Sunday School Session 14

Hello again, class.

Mark 13 and the Purpose of the Olivet Discourse

Well, today we'll be looking at Mark chapter 13. You should have lecture number seven,.

Should have been sent to you,.

The notes for lecture seven in order to follow along in chapter 13. Chapter 13 is our next telec unit. It actually is one unit, one purpose unit that of course comes next here. And so we'll be looking at Mark chapter 13 today.

Now, again, I hope you've read it, read the text before we proceed, and then you'll be prepared. So let's pray and we'll get looking at this chapter. Father, thanks again for how you give us truth so that we'll be faithful disciples.

Help us now as we seek to understand this that we will be faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus. We thank you in his name, amen. Now this section, what is the purpose of this section? It's that Jesus teaches you what you should be like and what you should do in the age of distress that precedes his return.

That's the purpose of this, what you should be like and what you should do in the age of distress that precedes his return. Now, many people today are interested in what's going to happen in the future.

They're always wondering, they're always looking for signs of when Jesus will return. They're always talking about all the events.

That are going on.

And even in this section, the disciples are curious about what's going to happen. When you know that everything you count familiar, everything that you love and that you're familiar with will someday end, you want to know the details.

And that's the case with them. They want to know the details of this great destruction that's coming. Now, Jesus does not emphasize the details of, or the timing of his second coming. Jesus wants the disciples to understand what must be true of them in light of his return.

So what does Jesus have to say to us as we anticipate his return? Again, I want to emphasize, this is primarily about, even though Jesus tells us some things that are going to happen, this is primarily about what you have to be like during that time as you await the return of Jesus.

The Temple's Destruction and the Birth Pangs Before Messiah's Return

Well, the first thing we see in the first four verses is be aware of the great change before Jesus returns. This whole discourse starts because of an almost boastful remark by the disciples. What massive stones, what magnificent buildings we have, where we worship God, the true place of the worship of God.

Look how marvelous and magnificent and majestic it is. This is Judaism at its height. Look at how wonderful our buildings are. Look at the magnificence of our worship. None can do better. Jesus' reply though indicates that all that they hold dear will be destroyed.

Not one stone will remain on another. How would you respond if you found out that what you held dearest was going to be destroyed, would soon be destroyed in fact, across the valley as they gaze at the magnificent temple complex on the opposite Mount, Peter, James, John, and Andrew want to know when this will happen.

Why do you think they would be so shocked at Jesus' statements? This is not like hearing that your village or even your house will be destroyed. Jesus says to them that the temple, the very place where true worship occurs, the only place in the whole world where true worship occurs, the very place where God has set his name, this is destined for destruction.

So the first sign of Jesus' return is that the old era must pass and a new era must dawn. The old is gonna pass and a new era was going to dawn. That has to happen before Jesus returns. Now the destruction of the temple and all its worship, the epitome of true worship, mind you, must end and the era of the gospel must dawn.

What Jesus goes on to describe now, as he moves on and begins to describe, he's going to describe what we have seen and what the disciples began to see after Jesus' ascension. What the original disciples began to see, we have seen in greater detail as the age has progressed.

And so what I think you find here is not Jesus just describing everything that happens in the very last days at the end of this age. Rather, he's describing what the disciples will begin to see to come to pass and what we have seen for centuries.

In verses five through eight then, Jesus says, don't be shocked. What are the signs of this new age? Well, he says to it that there's gonna be many who come in his name, many false messiahs, and they're gonna lead many people away.

And you know what else they're gonna do?

And we've seen this, haven't we?

David Koresh, remember him? Some of you are old enough to remember him. He was a guy who claimed to be Christ and he had a proper interpretation.

Of the book of Revelation.

His cult was down in Waco, Texas. And you remember that rather rightly or wrongly, the Justice Department sent in tanks and everything and destroyed the compound where this cult was. The important point to see here, and you can debate the rightness or the wrongness of what the attorney general did in that case, but what you need to see there is he was one who claimed to be Christ and was giving them proper interpretations of the events around them.

And that's what the gospel writer here is saying. These false messiahs look at the events around them, the natural disasters and the wars, and they interpret them for you in order to validate their claims.

They're interpreting contemporary events, okay? But this isn't the end. These are the beginning of the birth pangs, Mark says.

The beginning of the birth pangs.

Now, that term birth pangs, now you understand the metaphor there, birth pangs. A woman will feel great pain. Pains will start coming on her. She'll start experiencing contractions and great pain before the baby arrives.

And so birth pangs here is a metaphor, but it was a common metaphor that was used. It was a theological term common in that day,.

Meaning the pain and the hardship.

That must precede the messianic age. So Jesus outlines for us here, and in the verses following, that these are the events that must transpire before the perfect age of Messiah comes. Now, because of this, the idea of birth pangs, that these must happen before Messiah comes, and because of the descriptions that follow, the gospel going into the world, the persecution that we would see, all these different things, I believe that Jesus goes on to describe the age in which we now live.

We live in the last age of human history. We live in that age of human history that experiences the birth pangs that precede the coming of Messiah. Jesus describes then what this last age, what I call this age of distress will be like.

Be on Guard in the Age of Distress

But most importantly, what must be true of his disciples in this age of distress? Well, the first thing he says is be on your guard. Verse nine through verse 23. Now again, notice the inclusio, the literary device, okay?

The literary device that stands like bookends at the end and at the beginning and end of this passage. You see in verse nine, be on your guard. Verse 23, be on guard. I've told you all things beforehand.

So there's the bracket, be on guard. We must be on guard. He addresses the disciples that he teaches now,.

You be on guard,.

But he's also addressing us and telling us to be on guard.

How do I know that?

Because in verse 37, he says, and what I say to you, I say to all. So he's talking to us as well. He's saying to us, be on guard. Heed this, you be on guard in the age of distress. Don't be carried away.

For the immediate disciples, be on guard because all that you hold dear will be destroyed. Verses 14 through 19. These things are going to happen. And I believe they did happen. In verses 14 through 19, we see Jesus talking to his immediate disciples about what happens to Jerusalem when the temple is destroyed, when those stones are cast down.

It happens in AD 70, when the Roman general Titus arrives, and he absolutely levels Jerusalem, in particular the temple, and he wrecks the Roman legions, the Roman legion signs, the signs of their own gods.

The abomination of desolation arrives at the temple. He's talking about what happens in AD 70. And so at the beginning of the age of distress, there's this incredible slaughter, this incredible persecution, this incredible military massacre that happens.

It's horrible. It's unbelievable what happened to Jerusalem. And the Jews are scattered, never to, not to return, not to return to that place until 1948, when, well, they start arriving before then, but eventually achieve statehood in 1948.

But this is addressed to these immediate disciples,.

Be on your guard,.

Because all that you hold dear will be destroyed. And so he describes that destruction of the Roman general Titus. Verses nine through 13, be on guard because of persecution. As the gospel proceeds into the nations, what should we expect?

What should we expect? We should expect that there will be opposition. We should expect that we will be persecuted. That's what we should expect. As the gospel makes an impact, what should you expect in your families?

You should expect that family members are going to turn against you. Now, listen to me. This is something that we're strangers to in this country, but we ought to be, start to accept this. Don't be surprised that as the gospel progresses in families, as members of families become believers, don't be surprised if fathers start hating their children.

Don't be surprised about those things, if children hate their parents. The gospel can cause that kind of disunity. The gospel, when you become a follower of Jesus, there's something about that, that just evokes the hatred of people.

Look at verse 13. What does Jesus say in verse 13? And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. For my name's sake. Have you ever noticed that you can generally talk about God.

And people will go along.

But when you start talking about Jesus and what Jesus demands, and that he is the only way, and that he demands full allegiance, that he demands that you obey his commands. When you start talking about Jesus, people start getting angry.

It's the nature of the gospel to produce hatred. It does produce hatred. And this hardship comes. What are the two promises Jesus makes in verse 11? The Holy Spirit will give you words to speak in those moments when you are on trial.

And he promises salvation for those who persevere in their faith, who do not give up, who in the midst of hatred still cling to Jesus, still say, Jesus is Lord. I love him more than anything, and will follow him no matter what the cost.

That kind of persevering faith results in salvation. In verses 20 through 23, he says, be on your guard because of all the false Christ that will appear. They will be very persuasive because they're able to do even what might be called miraculous things.

Now listen, what does this tell you about the criteria for determining what is from God and what is false? Just because something appears miraculous does not mean it's from God. So many people say, well, it's a miracle.

It's gotta be from God. No, it does not.

It does not.

Look over at Deuteronomy chapter 13. Would you turn there with me for a moment? Deuteronomy chapter 13. Notice what God says about the miraculous. Deuteronomy 13, beginning in verse one. If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass.

And if he says, let us go after other gods which you have not known and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice. And you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But the prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God.

You see what he's saying here? Miracles don't mean they're from God. How do you know, test the one who does the miracles to see if he's orthodox, to see if he believes the truth about Jesus. So many have been led astray.

Said, I'm telling you the truth from God and here's how you know, look at what I can do. Well, we have the truth of God. And if they depart from the truth of God, it can snow miracles all day long. You do not follow such a one as that.

Be on your guard is what Jesus says. Are you ready for this? You know, we need to understand that America is a blip on the screen of the history of Christianity. And we should not be shocked when we start to see suffering, when we start to see hatred, even in this country.

Too many Christians are shocked today when they hear the way people think about us.

As Bible believers.

Even in America, we need to be ready for the birth pains. Be on guard because we live in an age hostile to the gospel, the age of distress. The last thing that Jesus says in verses 24 through 37 is be watchful.

Watchfulness, Sudden Return, and Faithful Service

Now, after all these things happen, what do you need to look for? After all these things happen, what do you need to look for? Jesus will appear suddenly in the midst of all these astral signs and he will come to judge.

He will gather his elect and he will judge the rest. All of that is described here. At the very end of this age of distress, Jesus will come and he will come to judge. He will come to rescue his elect and to judge the rest of mankind.

And this, according to verses 28 through 31, this could happen at any time. This could happen at any time. These all were evident to the original disciples. The fulfillment began in their generation. So Jesus could come at any moment, it seems.

He's been at the door for centuries. It's as if you have two parallel lines running together and then suddenly at one point they cross, you see. As all these signs are fulfilled, Jesus could come at any time.

And we don't know when that will be. So with that in mind, what must be true of us? We must be on guard. We must be alert. We must be on guard and we must be alert. You don't know when the time will come,.

He says in verse 33.

Verse 34, it's 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 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 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

And what I say to you, I say to all stay awake. Jesus does not want to find us sleeping because the master is not around. And in fact, he's been gone for some time. We may tend to get lazy in what he has given us to do.

We must work and be prepared for the master to return.

At any moment.

Now, what will this return work ethic look like? We need to spend less time trying to figure out how contemporary events fit some prophetic scheme. Instead, we must be on guard, we must be watchful and we must be intent on serving the master.

And so ends this chapter on the return of Messiah. Again, I would emphasize with you, the emphasis of this passage is on us, not on the events. These are the events that happen in the age of distress in which we live, but Jesus can come, he will return and we must be at work.

Well, God bless you. Have a great day, a great week as you seek God and serve him.

God bless y 'all. Let me pray now.

Father, thank you for this time and for your word. Help us to be watchful, on guard, not asleep, alert.

Help us to be busy.

Thank you for the hope that we have in the Lord Jesus. Help us not to despair at the hatred that inevitably arises with the gospel progressing, rather help us then to look to the return of our savior.

Thank you for this class.

Thank you for these folks.

We pray this in Jesus name, amen.

God bless you.