Mark 14:1-2 — Not During the Feast!

 Mark 14:1-2

South Steps of the Temple Mount

v. 1-2 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

They wanted to keep their plans to assassinate Jesus out of the news cycle to prevent an uproar from the people. Their plan included controlling the narrative...instead of operating with transparency. It amazes me that the chief priests still thought that they might capture Jesus by trickery. He had outwitted them every step of the way. But really, what do these two verses tell me about Jesus Christ, since they are about his enemies and their plans and reasoning, not his?

• He couldn't be taken by force... or they wouldn't have needed "trickery" or “stealth”
• He couldn't be caught in his words …so they had given up on that.
• He couldn't be arrested publicly… or the people would be in an uproar.
• His teaching and miracles couldn’t be refuted … or they wouldn't have had to kill him.
• He couldn't be bought off or scared off or they wouldn't have tried to put him to death.

All this was taking place two days before the Passover. God would once again provide the Lamb for the sacrifice, the blood atonement for the firstborn, the purchase price from the slavery of sin. But the priests and scribes looked at Jesus more like a goat. To think that Jesus died for those who plotted his death to save their jobs, their positions in the community, and the peace of Israel under Rome. We too, by our sins, took part in that act, and yet he loves us too! We don't deserve his grace and love any more than those corrupt priests and scribes.

Jesus was the unleavened bread as well. There was no sin in him—no puffing up of insincerity, no deception. Jesus was a real person—a solid person. He was as available to the people as their daily bread, and just as necessary. Jesus would prove to be the long-missing staple of their lives, if only they would believe. If only we would believe. 

The chief priests tried to impose their will on Jesus by stealth and trickery. Do we do the same? I hope not.

Mark 13:24-37 — With Great Power and Glory

[Note: Due to my academically-induced layoff from posting, today we will cover three sections and finish Ch. 13. “Behold, we are moving quickly!”]

Mark 13:24-27

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 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.

Comments:

“After that tribulation”…the sun and moon may be darkened due to pollution in the atmosphere, either artificially or naturally. The language works well with the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but could also speak about an event still future. In the apocalyptic imagery quoted (v. 24-25) about sun, moon, and stars we have a pretty common way of describing God’s judgment on a city or a nation. 

In the OT prophets, it applies to God’s judgment of Babylon (Isaiah 13:10), Egypt (Eze. 32:7-8), Judah (Joel 2:10, 30-31), Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia (Joel 3:15), Edom and all nations (Isaiah 34:4) and the whole earth (Isaiah 24:23). Perhaps we can see that Jesus' parousia (i.e., his second coming in v.26) will be so bright and so glorious that it will eclipse even the brightest heavenly bodies in all of creation. Compared to his glory everything else grows dim and dingy. In addition, the reference to the Son of Man (Jesus’ most common self-reference alludes to Daniel 7:13-14.)

In contrast to the humble birth of his first advent, Jesus comes again with “great power and glory.” Yet he still has the same love and concern for people that he had on the cross. Remember how he was concerned for the welfare of his mother and the salvation of the repentant thief, even while he hung in agony on that Roman cross? Here in the midst of the day of the Lord, the day of vengeance and judgment as the symbolic universe collapses, as the shakable is shaken one last time, as the heavens are rolled up like a scroll (Isaiah 34:4), the Lord sends his angels to rescue his elect from even the furthest part of the earth—no one will be forgotten! As Joel writes, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (2:32).

What a sight to see the Lord coming in the clouds in power and glory! We will surely fall on our faces in fear of the Lord and I can see the angels being sent to pick us up and dust us off. It reminds me of that passage in Shane (when Bobby sees his friend Shane as he really is and overcome by fear falls down in the road but Shane gets off his horse and picks him up and gently encourages him), and also reminds me of the sudden end of C.S. Lewis's book, The Great Divorce.

When Christ returns… what joy we will sense to be clothed in Christ on that day! What shame and horror and nakedness to be found only in ourselves!

Mark 13:28-31

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. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Comments:

Jesus, in his dealing with the terrible signs of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, of the tribulation, and of the Second Coming, inserts a simple nature parable/illustration. He said "It's like the trees. When they grow tender and put forth leaves you know that summer is coming soon. It is the same with these signs. Summer is coming soon." He used the simple folksy language of the people. Just as the arrival of the Roman legion would not have been by total surprise, neither should the return of Christ take his people by surprise. The generation to which he spoke that day would have lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus in AD 70. As for Christ's Second Coming, we need to live in constant readiness. What would we do if he came back now? Would we be joyful or ashamed? 

Jesus' emphasis seems to have been on the certainty—rather than the timing—of his return, however, he worded everything in such a way as to suggest its immanence. We are to live in the waiting room of the “continual present” with vigilant watchfulness.

Mark 13:32-37 "Stay Awake!"

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor

Photo by Paul Morley on Unsplash

the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 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. 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.”

Comments: 

Jesus warned against trying to fix the date of his return, something even he didn't know. If we figure it all out we will be proven wrong and will bring disgrace upon ourselves and upon the church. There is plenty for us to do in the meantime besides pursuing a date. Jesus gave the disciples several commands in v. 33 "Take heed, watch and pray. Why? Because we don't know when the time is.

Our job is to do our job until he returns—the job that he has given us. What job has he given to me? If we are the doorkeeper then our responsibility is to watch and open the door at the right moment. All Christ's people are commanded to be ready and to make sure those who are in the house are also ready. His return could come at any time—probably when we let our guard down. He doesn't have to call ahead to confirm his reservations. 

We are all commanded to watch. We can't just delegate that to someone else. If we are surprised by his coming in glory, or by our departure to him in death (whichever comes first), then as Christians we only have ourselves to blame. We don't want to be like the 10 foolish virgins (Matt. 25:1-13). 

However, if we are watching expectantly, waiting patiently, and serving faithfully, his appearing might seem very normal and natural since we will have been consciously living in his presence all along. 

What will we say when we see him coming? An enthusiastic, "Yes!" or some expletive of regret?

So until he comes we say, "Maranatha!" Our Lord, come!

Mark 13:3-23 — Signs of the Times?

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?” 

And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 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.

Jeoldusan Martyrs' Shrine, South Korea
Photo by Robby McCullough on Unsplash

“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. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 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. 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. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Judean Mountains at Dusk. Photo by GregDueker

“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. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. 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. 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. And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (Mark 13:3-23)

Comments:

It is important to see this passage as answering two different questions which Jesus' disciples had asked:

Q1) When will the stones of the temple be thrown down?; and,

Q2) What will be the signs of the end of the age (i.e., the sign of the end times)? 

Jesus said that there would be a number of signs including the following:

·         Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.

·         Wars and rumors of wars...for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.

·         For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

·         There will be earthquakes in various places . . .

·         There will be famines . . .

·         [There will be] troubles.

·         These are [just] the beginnings of sorrows."

Photo by Heather Zabriskie on Unsplash

All these signs are present in the world today... and have been since these words were first spoken. Many think that in the last days there will be an increase in the number of earthquakes, but scientists tell us that there has been no appreciable increase in earthquakes globally. This really is no problem to a believer since the text doesn't say that earthquakes will increase. It says that there will be earthquakes in "various places" and that certainly has happened recently. Wars and rumors of wars have always been with us and today there has been not let up in ethnic strife in recent decades as we have seen large countries like the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia spit up by wars and uprisings that are said to be "Balkanizing" them. More recently we have seen the tremendous outcry at unjust systemic racism in America and other western countries being sadly co-opted by other political movements.

Could the heart of Jesus' answer have been that things would continue even as they were until his return? Age-long signs indeed…that they were in the last days and could begin to look for his return even as he ascended into heaven? These were the beginning of sorrows.

Woven through this passage are prophetic clues to the destruction of Jerusalem (v.14-18), the general and unavoidable signs of this age (v. 6-13), and specific signs of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ (v. 19-27). 

However, more important than a search for prophecy trivia, justifying conspiracy theories, or trying to figure out the day or the hour (which we never will) from the social media headlines, the emphasis in this passage is upon what we can and must do. Here are the six commands found in this passage:

1)    Take Heed (watch) that no one deceives you (v. 5).

2)    Do not be troubled by the problems of the world (v. 7). [Note: this does not mean that we don’t mourn disasters and injustices and try to do something about those problems—we should. Rather we are not to be anxious, worried, or fearful about the outcome in this regard. God is not taken by surprise.]

3)    Watch out for yourself (v. 9) not to avoid hardship, capture, or even death but so that

a)    We might testify of Christ (v. 9,11)

b)    All people groups may hear the gospel (v. 10)

c)    We might endure to the end (v. 13).

4)    Do not worry about what you will say (v. 11)—when we are tried and persecuted at whatever level, the Holy Spirit will give us words to speak. However, those words will sound like the Holy Spirit and not like our own defensiveness.

5)    "Speak that"—which the Holy Spirit gives us to speak not settling for less (v. 11).

6)    Endure to the end (v.13) even though you may be a societal outcast, and might sadly even be betrayed by your unbelieving family, salvation comes through enduring to the end—the one irrefutable evidence of our belonging to Christ. This is the consistent message in the Book of Revelation (e.g., 12:11) ... to "overcome!"

Here is one last observation, Jesus never gave an opportunity to morbid curiosity. He always turned things around to be both practical and spiritual. He consistently turned his followers from an escapist mentality to one of enduring and compassionate engagement. 

How would he have us engage today?