars, such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Natural
disasters as well, earthquakes, famines, (the beloved physician, in Luke 21:11,
adds “pestilences”), are a part of life in this fallen world. They can remind
us that the end will come, but of that day and hour no one knows.
Remember the famous quote from Cyprian of Carthage,
This is a cheerful world as
I see it from my garden under the shadows of my vines. But if I were to ascend
some high mountain and look out over the wide lands, you know very well what I
should see: brigands on the highways, pirates on the sea, armies fighting,
cities burning; in the amphitheaters men murdered to please applauding crowds;
selfishness and cruelty and misery and despair under all roofs. It is
a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the
midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They
have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our
sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They
are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people,
Donatus, are the Christians--and I am one of them.
It seems that Cyprian found hope in Christ, despite the
prevalence of apparently flourishing evil in the world. Evil and suffering, the
bad news that we hear domestically and around the world every day, all of it
reminds us of human depravity and how desperately the world needs the Gospel. That
is why Jesus came, and that is why He left us in the world. To be His
witnesses. That is the “Maine* Idea”
in our context in Mark: The assurance of God’s presence and the certainty of
victory will enable believers to endure both the trials of life and the attacks
of the enemy as we carry out the mission that has been entrusted to us. So, be discerning, don’t be led astray, and…
II. Be on Guard:
You will suffer attacks
for your faith (9-10).
9 "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local
councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before
governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must
first be preached to all nations.
You will experience religious persecutions
(9a). We certainly see this in the unfolding story of the early church in the
Book of Acts. After being arrested and threatened by the leaders in Acts 4, we
read in the next chapter,
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the
high priest questioned them, 28
saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you
have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's
blood upon us." 29 But
Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised
Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right
hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. 32 And we are witnesses
to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who
obey him." 33 When they
heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them… (Acts 5:27-33).
You
will experience persecution by authorities (9b). We have seen some cases,
like a baker on the west coast and with businesses like Hobby Lobby that seek
to reflect their faith in their business practices facing some backlashes in
our country. But it many other contexts it is far worse. In Islamic regimes as
in Saudi Arabia or Iraq or Pakistan, it can be life or death for someone to
openly profess faith in Christ. To share your faith, even worse. It isn’t
new, and it will seemingly get worse. In reading God’s story as it unfolded in
the Book of Acts, the last quarter of the story, Paul is a prisoner of Roman
authorities. He appeared before governors and kings. Ultimately, tradition
tells us, he would be put to death by Nero. Jesus says…
In
the midst of it all, you have a mission to carry out (9c-10). Jesus told
the disciples what was coming, and what they were to do. Here He said “…you will stand before governors and kings as
witnesses to them. 10
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” The word “witness” in verse 9 is the word
from which we get the English word “martyr.” And that was the reality for most
of these men. Sometime you should read through the early pages of Fox’s Book of Martyrs, which begins with
the biblical martyrs, and then shares some of the traditions of the death of the
other apostles as well as subsequent persecutions of the church. It isn’t
pretty, but it is edifying to hear about their faith under fire.
Jesus didn’t
hide anything, in fact, He told the disciples in advance that suffering would
come as His mission expanded to “all nations.”
But as they went they could be assured they wouldn’t be alone, and ultimately,
God’s purpose would be accomplished. The
assurance of God’s presence and the certainty of [ultimate] victory will enable
believers to endure both the trials of life and the attacks of the enemy, staying
faithful in the mission that has been entrusted to us. So be discerning, don’t be deceived… be on guard, you will be attacked,
but…
III. Do not be Anxious:
God is with you and
victory is certain (11-13).
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry
beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for
it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 "Brother will betray brother
to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents
and have them put to death. 13
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be
saved.
Do
not be anxious – the Spirit will be with you to guide you (11). This promise would be developed
further in the Upper Room Discourse (John 14-16) as Jesus speaks more about His
departure, and the promise of sending a “Comforter,” the Parakletos, who would be with them to guide, empower, and enable
them. The arrest of Jesus, His so-called trial that would follow, His torture
and execution by the Romans, and His burial, would certainly throw them into
confusion. In retrospect we can wonder why that was, since the final journey to
Jerusalem had been replete with predictions by Jesus, explicitly saying that
would happen (8:31-35; 9:30-32; 10:33-34)! But their eyes were not yet opened.
Even in the Upper Room, as He was teaching and preparing them for what would
soon happen, they didn’t understand. Jesus knew their struggle and said in John
16:19-20,
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them,
"Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while
you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? 20 I tell you the truth, you will
weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will
turn to joy.
Jesus is offering perspective and hope in the midst of
heartbreak and sorrow. As the psalmist said, “Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning…”
(Psalm 30:5, NAS). Don’t forget, Jesus wins! Even so, it will be difficult…
Those
closest to us may turn against us (12-13a). "Brother
will betray brother to death, and a father his child...” Remember that we have a High Priest
who can sympathize with our weaknesses… Jesus knew something about personal betrayal.
Earlier, we know that for a time at least “His
own brothers were not believing in Him…” Soon, one who had walked with Him
for three and a half years, who had seen the miracles and heard the teaching,
one who’s feet Jesus would wash in the upper room along with 11 others, would
betray Him. This teaching may have been Wednesday night of passion week. After
a long day of teaching in the Temple they had crossed the Kidron Valley and
were on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple Mount. It would be in the
upper room, in the next day or so, that Jesus would again speak of the hatred
and betrayal they would experience. He said,
18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me
first. 19 If you belonged to
the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates
you. 20 Remember the words I
spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me,
they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours
also. 21 They will treat you
this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me… (John 15:18-21).
In other words, don’t take it personally, it is not about you
really. It is about Jesus. Let it remind you of how desperately lost people
are, and let that deepen your commitment to pray for them and to seek to point them
to the Lord.
Stand
firm, Jesus wins! (13b). Jesus said, “…but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” The world can
only do so much to us. As Paul said at the end of that great resurrection
chapter, I Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore,
be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord!”
What is God saying to me
in this passage?
Perilous times will come, but the assurance of God’s presence and the certainty
of victory will enable believers to endure both the trials of life and the
attacks of the enemy as we carry out God’s mission in the world.
What would God have me to do
in response to this passage? Jesus will return. Remember why
He came. Remember who He is. Remember what it means to follow Him. Don’t be
anxious. Be on guard. Don’t be deceived. Stay faithful! As we saw last week, Be encouraged—Life will get hard, but Jesus
is coming! AMEN.
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