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November 11, 2020 3:00 am
The Mark chapter 13 includes a fascinating conversation between Jesus and his disciples about the end of the age because of our limited human perspective it's easy-to-read too much or too little and the warnings Jesus gave his followers. But today unTruth for Life. Alastair Begg identifies the central theme of this caution from Jesus. Be on guard. The 14th verse of Mark chapter 13 Jesus is speaking. But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he are not to be the reader understand, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains like the one is on the housetop not go down or enter his house to take anything out and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. In other words, this is what they say to you on the airline.
If you find yourself in a crisis.
Don't be fiddling around looking for your favorite toothbrush just get off the plane leave your personal belongings behind because the extreme nature of the circumstance demands that that's what's being said here in the last for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days. Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days there will be such tribulation as it is not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will be, and of the Lord had not cut short the days no human being would be saved but for the sake of the Latin. He chose he shortened the days.
Then if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ or look, there he is, do not believe it. For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible. The LA be on guard. I have told you all these things before. Amen.
Lord God again. We try to you for help as we turn to the Bible we look away to use the living God, and meet with eyes by the Holy Spirit. We pray for Jesus sake and was a fairly common expression. We hear it almost on a weekly basis. I would assume being said of someone that they can't see the forest for the trees or in Britain we see they can see the wood for the trees.
The idiom is the same. It is an indication of the fact that the individual has become so involved with the details and with the significance of the details that he or she has lost sight of the larger issue and that of course is a significant problem in studying the chapter that we are studying now. I think we've already identified that this 13th chapter of Mark and the correlative chapters in the 24th of Matthew in the 21st of loop hold all kinds of potential for missing the forest for the trees. That's why we been trying to be as careful as we can.
A passing comment by one of the disciples has given rise to this instruction by Jesus. They had made a comment about the temple. Jesus is said to them quite dramatically and fight this whole temple structure is going to come toppling down and as we worked our way through a reach verse 14.
I wonder if you like me are becoming increasingly convinced that that by paying attention to the punch lines if you like we will be helped to get the big picture because we need help to see the big picture before we endeavor to explain the details, and most of the trouble that lies in Mark 13 is found because we are tempted to immediately delve into the details and give our explanation of them, especially if it is a cherished explanation that withheld for a long time without ever having stood far enough back from the whole event itself is described to realize what Jesus is saying is keep in mind that our focus in studying the Bible, must always be upon Jesus upon his life and his death, his resurrection and his ascension and his return so that we don't lose our way that we keep our eyes on Christ, he is the focus of it all and I was held this week as I read and reread the verses that we have just read together now by imagining an interjection by one of the disciples at the end of verse 22. So if you look at the text all the way through to verse 22 Jesus says when you see the abomination of desolation and then he says the tribulation will be as it is now, and there will be false Christ's and profits, and signs and wonders and people to be led astray, I just imagine that one of the disciples interjected in between 22 and 23 with a question like what we what he wants to do with all this and what what what you want what you expect us to do we hear what you're saying or why are you telling us all this would be a legitimate question would abomination of desolation and tribulation and all these things going on all right what what are we supposed to do with this knowledge.
Then in verse 23.
Here's the punchline be on your guard. I have told you all these things before.
Note that is almost a recurring statement by Jesus.
It comes out far more clearly in the Gospel of John, and other was Jesus is saying to his disciples again and again so that they will be able to remember afterwards. I'm telling you this now so that afterwards you will get unite you, not necessarily getting it now but later on you will get. I am forewarning you so that you may be forearmed. I want you to have this picture in your mind, so that when this eventuality confronts you, you will not be completely at sea that you won't judge the Lord if you like my feeble sense but your trust him for his grace. That in these devastating providences, which seems so dark and so inexplicable you will realize that behind them is a very :-) of a God who loves you and his purposes for if you turn to John just for a moment, let me let me drive this home for us that the notion of Jesus saying I've told you this so that comes with frequency in the Gospel of John, and you can go and look for it on your own will be a useful study you will enjoy that and everyone you find I will be another reminder of the principle John chapter 13 and verse 19 choosing this somewhat arbitrarily and Jesus in the context of the washing of the disciples feet in the in the gathering for eating together. He says to them, the one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me which of course is is a quote and then verse 19 I'm telling you this now before it takes place when it does take place.
You may believe that I am he, right.
So here's information for you now that you will get then and when you get it then it will cause you to believe if you go forward to the chapter that we could go to 14, but will jump that go to 16 and chapter and verse one have the same thing. Jesus, as I've said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. That sounds a bit like Mark 13 does not, you will be brought before the synagogue rulers. You have to give an answer there will be condemned by them.
They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God and he will do these things because they have not known the father, nor me, here we go, but I've said these things to that when there are columns you may remember that I told them to identify 16 ends with a similar statement down in verse well as of the 32 behold, the hour is coming. Indeed, it is coming when you will be scattered each to his own home and will leave me alone. You are not alone.
For the father is with me and again I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation, but take heart I have overcome the world what a patient, kind, faithful friend is Jesus here is this instruction for you they're not the brightest punch in the way they're not going to be into able to interpret these things and immediacy of the circumstances in a way that allows all the pieces of the jigsaw to fit together because there are elements that are beyond them and are elements on them that what the audit that will be immediate to the and so it is imperative that Jesus has given them. These statements in order that later. All when they look back upon it, that it will fit it. It's a reminder to us of a principal isn't that the providences of God. In other words, the things that happen to is in our lives that may seem random, the providences of God are not self interpreting. If we try in the immediacy, particularly of difficulty or disappointment or disease or hardship or even of extreme success and encouragement if we try immediately to interpret those events in our lives in terms of what it means to me now and why this is happened to me and so on. We will almost inevitably be wrong. It will take time for us to be able to look back on the unfolding drama of things and say now that does make sense to me, and incidentally loved ones something some of those aha moments will only happen in eternity will only happen when we no longer see through a glass darkly, but then we see face-to-face when we are known when he is known by arts. Now I believe that point and purposefully because the early readers of the gospel and remember this gospel was written for people who are now living in the first century. They are the early readers of the gospel and the readers of the gospel needed to be assured, as do we back to quote Townsend when the world has plunged them in his deepest pit that they find the Savior. There they needed to have this assurance in light of all that was about to unfold.
So Jesus is telling them these things before hand warning them. I'm giving you sufficient advice on this. He saying I'm telling you this, that you might believe I'm telling you this but you might have peace in telling you this but you might of security in a world that is increasingly insecure and surely I want that is all that is a word for today as well as in the world you will have tribulation is not a story about one century story about the totality of of the earthly pilgrimage. There will always be tribulation. There will always be these challenges in the world you will have tribulation will be of good cheer.
This hasn't taken me by surprise and by the way, I have overcome the world. The victory that I have accomplished at Calvary is a real and a true victory. It will ultimately be expressed in all its fullness, but now it is no less true. You might want to ponder that for a little bit know these dear folks that were reading this needed to know that the Lord God the Almighty race that God race. So when we tackle this section as in all of the sections. Let's keep in mind what we've said already that what Jesus is doing here is practical and it is pastoral is not is not theoretical. Okay, he's giving he's giving practical and pastoral encouragement to his disciples and through his disciples to all men who will be the beneficiaries of this gospel to us pastoral practical. Secondly, we have to keep in mind the events that are described here are a few like at least two dimensional. I try to say this every time that there is both a historical and there is an eschatological die mentions what is being said the word eschatological. You understand, just means the study of the end things the way that the world will end the judgment of God, his plan, that is the eschaton that is the noun eschatological be in the adjective okay so when we read this were saying there is a dimension to this that has an obvious and immediate application as we'll see now, but there is also clearly and I mentioned to it that pushes it forward pushes it beyond the centuries in which these people are living, and probably be on the century in which we ourselves are live. Okay, so if you keep that in mind, it will help. This is practical. This is pastoral. This has a historical dimension to this has an eschatological dimension to knives elevated so that once again we don't immediately get ourselves completely tied up in knots by delving into the details. That is not an attempt on my part to avoid the details later and after. In this section say something about the abomination of desolation about the tribulation and about all these imitation. Jesus. So let's get on it right now and start. First of all, when you see the abomination of desolation. You'll be helped by Matthews statement in this regard, which is the 15th verse of Matthew 24 he says so when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place. Now that is very helpful to us because here Mark says when you see the abomination of desolation standing where you are not to be.
Now we go well. Where are you not to be. Matthew tells us we are not to be honored to be in the holy place. You are not to be desecrating the place where God is meeting with his people in the temple, so we are that part and also if we find ourselves say where is the abomination of desolation come from Matthew helps us by Dell has you don't have to read the book of Daniel. If you want to understand about that. So let's just jump into Daniel for a moment and will jump back out very quickly.
I can assure you those of you want to spend a long time in that particular swimming pool can do so later on today, we must first make a quick dip and then and then exit posthaste. Okay I Daniel chapter 11 what what Jesus is doing here is he is conflating conflating a number of statements that appear in the book of Daniel that that reference this and I'm choosing just a look at one of them bursts 31 forces from him shall appear, that is this King evil forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate, he shall seduce with flattery.
Those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action is here in Daniel's prophecy that you have this notion of this abomination that is to take place in the context of that which God has said, must not be profane, so Daniel prophesies in this way by the time that the gospel is being read. The Jewish people had had at least one illustration of that taking place because in 168 BC anti-EPIPHANY is who you may remember from school. He made a brief visit in most of our schools. He had attempted on hundred and 68 years before to not only subvert but to stamp out the Jewish religion. He actually went as far as sacrificing pigs flash on the great altar. He set up a statue of Zeus, and he ordered the Jews to worship it.
So the people when they begin to read the gospel for the first time about an abomination of desolation have to their advantage to things that we don't have until at least right now, unless you been studying your Bible, one an awareness of the fact that this phrase is not jumped out of the blue, but it is actually in the prophecy of Daniel and to that are our fathers in distress from our him praise, my soul, the King of heaven. Our fathers in distress have seen evidence of this kind of thing as is recorded by the historians, but what is Jesus saying here what he's saying is that there's more of this to come, you're going to see the abomination of desolation, when you see and it's interesting because it doesn't say when you see it, but when you see he okay the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be soloist. This abomination is actually personified as Luke says, and 21 he says when you see the Roman armies amassed against Jerusalem, so you got the combination of these pictures you got the encroaching forces of domination. You've got the expression of abomination which creates desolation and you've got this notion in your mind that somehow or another. This very abomination will take on a physical personal presence. Somehow, somewhere in other words, it is the very spirit of the antichrist. All that is opposed to God all the profane's guard all that stands against God.
Therefore, encouraging the reader to realize that once again the historical impact of this is set within the larger eschatological framework. Now we know that this has immediate application because in the balance of verse 14. The instructions for fleeing are given to those who are there. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
In other words, this was expected in their lifetime. This was expected in their lifetime. Now why is it better to make a run for it. If you just told him that are supposed to endure under those who endure to the end will be saved in the verse 13 so he wants them to be absolutely committed for the faith of the gospel, but he wants them to know that there's no reason for them to be fanatical about buildings namely example are about places, namely Jerusalem, you're not tied to this building and you're not tied to this place. You're tied to the gospel therefore endure to the end for the gospel.
But when this goes you can make a run for and Eusebius. The early church historian records how in A.D. 67 with the revolt of the Jews, the believers in Jerusalem did make a run for it and fled to the mountains of Pella. You can find out for yourself with any good concordant.
So you see the immediacy of it is something that needs to be reckoned with your listing to Truth for Life and the message from Alastair beg he is titled today's study in Mark 13 be on guard is our team a truthful life got ready to present this teaching series to you.
We came across a classic book written by the late John Stott to book called the disciple you probably heard Alastair quote this British theologian from time to time with this book complements our current study because John Stott wrote about discipleship in a way that helps us cultivate our one-on-one relationship with Jesus it beautifully parallels Mark's gospel in that it addresses some of the common questions Jesus disciples asked him during his earthly ministry. John Stott helps us understand what following Jesus looks like in our contemporary world. He fleshes out the key components of discipleship. How we hear God's voice how we rely on his truth to guide our thoughts and even our emotions were happy to send you a copy of the disciple. Upon your request. When you include a donation to support the ministry of Truth for Life. This book offer ends soon so ask for the book today by going to Truth for Life.org/donate or click on the image in the mobile app you can also call us at 888-588-7884. In addition to receiving this helpful book from John Stott you should know that your financial support provides an opportunity for you to help establish disciples through the ministry of Truth for Life.
In that sense you have a ministry that really your own. We regularly hear from listeners who tell us about the value of clear and relevant Bible teaching in their lives. Some tell us how they have come to rely on these daily studies as a way of hearing God speak to them through his word you're giving makes it possible for these important moments in someone's life to happen.
So thank you for financially supporting truthful life with your gift today if you'd like to send a contribution along with your request for John Stott's book in the mail right to Truth for Life at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139 can also call to donate 888-588-7884 or go online to Truth for Life.org/donate earthquakes famine wars.
Jesus said these events would be signals that the end of the age was near what should we make of these warnings. Alastair addresses this question on tomorrow's program, so be sure to join us Thursday about Lapine Bible teaching of Alastair beg is furnished by Truth for Life with the Learning is for Living