The End of the temple and the end of the World
Mark 13:1-37
Main Idea: We must endure through the hardships of this present world, staying alert and awake for the return of Christ.
I. Endurance in Suffering (13:1-13)
Life in the 1st century (and life in general in this fallen world) will be marked by the “non-signs” of:
Messianic Pretenders (13:6)
Military Conflict (13:7)
Political Upheaval (13:8a)
Natural Disasters (13:8b)
Persecution & Martyrdom (13:9, 11-13a)
Widespread Gospel Proclamation (13:10 | Acts 1:8)
1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
II. The Exultation of Christ (13:14-31)
A. The Roman Destruction of Jerusalem & the Temple (13:14-23)
B. The Vindication of the Son of Man (13:23-27)
Daniel 7:13–14: “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
C. The Lesson of the Fig Tree (13:28-31)
“The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and God’s judgment on Israel in 70 AD is all about Jesus. It’s about who he is and how he reigns as sovereign Lord. It’s about the truth of who he claimed to be, as over against the blasphemous lies and rejection of him by the religious leaders in Israel, together with the extent and duration of his dominion over all creation… [Jesus] is the true temple of God. He is the person and place of sacrifice where forgiveness is found and God's voice is heard and God's glory and presence are encountered. So, when the temple in Jerusalem was razed, leveled, and flattened such that not one stone was left upon another, the people of that day "saw" that everything the temple symbolized and achieved is now found in King Jesus who rules over all the universe. There has been a regime change. The temple is dethroned. Jesus is enthroned.”
~ Sam Storms, Kingdom Come
III. Expecting His Return (13:32-37)
As we consider the return of the “master,” we must:
Be on Guard (13:9, 23, 33)
Stay Awake (4x in 13:32-37 | cf. 1 Thess. 5:1-11)
2 Peter 3:8-12a: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”
