The Word Is Alive The Gospel of Mark

The Word Is AliveThe Gospel of Mark Chapter Thirteen Narrated by Tony Gillon

Chapter Thirteen • Mark 8:27–16:8 - Testing Jesus’ Authority • in Suffering (continues)

Chapter Thirteen • Mark 8:27–16:8 - Testing Jesus’ Authority • in Suffering (continues) • Mark 11:1–13:37 - Entering and judging Jerusalem (continues/concludes)

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Summary of Chapter Thirteen • Jesus teaches on judgement to come: the destruction of the temple and his Parousia.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Summary of Chapter Thirteen • Jesus teaches on judgement to come: the destruction of the temple and his Parousia. • The end will come when least expected. Therefore, all disciples are to be ready and watching.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Mark 13:1–37 – • Jesus and the coming judgment

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Mark 13:1–37 – • Jesus and the coming judgment • Jesus’ discourse about the end times focuses the attention of the disciples on preparedness, on readiness and willingness to suffer, and on having faith and trust in God for all things.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Mark 13:1-31 – The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Mark 13:1-31 – The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times • In response to Jesus’ statement about the future destruction of the temple (v.2), the disciples asked him: “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” (v.4). • Jesus reply focuses on the signs.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Mark 13:1-31 – The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times • Verses 5–23 focus on local and world events. • Verses 24–27 focus on cosmic events.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Jesus corrects the disciples’ thinking that the destruction of the temple, that occurred in AD70, would coincide with the end of the age. • God knows what is required for his elect at that time and when it will be so believers should not lose heart.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” • Herod the Great expanded the second temple to about double the size of the Solomonic temple. • The beauty and size of Herod the Great’s Temple Mount exceeded that of most of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • What massive stones: • One of the stones of the temple complex still remaining measures 45x11.5x12 feet or 13.7x3.2x4m and is estimated to weigh 580,000 kgs.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 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.”

Destruction of the TempleinJerusalem byFrancesco Hayez

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Not one stone here will be left on another may be intended as a metaphor for total destruction. • It was literally fulfilled in terms of the temple but not the entire temple mount, some of which remains to this day. • Titus, son of the emperor Vespasian, destroyed the temple in AD70.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Every one will be thrown down: • The future destruction of the temple and Jerusalem would occur on account of its misuse by the leaders.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Every one will be thrown down: • The future destruction of the temple and Jerusalem would occur on account of its misuse by the leaders. • What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others (Mark 12:9).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. (Continued).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:41–44).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • The sacrificial system of the temple cannot, in any case, make sufficient atonement for the sinfulness of mankind: • It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately,

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • The Mount of Olives or Olivet, with its spectacular view of the Temple Mount, stands just east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. • Jesus and his disciples regularly crossed over Olivet on their way from Jerusalem through Bethphage to Bethany, which lay on the mountain’s eastern slope.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately: • The first three men were frequently recorded as being part of Jesus’ inner core of disciples, here joined by Peter’s brother Andrew.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” • 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.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Many will come in my name: • There were many people during that era who claimed to be the Christ for it was the time that many scholars believed that the prophecy of Daniel’s seventy sevens was going to be fulfilled.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place (Daniel 9:24).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • This gave rise to many men claiming to be the Messiah, without the capabilities that Jesus had or fulfilling any of the prophecies that Jesus did. • This continued into the early years of the church at least, when many false teachers tried to impose themselves on the church.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have (Jeremiah 29:8).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:29-30).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. • (Ephesians 5:6).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. • (Ephesians 5:6). • The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons (1 Timothy 4:1).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. • (2 Timothy 3:12-13).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord (Jude 4).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them” (Luke 17:22-23).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Throughout church history people have tried to predict the Second Coming of Christ, and point to signs such as significant wars or global unrest as being such a sign, but Jesus says do not be alarmed, for the end is still to come.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 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.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • The metaphor of birth pains describes the increase in frequency and duration of these events, indicating that there will be a time of suffering prior to the messianic age.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:22–23).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 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. 11Whenever 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.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Brother will betray brother to death: • But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. (Continued).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law (Luke 12:50–53).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs”. • (Mark 7:27-28).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it (Mark 8:35).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — along with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens (v.27).

Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering • Flogged in the synagogues: • This occurred shortly after Jesus left them when the apostles were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin for teaching in the temple courts.

The Word Is Alive The Gospel of Mark