Devotional by Dr. Steven Parker
Mark 13 ESV:
And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor 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.” (Mark 13)
For the Adults:
Years ago, in a previous pastorate, I would serve as a substitute Sunday School teacher for a few of our Sunday morning classes. Almost every time I did this, when I picked up the quarterly to see what we were studying, the first line would read something like: “This passage is one of the most difficult ones to interpret in the whole Bible” or “This Sunday we’re looking at some of the most controversial verses in the scriptures.” Back then our teachers seemed to have a knack for taking vacation or being sick when the really tough stuff came up in class. Apparently Ray followed a similar schedule in assigning devotional writing for this exercise.
Here, Jesus speaks about the end of the age and gives various signs of the times that will point toward the final consummation of His kingdom. Apocalyptic language like this is often mysterious and peaks our interest and believers have, over the years, invested a lot of energy in discussing these signs and arguing over what they might mean. Too often that argument misses the main point of Jesus’ teaching about the end of the age, which ties back to His teachings throughout the gospels about the kingdom of God.
Jesus introduces this chapter about the end of the age by predicting the destruction of the temple, reminding his disciples and us that things will not continue the way they are today forever. Then, in the sections that follow, Jesus talks about persecution and hardship that will come upon the world and His people in particular. Each of these sections concludes with a similar thought. “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (vs. 13). “But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (vs. 23). “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” (vs. 27). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (vs. 31). “And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” (vs. 37).
Ray reminded me this week that in music the refrain is the part that really sticks in our minds. That’s why we might find ourselves mumbling through the verses of an old hymn when the words aren’t up on the screen and then really belting out the chorus. We remember the refrain. In this chapter, Jesus uses a common refrain or theme at the end of each section to drive home His point about the end of the age, which points to the rest of His teachings about God’s kingdom. Life will be difficult for Jesus’ followers, just like it was difficult for Him, but God will reward the faithful who endure to the end. Our responsibility in difficult times is to remember what Christ has taught us and be watchful, vigilant, and alert servants of His kingdom. God will not leave His followers scattered, but will gather them and bring them back home. Long after the things we come to take for granted have passed away, Jesus’ words will be true and secure.
This refrain is a good place to focus our attention during this Covid-19 season of isolation, frustration, hardship, and anxiety. We don’t know when this pandemic will end any more than we know when the Lord will return, but God’s word reminds us that the Savior who came to show us God’s love, suffered for us on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday will not leave us to fend for ourselves through the difficulties we face in life. Jesus warned us difficult times would come and reminds us that it is important for us to be alert, focused on God’s word, and steadfast in His service. In the Father’s time, He will bring this difficult season to a close and gather us from our places of isolation and quarantine and bring us into His house for a great time of worship, renewal, re-creation, and reunion. Until that day, let’s focus on Jesus’ great end of the age refrain so that when that day comes we will be found faithful.
For the Kids
Enter:
What excites you the most about today?
Does anything make you afraid?
How can we look to God with both excitement and fear?
Hear:
Read the passage.
Pause:
Sit for a few moments…this is a long passage, so maybe you want to take a few brief breaks and let them move around a little in the middle of it to refocus.
Wonder:
What do you think Jesus is teaching in this chapter?
Restate the bold line at the end of each section in your own words?
What might these verses mean when we take them all together?
Bless:
Affirm what was discussed about the story.
Revisit the things the kids brought up during the “Enter” time.
Pray together:
Thank God for His presence during this trying time.
Example:
Father in heaven, thank you for holding our lives in Your hand and being in control, even when it feels like things are out of control. Thank You for Your promise to gather us back from our scattered places. Help us to be faithful, watchful, alert, and true to Your word that will never pass away. In Jesus’ name, amen!
Enjoy our Treehouse Club Bloopers and the full episode 2 below.
About the Author:
Dr. Steven Parker has been the Pastor at FBC Weslaco for 12 years. Read more about Steven here.