Mark 13:1-13
Don’t be led astray.
Endure to the end.
For the ancient Jews, like Jesus’ disciples, they had few
experiences of awe as stunning as coming to the temple. This temple in Jerusalem was built 500 years
ago in the time of Ezra, had been renovated and expanded by the famous
builder-king Herod the Great, yes the same one who tried to have Jesus killed
as in infant.
Most of the work Herod did was completed in just 3 years,
but ongoing construction continued for about 80 years. It wasn’t completed until 67AD, just three
years before the Romans destroyed the temple in 70AD.
But for simple Galilean fishermen and their friends, it was
an impressive sight. Huge white stones
were featured, which would have dwarfed temple goers. Some of these stones were 45 feet high and
weighed 500-600 tons.
Herod’s construction was magnificent and it far exceeded
even the specifications God gave for first temple that was built during the
glory days of King Solomon.
But the temple had, in many ways, become an idol to those
people. It became more a triumphant
symbol of Jewish nationalism – a point of pride – and less the house of prayer,
the house of God, where the merciful Yahweh came to meet his people.
And the same Jesus who cleansed the temple by turning over
its money-changing tables – now speaks of the toppling of even the great stones
that so impressed everyone. The same God
who frustrated the construction project of the Tower of Babel, would eventually
bring this great edifice also to ruin.
In 70 AD the Romans besieged Jerusalem, destroyed it, and demolished the
temple. Never to be built again, to this
day. All that remains is the western
wall, called the “wailing wall”, where modern Jews still pray and mourn the
loss of their great temple.
What does this history lesson have to do with you and
me? For one thing, Jesus is warning us
not to be attached to this world. He’s
warning us not to be impressed by the great and mighty things of this
world. For the wonders of the world, the
achievements of man, even the very foundations of the world itself, are passing
away. This world has an expiration
date. It will not go on this way
forever.
Sure the temple was destroyed just 40 years after Jesus
spoke these words. And yes, he surely
knew that would happen. But that event
was itself a foreshadowing of the end of the world, the judgment day, and of
the second coming of Christ.
Jesus is teaching his disciples, and us, to see the
signs. The signs of the times. The signs of the end. For we are living in a world that is passing
away, and Christ is coming soon. And he wants us to be ready.
So Peter and Andrew, James and John take Jesus aside and ask
for more details. They especially are
concerned with the “when” of it all. Jesus
doesn’t tell them the when, but he sure does tell them more of the “what” to
expect:
False prophets. Many
coming and claiming to be the Messiah, in one fashion or another. We’ve seen this fulfilled all throughout
history, and we see it even today. It’s
not just the cult leaders or even the office of the papacy, but any
would-be-Christ-figure who promises salvation outside of the true Christ
alone.
Wars and rumors of war.
The 20th century has seen more bloodshed than perhaps any
other previous. So much for human
progress. And while we live in a time of
relative peace, there’s still the rumors of wars – Russia, China, whatever…
nation rising against nation. But
there’s also the culture wars and the clash of worldviews opposed to the teachings
of Christ and his church.
Earthquakes and famines, all manner of natural
disasters. We’ve had a stark reminder of
this with the Covid pandemic these past couple years. It shouldn’t shock us. These sorts of things are part of life. Part of living in a fallen, broken,
world. Yes, even for the Christian
church.
He compares all this to a woman in labor. They are like birth pangs. They come and go, but they do tend to get
worse as the end draws near.
And persecution. He
goes on quite a bit more about this.
Perhaps because, especially for these disciples, they would face fierce
persecution. They would be beaten and
dragged before all manner of powerful men.
Yet in the midst of all this, they would have many opportunities to
proclaim the gospel, and testify to Christ.
And yes, as if to put a final warning on top of it all – the
trouble of the end times will see even families at odds with one another –
brothers and even parents and children having each other put to death. It’s hard to imagine, but we seen glimpses of
it even in our own lives.
That’s a lot of warning, a lot of trouble, a lot of bad
news. And if that’s all that Jesus had
to offer we might well be driven to despair.
We might dread the future and have no hope. This sinful world is a tangled up, broken
mess of disasters of human making and of the fallen nature. And worse, we bring our own sins to the party
and cannot escape any of it on our own. But
he does not leave us without hope.
For Christians, the second coming of Christ, the judgment
day, the Great Epiphany, and whatever other names we call it – the Day of the
Lord – is a good day. It is the day of
salvation. For Jesus says, “the one who
endures to the end will be saved.”
But just like we don’t come to faith on our own, we surely
can’t endure to the end on our own.
Jesus tells us the many troubles the church must face, and that we
individually might face – not so much to scare us straight – but as a way of comforting
us. Yes, he knows how bad it can get,
how bad it will get, before his comes back.
But he sends his Spirit to keep us so that we would endure to the end
and be saved.
That any make it through all this trouble, this vale of
tears, this great tribulation at all – is a miracle of God’s grace! But our God is in that very business. It is in fact by many of these sufferings
that he produces in us patience and character and endurance and hope – a hope
which does not fail.
Friends, Christ will return.
It’s more certain than the sun rising and setting. For even the sun and stars and moon, as
Daniel writes, even the mightiest features of this created order will fail and
pass away. But the word of the Lord
endures forever. And the promises of
Christ are strong and sure. And Jesus
will not lead you astray. You can
always, always trust his word.
And like birth pangs, also, not only do all these troubles
come and go and yet increase toward the end… but they also lead to a joyful
conclusion. For as the pains of labor
lead ultimately to the arrival of a new life – a child – a joyous celebration,
so also do the birth pangs of this world’s travails lead ultimately to eternal
joy at the glorious appearing of Christ the victorious king!
And with one last glance at this passage, two commands of
Jesus might well ring in our ears. Do
not be led astray. Endure to the end.
Do not be lead astray,
Christians. Do not be led astray into
false hopes apart from Christ, or to despair of all hope entirely. But rather put your faith and trust in the
one who can see you through all this to its glorious end. The only one who died
for your sins and lives to bring life and immortality to light. The only name under heaven by which we must
be saved.
Endure to the end,
Christians. And how do we do that? By remaining in Christ, abiding in his word,
knowing the truth that sets us free. By repenting
of our sins, and living the baptismal life, and turning to Christ for
forgiveness every day. By receiving his
body and blood regularly, that it would strengthen and preserve you – to life
everlasting. He does not leave us to all
these end times troubles. But he carries
us through them by his gifts – word, sacrament, faith.
So don’t be in awe at the things of this world, the
achievements of man like huge temple stones, or be distracted by the spectacles
and wonders of even God’s own creation.
Trust in Christ, and in his word which will endure forever.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding…
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