GOOD NEWS PRESENTED BY MARK
Study of the Gospel According to Mark
As you read Mark, be aware that you are reading the very first written account of the ministry of Jesus – a fact well documented by credible Bible scholars. Quite naturally, we want to know who Mark was, and we find that he is mentioned frequently in the New Testament.
What we know about him is that he was the son of a very well-to-do woman in Jerusalem; her name was Mary, and her home became the center of early church get-togethers. So, you can imagine that Mark was there when Jesus’ closest followers came to his mother’s house for a “church council” meeting. Peter the chief elder referred to Mark affectionately as “my son.”
Mark was also the nephew of Barnabas who talked Paul into letting the youngster go with them on one of their missionary journeys - which, you may recall, resulted in Mark’s falling out of favor with Paul by leaving and going back home. However, it’s interesting to note that, years later, when Paul was in prison, facing execution, he asked Timothy to bring Mark with him, “for he is a most useful servant to me.”
I suppose Paul saw in this young man a Christian who had the ability to write; and, apparently having redeemed himself, he could now be counted on to carry out Paul’s wishes. This explanation is plausible because Mark had served as Peter’s scribe and, as such, had written much of what Peter related to him about his eye witness account of the ministry of Jesus.
MARK SERMON X – MARK 13:1-37 . . .
“YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET”!
As our jet cruised toward landing at Liberty International Airport, just a glimpse of the Empire State Building was a sight to behold – not as awesome, though, as was the magnificence of the Twin Towers prior to 9/11/2001, the day that these man-made wonders tragically fell to the ground in a cloud of dust after being attacked by enemies of our nation.
A similar emotion - marveling at a man-made wonder of the world only to be shocked by a prediction of the destruction of that great edifice – must have occurred as Jesus and His disciples made their way toward the Mount of Olives during the last week of our Lord’s earthly ministry – Mark 13:1-4 . . .
Even the first century historian Josephus wrote about gazing in awe at the gleaming marble structure considered to be a wonder of the world due to its massiveness and magnificence. The temple shone so brightly that just the sight of it took people’s breath away; they could hardly believe their eyes!
Yet, Jesus obviously was not as impressed as His disciples were. He calmly foretold the temple’s destruction – which actually happened in the year 70 A.D. The disciples at first were stunned speechless at Jesus’ words of doom; but after a while, gazing at the awesome edifice from the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus a simple question: “When will it happen and how will we know that it’s about to happen?”
Isn’t it typical of most of us to want to be in on the “know”? Isn’t it true that some folks waste a lot of time trying to figure out: the exact date of the end of time . . . how we will know that the second coming of Christ is imminent? Most folks would love to be among the first to spread the word!
Rather than satisfy their curiosity, Jesus turned the question into a “sermon” about two future significant events that would occur at times when they were least expected – one event in the immediate future (the destruction of the temple), and the other event in the distant future (the end of time as we know it concurrent with the second coming of Christ).
In preparation for these events, Jesus CAUTIONS His disciples about false messiahs – Mark 13:5-8 . . .
Have you ever known or heard of a “cult leader” who deceived large numbers of people by warning them that the end was near? Their followers either gathered on a mountain top, or they left their homes to go to some far away jungle - simply because they had been duped by some “dipstick” into believing that God had told him to take them into seclusion to await the end.
How accurate Jesus was in His prophesy that some “preachers” would use disasters to proclaim that the end is near – earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, famines, troubles of all kinds all over the world!
We Christians simply must not allow ourselves to get caught up in panic associated with catastrophes – which have been and will continue to be the kinds of things that happen in an imperfect world.
People of God have more important work to do than to waste time worrying about whether this or that event is the “sign” we have been waiting for.
Having cautioned His disciples, Jesus then CONDITIONS them for facing the reality of what IS going to happen during THEIR lifetime as an unfortunate consequence of devotion to Christ – Mark 13:9-13 , , ,
It is so difficult for you and me, living in the twenty-first century, to imagine the hardships of serving Christ in those days – a time when world leaders used military might to assault Christians and to attempt to stamp out Christianity. Christians were viewed by pagan and religious rulers alike as threats to their prestige and positions of power. Loyalty to Christ even led to divisions within families - and, in some cases, acts of violence.
Anytime Christians are put to the test of loyalty, our Lord encourages those who name the name of Christ to remain firm and not be dissuaded by threats, intimidation, ridicule, insults, or any other form of hatred spewed out by people who despise Christianity and would stamp it out if they could.
Two characteristics of devoted followers of Jesus Christ will NEVER allow the elimination of Christian faith and practice – PERSEVERANCE and ENDURANCE. Christians who go with Jesus all the way AND stay with Him through it all will not be disappointed. Jesus SAID it; THAT settles it!
Suffice it to say that, in less than forty years after Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, as recorded in Mark 13:14-23, secular historians as well as Biblical scholars tell us that it happened the way Jesus said it would.
Jerusalem fell by the sword; the temple was destroyed; Jews were taken into captivity. (Please read Mark 13:14-23 to get an idea of the DISTRESS to which all Christians, including apostles, would be subjected in the years, months, weeks and days leading up to the Fall of Jerusalem . . .).
Having painted a picture of what was going to happen in their generation, what an opportune time for Jesus to “fast forward” His sermon to the ultimate act of God that will bring history to CONCLUSION, thereby ushering in the reign of Christ – Mark 13:24-27 . . .
The disciples thought the destruction of Jerusalem would be the end of the world, but Jesus made it clear that THE END would come in the distant future.
Much that has happened in our lifetime prompted some folks to declare that the end is near; but, wouldn’t you agree that the cautions and conditions urged by Jesus upon First Century Christians also apply to Christians today? Don’t jump to conclusions and start rumors that the end is near. It may or may not be!
Jesus stated His CONCLUSION in terms of cataclysmic events - unlike any the world has ever known - that will occur in connection with the second coming of Christ. These horrific events, He said, will be far greater catastrophes than: the destruction of the temple . . . the fall of Jerusalem . . . any other catastrophic event that might occur between then and the end.
Now, the intent of cataclysmic language used by Jesus was to say to us that when the end comes, everybody on the face of planet earth will know it because of the enormous worldwide impact of cosmic upheaval!
But, folks, take comfort in the fact that it really doesn’t matter when the end comes, or where we might be when Christ returns, the fact remains that all citizens of the kingdom of God are going to be summoned, claimed, gathered, assembled, brought together by Christ - and most likely this “convention of saints” will occur in the place Jesus Christ has prepared.
Jesus’ summation of this prophetical sermon makes application, first, of all He has said concerning that which would happen in the lifetime of that generation which the apostles were part of – Mark 13:28-31 . . .
Tribulation of Christians would in fact occur, as would humiliation of all Jews due to the destruction of the Temple and annihilation of Jerusalem. They could be just as certain of this catastrophic event coming true as they had always been of the certainty of summer due to the budding of fig trees.
“As a matter of fact”, Jesus pointed out: “You can ‘bank on it’ simply because I am the One telling you; for, as you already know, MY Word is so sure that it would outlast even the passing away of the heavens and earth!”
Well, quite naturally, everyone wants to know when such a day of reckoning will be. So, Jesus speaks to the issue – Mark 13:32-37 . . .
The straightforward, fact-of-the-matter, honest answer to the question of “when” is: “Nobody knows.” And since His second coming is a mystery to everyone except God, what advice does Jesus give to those who are His? “Watch . . . Be alert . . . Be ready!”
His illustration of the importance of staying alert – having to do with the master of a house going away and cautioning his household to stay awake – conveys a simple, yet profoundly pointed message to you and me:
Jesus is the master who has gone away and has assigned tasks to His household of faith; He expects us to never “sleep at the switch” but always give attention to becoming the persons He has taught us to BE and to doing the work He has assigned us to DO.
Let us, therefore, go about our daily living mindful of three “yets” - stated in the common vernacular: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” “God is not finished with you yet!” “The best is yet to be.” Amen.
