A Question for Jesus (Part 1 of 2)

In chapter 13 of the gospel according to Mark, we have an opportunity to experience a conversation that took place between Jesus and one of his disciples was a somewhat perplexing exchange that reveals what Jesus wants us to know about the future today on Truth for Life. Alistair Begg presents a message titled a question for Jesus in Mark chapter 13 and reading from the first verse as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him.

Luke teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. 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 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, don't be alarmed. This must take place by 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 about the beginning of the birth pains. Be on your guard. There Allen steps was for years teacher at a theological College in London Oak Hill theological College and in helping his students come to terms with the Bible and particularly the more daunting passages of the Bible he gave in this instruction. Do not try to satisfy an unhealthy curiosity it is. He said a serious misuse of Scripture to try to make it disclose more than God has purposed to reveal is very helpful because it means that we need to come as we said last time diligently to the Scriptures, expectantly to the Scriptures and humbly recognizing that while the Bible is, in itself, without error. No particular interpreter of the Bible is exclusively without error, and so the warning is well taken. We noted last time that there is a danger in coming to a passage like this and viewing it is largely theoretical. And Jesus is making very clear to his disciples that this is actually intensely practical. He's encouraging them in relationship to what you say to make sure that the moral imperative.

If you like of the information that he gives them is to be uppermost in their thinking. That's why he wants them to be on guard. That's why he wants to make sure that they are not distracted or deceived that no one frightens them that they're not unsettled by the things that he says and by the explanations that others might get an inverse 31. Which of course we didn't read what you find there. Jesus is pointing out that heaven and earth will pass away, but he wants to remind them. My words will not pass away. In other words, we may rest in security.

In the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is not dissimilar actually to the familiar words.

The opening two verses of Psalm 46 where the psalmist says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea is not saying that there won't be things that shake the cause. Marcy's not saying that their own issues that are to be addressed, but he says that these things are said that in within the context of God and the absolute security that is there in him.

I tried to point this out last time so that we might get a grasp of the fact that what we are dealing with here at challenges so much contemporary thought so much of what was embryonic in the 60s is full is in full bloom in these early decades of the 21st century, I went looking for Noel Harrison not looking for him. But while looking for him because I wanted to see if if he was still around singing the windmills of your mind which of course was one of my favorite songs IN a clue what it meant then and I'm not sure what it means now, but I found in the areas on YouTube singing I think on top of the Pops which was a program when I was growing up in my teens in Britain. I remember you know Ron like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel never ending beginning in an ever spinning wheel snowballed on a mountain or a carnival balloon so on. Like the hands that are passing across the minutes of the face of the claw in the world is like an apple twirling silently in space is the thing man.

There must be a reason why some of these people smoke that stuff because it presumably was generated in part by it and was only understood when enabled by but in actual fact it was a foreshadowing of the notions that are important part of so much Western culture that regards. History is being cyclical rather than being linear.

There is actually no point of beginning. There will be no ending point and so we are somehow or another just spinning around in space that's supposed to make us feel very tranquil.

What it ought to do is make us feel very unsettled and if you been feeling unsettled by that notion at all and you've been thinking about embracing the ideas of of Hinduism or of Zen Buddhism which is out there in the marketplace for you to see.

It's interesting now that just yesterday I remarked to Sue. I was watching something I was I was watching golf and with the expression of finding peace. In this particular commercial that the stain was an and finding peace and the symbol that went with finding peace was was one of the most from from yoga and from Hinduism. Very subtle but very clear.

There is a peace to be found in these things now when we come to Mark chapter 13. We realize that this is saying something radically different from the and that it was daunting for the disciples to lay hold of it and is pretty tough for us as well.

What Jesus is teaching to his disciples, is what Paul the apostle had to learn. He then taught it to the intelligentsia of Athens when they were surrounded by all the emblems of their contemporary philosophical and religious thought, and he said to them, the God that made the world and everything in it does not live in temples made by hands, he cannot be contained in any of these structures.

He is the God who created all these things, he is the God who has revealed himself in the person of his son and their son has been raised from the dead, and when they heard about that notion. Then they began to disband very very quickly now. It is this truth that is dawning upon the disciples, albeit slowly, but nevertheless being made clear. I wrote in my notes that what we have in verse one is a passing comment passing comment look, teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings is an observation about the structure of the temple. It's understandable. The temple was a magnificent structure. Josephus, the Roman historian the Jewish historian forgive me, said the exterior of the building like nothing that could astonish either the soul or the AI's. This temple was more than twice the size of the Acropolis. It was the work of Herod the great, and there was nothing too good for Herod the great. It was vast and therefore there is no surprise that this anonymous disciple would as they left the temple look back at it and just make a passing comment wow what a wonderful building. What amazing stones and that parcel passing comment gives rise to Jesus teaching the temple is going to be destroyed first to sort passing comment this the kind of thing that anyone might say, gives rise to this very important instruction by the Lord Jesus they're going to have to realize that there is an obsolescence that is built into this magnificent structure is not simply that the doors of the temple are going to be closed, but they're actually going to be destroyed.

There will not be left here one stone upon another, that is pretty hard for us to grasp this. Even if we been to Jerusalem instead of the Wailing Wall because the Wailing Wall comprises some of the foundation structure of the temple of Herod the great is you will know.

But even when you stand there that you don't have any real sense of the fantastic significance of the superstructure that was built upon it. The disciples did the temples architecture. However, its splendor was more than Max by his religious significance, and it is vital that we understand that we need to realize that for these disciples. The temple was the epicenter of all of their Jewish universe.

Remember that God had established his presence among his people of all in the ark of the covenant that the tube with them as they moved in their wilderness wanderings. Eventually they built a temple that was fit for his name, and in that temple. They took the ark of the covenant. And there in that temple. They had the symbolic presence of God. And so the temple sent to them. This is where God is known. This is where God's glory is established.

This is where you encounter God. It was in the very heart of everything.

The understood about God's revelation of himself and some for Jesus to say you know what this temple is going to be absolutely destroy the temple in which Isaiah had seen the glory of God. Isaiah chapter 6 the temple in which Jesus had been discovered by Mary and Joseph remember when he is separated from them. After a visit to Jerusalem and they come back and they find them in the temple discussing with the religious leaders there and he says to them, don't you know didn't you know that I had to be in my father's house. But when Jesus had most recently arrived in the temple precincts you find this back in Chapter 11. He did not find it is a house of prayer, but he found it as a den of robbers and as he was teaching them. He said to them is, is it not written, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations you've made it a den of robbers that didn't go down well. This is verse 18 of Chapter 11 and the chief priests and the described that describes Herod and they were seeking a way to destroy him to destroy the king who is coming to establish his kingdom.

Mark chapter 1, the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the good news is that when I listen to the stuff we must destroy this matter.

Jesus is you want to know some justices significance of the structure lay in his religious purpose. The destruction of the structure. The demolition is not actually significant because of the physicality of because of the theological implications. So the chapter opens with a passing comment and Jesus gives a word of instruction. This temple is actually going to be destroyed when you get to verse three, Mark tells us that there was a private question I just wrote that down as well might be helpful to you. I don't know but there is a private question when they were on the Mount of olives office of the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately so as to sit on the Mount of olives are looking across the Kidron Valley. Some of you will of been there and they have a magnificent view of the temple as it sits there in all its splendor, when you look from that point on the Mount of olives now across the Kidron Valley. Of course you see the Muslim structure of the dome of the rock. But on that occasion. That is exactly what we would've seen no one struck me as I studied it again this week was not the question be asked to which we are going to come mainly when but the question that he didn't ask mainly why why I I found that interesting. I not pausing on it just out of a sense of intrigue, but he is very very important widening asking why is it going to be destroyed was about the understood perfectly over the Old Testament prophets, and said to the understand what Michael was saying about that day Abby assimilated Jeremiah's words about not being now in Scripture related. If you like in the hearts of people that would no longer be external it would be hard to believe that they did because they missed so much hiding is probably that they were just preoccupied with the plan far more intriguing to ask questions about when and to understand the significance of why, but we need to understand, it becomes apparent as you go through the rest of the gospel of Mark.

Let's pause here for just a moment. Purposefully this morning. The short answer to the why question why is the temple going to be destroyed. The short answer is because is no longer going to be needed is no longer going to be needed. Matthew has it in just a phrase wearing records in Matthew chapter 12 in verse six the words of Jesus where Jesus says something greater then the temple is here and the destruction of the temple is actually a judgment on the spiritual blindness of those to whom Jesus came. Remember he came to his own and his own received him not. Here he is seeing these things.

The Pharisees are immediately opposed to them saying we must destroy now. Jesus explains to his disciples a very temple which is the epicenter of everything you regard about knowing God is going to be brought down if you did, if you read this morning part of the reading through the New Testament. You will now is as you hear my voice be saying yourself ties in a little bit with what we saw this morning in John chapter 9 and you would have read this morning. The encounter of Jesus with the boy who was blind. He heals him. Remember that leads to quite a few Rory involving the religious leaders and involving his parents and the story unfolds where the common say is this your boy this ES is our boy was he blindness he is blind. Can you see if he can definitely see then how did this happen, they say, you better ask him and then that unfolds and let me just quoted to you. It's easier than paraphrasing it. They said to him, that is, to the fellow. What did he do to you. How did you open your eyes, he answered them, I told you are ready and you wouldn't listen. She's getting a little obstreperous here.

Why do you want to hear it again. Do you also want to become his disciples. Since Phil is getting quite bold and they reviled him say you are his disciple, but we are the disciples of Moses.

We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man. We do not know where it comes from the man answered why this is an amazing thing. You do not know where he comes from a nearly open my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began hasn't been here that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

If this man were not from God. He could do nothing. They answered him, you were born in archer sin and you would teach us and he cast. That's what was unfolding in this great drama that is leading to the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross now says one of the disciples. This is an amazing building. I must say, Jesus says, let me tell you about this building. It is going to be totally demolished and the reason that is going to be utterly demolished is because the sacrificial system that finds its apex in the events of the temple is no longer going to be needed because I am going up to Jerusalem to suffer and to die at the hands of cruel man and to make a once for all. Provision for sin.

Hebrews 10 and when that once for all.

Provision for sin is made there will not be any necessity for this temple anymore. Indeed, the next point in the calendar for the temple was what it was the drama that unfolded when the curtain in the temple was torn in two, and suddenly all that had been represented as a barrier to God, particularly to the known Jews, for they were only allowed into the court of the Gentiles. They could not go into the court of the Jews.

Only the high priest couldn't go into the holy of holies in order to represent them as having made sacrifice for his own sins and all of a sudden being the curtain is torn into and now the gospel, that is to be preached to all the nations is about to unfold. For those of you look at this and say that the gospel has to be preached to all the nations before he returns immediately sank and that means before the return of Jesus Christ surely means before the return of Jesus Christ. But it actually also means before before the events of 1870 the gospel was going to go out.

The disciples were going to stand up in Jerusalem and say there is no other name under heaven by which you must receive is the name of Jesus. So the question they don't ask is a significant question and what Jesus is pointing out is that it is easy for them. Even then, to be distracted by the magnificence of externalized religion of all the things that have been put in place. They were there for sad if you like pointing to the reality they were the present that was pointing to the future. Calvin says of the disciples, the vast size and wealth of the temple hung like a veil for the eyes of the disciples preventing them from elevating their faith to the true reign of Christ wasn't simply that those who were stuck. If you like with the law of Moses didn't get the disciples themselves were in danger of missing until they recognized all that this Jesus whom they had committed themselves to follow had come to do you see it is only when we come to terms with the ultimate emptiness of externalized religious endeavor that the story of a of a person who has lived a perfect life.

The life that we should live. But can the story of a person who is die in our place at death that we deserve, but could never pay.

It is only when if you like the temple structures of our religious orthodoxy of crime will that we will and say well only in Christ only in the Savior.

Only in this sacrifice is the answer to my said your listing to Truth for Life. Alister Bragg titled the study in Mark chapter 13 a question for Jesus. Imagine what it must've been like to have one-on-one access to Jesus to ask him questions and listen to the answers. All even though we are sentries removed from these incredible moments. John Stott argues that God is still speaking to us today. Not in the same way he engaged with his disciples and others in the gospel of Mark, but in an active and meaningful way that comes through the Bible as a complement to our current study in Mark's gospel, we want to recommend to you. John Stott's helpful book on discipleship. It's called the disciple God's word for today and whatever circumstance you find yourself in today. As a follower of Jesus.

This book will help you understand how to better hear God's voice how to follow his guidance and also how to train our minds so that our emotions don't steer us away from clear thinking or pleased to send you a copy of the disciple. When you give a donation to support the ministry of Truth for Life. Simply click the book image on the mobile app or visit Truth for Life.org/donate or you can give us a call at 888-588-7884 to send your contribution and request the book by mail. Write to us the Truth for Life PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139. Thank you for your donation today because of your giving were able to fulfill our mission which is to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted. Believers will be established in the faith, and local churches will be strengthened as we begin the weekend. Keep in mind you're invited to supplement the Bible teaching you received from your local church by watching the worship service at Parkside church to check Alister's teaching schedule for this coming Sunday. Go to Truth for Life.org/live were glad you've joined us for today's study on Bob Lapine for Alister Bragg and all of us a Truth for Life. We hope you have a refreshing and relaxing weekend and we want to invite you listen again Monday. As we continue our study in the gospel according to Mark today's program was furnished by Truth for Life for the Learning is for Living