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MARK’S GOSPEL…TIMELINE OR SIGNS – 31

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Mark 13:3-8, 13 NIV

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 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…Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬-‭4‬, ‭6‬-‭8‬, ‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A somewhat complicated answer to a simple question! Jesus had just made a bold statement…

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The disciples were marvelling at the massive temple structure they were leaving, a seemingly indestructible monument compared with the other buildings surrounding it. They looked up at its stone walls, huge blocks of rock, cut from a far-away quarry and hauled over rough terrain to be placed, one on top of the other, to form this beautiful “house of God.” How it was done was a miracle of engineering. 

Jesus, always seeing things from a different perspective, interrupted them. “This seeming permanence isn’t permanent. This huge monument to man’s ability will soon be a heap of rubble.” 

“What! How is this possible?”Intrigued by Jesus’ reply, the disciples, no doubt led by Peter, asked a simple question that released a stream of mystifying “signs” that seem impossible to piece together.

Clever humans have tried to create a timeline out of Jesus’ signs, which He didn’t intend. Rather, His clues were meant to show them, not when but that it would happen. 

Woven together into a tapestry of prophecy, Jesus presented His disciples with a picture of events soon to happen, fulfilled by the Roman army under Titus, which destroyed Jerusalem, slaughtered many Jews and scattered the Jewish believers across the Roman Empire, and events that would herald His return. 

Jesus gave them precise instructions for their survival when God’s judgment fell on Jerusalem. 

““When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Run…and pray!

Not long before, with tears streaming down His face, Jesus had predicted this horrifying event. So terrible would be the destruction that Jerusalem would be razed to the ground, the temple included. 

“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. 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 recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭41‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“These are the beginning of birth pains…” 

These few words hidden in the text are the clue to understanding this prophecy. Not a timeline but signs. All these predictions… deception, wars, natural disasters, persecution…have been a part of human history from the beginning of time.  Nothing new but…the signs lie in the increase in volume of these adversities. 

“Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

Every generation has had those who predict the end in their time. Some have even put a date to their predictions and yet… we are still here,  eagerly awaiting Jesus’ return. 

So, how do we respond to these sobering words? I don’t think Jesus ever meant us to try to work out the exact date of these events heralding His return. The danger of doing so is that we might be tempted to live carelessly until the predicted date of His return comes closer. 

At the end of this long discourse He gives us His prescription…

““But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 

It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭32‬-‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Be faithful to your assigned task! Then you will be ready. 

“The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭42‬-‭43‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Keep watch! Not for the signs that are being fulfilled but for the enemy who would deflect you and derail you from faithfulness to the Master on your journey to the Father. 

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – DADDY DIDN’T TELL ME TO DO IT!

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DADDY DIDN’T TELL ME TO DO IT!

“The devil, playing on His hunger, gave the first test: ‘Since you are God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread’. Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: ‘It takes more than bread to really live.'” Luke 4:3-4.

What sort of test was this?

There are layers upon layers of significance in these devilish suggestions and the devil was smart. He started with the physical. Jesus’ most pressing need was for food. And there was nothing resembling food anywhere nearby, except a few rocks that looked like loaves of bread. The more He stared at them the more He could almost smell the delicious aroma of flatbread cooking on a heated rock. What harm would He do by using His divine power to do a little magic? No one would know…except the Father!

But underneath that there is another layer. Before He left the Father’s side, He had renounced His right to act as God during His time on earth as a human being – for the whole time – not only when it was convenient or when He was in the public eye. Would He go back on that?

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:6-7 (NIV).

But underneath that was another layer. If He made stones into bread, He would be acting on his own initiative and not on God’s instruction. That would be a denial of what a true son is. The nature of a son is submission and obedience – not doing His own thing like Adam did. If He was to have His needs met, the Father would meet them so that the Father would get the glory.

But underneath that was another layer. Satan was not stupid. He knew that it was his ultimate job to destroy the oneness between Father and Son. That was the secret power that got things done on earth. Right back at the beginning of history God knew that people could do anything if they were united.

“But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.'” Genesis 11:5-6 (NIV).

Why was this? Because unity is the expression of God’s essential nature. It was the confession of the Israelites from the beginning of their nationhood. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV). Jesus would never accomplish anything outside of perfect oneness with the Father because what the Father decreed in heaven, the Son confirmed on earth.

And underneath was yet another layer. If Jesus had listened to the devil, He would have changed allegiance, just as Adam did. He would have acknowledged that “Satan is Lord” which is exactly what the old serpent wanted!

O yes, Satan was smart! But Jesus was even smarter! With one pithy quote from the Scriptures He knew so well, He cut down the opposition and demolished every subtle insinuation embedded in those words, “Since you are God’s Son…” Satan was saying, ‘Prove it!’ Jesus shot back, ‘I don’t have to. I know it!’ How did He know it? Daddy said it: ‘You are my Son.’ And that was enough.

“…Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Deuteronomy 8:3 (NIV).

Translation: ‘Daddy didn’t tell me to do that!’