No-one knows when the Lord Jesus will return, but He tells us some of the events that will occur when He does.
Mark 13: Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple
1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"
2 And 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."
Signs of the Close of the Age
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?"
5 And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray.
6 Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray.
7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.
10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.
11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.
13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
14 "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out,
16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
18 Pray that it may not happen in winter.
19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.
20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
21 And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.
22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.
29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
No One Knows That Day or Hour
32 "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
35 Therefore stay awake---for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning---
36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.
37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."
Mark 14: The Plot to Kill Jesus
1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him,
2 for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people."
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that?
5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her.
6 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.
8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."
Judas to Betray Jesus
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.
11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover with the Disciples
12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,
14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'
15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."
16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.
18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."
19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?"
20 He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.
21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
Institution of the Lord's Supper
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."
23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.
24 And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27 And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'
28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee."
29 Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not."
30 And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."
31 But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
34 And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch."
35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?
38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.
40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.
41 And he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard."
45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him.
46 And they laid hands on him and seized him.
47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
48 And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?
49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled."
50 And they all left him and fled.
A Young Man Flees
51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him,
52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Jesus Before the Council
53 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.
54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.
55 Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.
56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.
57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying,
58 "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'"
59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"
61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
62 And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need?
64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.
65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards received him with blows.
Peter Denies Jesus
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came,
67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus."
68 But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.
69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them."
70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."
71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak."
72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.
Things to think about…
1. In Mark 13:4 there are actually two questions that the disciples ask Jesus. The first is when the temple (which was standing at the time of writing) would be destroyed and the second is when Jesus would come back. Matt 24:2 confirms that the disciples not only asked about the immediate temple but also about Christ’s return. Jesus confirms not one stone would be upon another – which literally happened at the conquest of Titus and the Roman army in AD70. A good marker to verify that this passage refers to Christ’s return is vs 10 – the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. This has not happened yet. There are still many people groups who have not heard the gospel. The Joshua Project believe just over 40% of the world’s population are still unreached http://www.joshuaproject.net/great-commission-statistics.php
2. In Mark 13:14-23 Jesus speaks about the ‘Abomination of Desolation’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel. The Apostle Paul also speaks of the antichrist or man of lawlessness standing in the temple proclaiming himself to be Christ, 2Thess 2:2-4 – just as Jesus says will occur in this passage in Mark 13:21, 22. It cannot refer to AD70 because this first temple was destroyed. There will be another temple built where the antichrist will proclaim himself to be the Messiah – this is, ‘the abomination that causes desolation’. At this point the Jewish people will wake up to the fact that they have believed in a false messiah. Zechariah calls him a worthless shepherd, Zech 11:17.
3. There has been much debate about what ‘this generation’ means in Mark 13:30. It cannot mean those who were standing there at the time or even those who would live until AD70 because the context is when He returns with is angels to gather in the elect, Mark 13:24-27. My understanding is that it refers to the Jewish people as the word “genea” in Greek can mean people group – those who have a significant tie to the land of Israel. These are the ones who will accept the false Messiah and afterward many will realise they have worshiped a false god and many will repent and seek after Christ fulfilling Paul’s words more fully in Rom 11:26. More specifically others make a good case that it refers to the taking of Jerusalem again in 1967. This generation will not pass away. If true, the time is short.
4. Even though we will know the season of Christ’s return, just like we can observe the season of a fig tree, Mark 13:28, 29, no-one will know the hour and the day of Christ’s return. We are simply exhorted to ‘stay awake’, vs 37. Making sure that we are in the faith and doing our Lord’s work is part of this staying awake.
5. Jesus healed wherever He went. Did he not heal Simon, Mark 14:3. If He did, then why is Simon called, Simon the Leper – present tense. Maybe Jesus did heal him and the name stuck. You couldn’t eat with a Leper and so Simon is in all likelihood healed. The Pulpit Commentary gives some good insight, “Simon the leper. Not that he was a leper now, but either the appellation was hereditary, in reference to some such malady inflicted on his family, or he himself, having been cured by Christ, retained the name in memory of his cleansing. So St. Matthew is called "the publican" after he had relinquished his obnoxious business (Matthew 10:3), and the revived man is termed "the dead" (Luke 7:15). The frequency of the name Simon among the Jews rendered the addition of a surname expedient; thus we have Simon the Canaanite, Simon the tanner, Simon Bar-john, etc.” In this case Simon the Leper, but who was no longer a leper.
6. Jesus is anointed with expensive oil and Jesus says “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me”, Mark 14:6. This woman’s offering cost her almost a year’s wages. Her extravagance was scolded by the disciples. Remember James and John wanted to be first and second in the kingdom. Jesus said the last shall be first. I think this woman somewhere near the front.
7. Jesus says the poor you will always have with you, Mark 14:7. People have used that statement to speak out against the Micah Project and World Vision and other Christian ministries. Where does faith and fatalism start and stop with this statement made by Jesus in your opinion? We will always have sin with us until Christ returns, but we are called to share the gospel and see as many spared from its eternal consequences. The same I suggest with relieving the poor from their affliction.
8. Judas seeks to betray Jesus, Mark 14:10, 11 and then sits down with Jesus to celebrate the Passover. He knew that Jesus knew what people were thinking because he had seen it happen over the years he was with Jesus. Jesus said that he was the man of destruction, John 17:12. Judas would eventually betray Jesus in a bold-faced betrayal by kissing Him. Did Judas ever have a choice do you think? We know he later felt remorse and hung himself, so why did he not feel remorse in the midst of his cowardly act of betrayal? Sometimes our will rules over our conscience – never a healthy practise.
9. Peter of course is no different to Judas in the fact that they both have a sinful disposition, Mark 14:26-31, the only difference is that God’s grace would be upon Peter and he would be restored through genuine repentance. Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane shows the real issue where He says the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, vs 38. How much do we rely on our own efforts and personal responsibility and accountability and how much do we rely on God’s grace and sovereignty? How do you reconcile the balance? Jesus acknowledges both these realities in vs 49. Jesus would only be arrested according to the scriptures. The prayers of our Lord and an understanding that He is sovereign over all should bring the Christian immense comfort.
10. Mark 14:58 confirms that the re-built temple Jesus was talking about would not be made with hands and that this was common knowledge among the people. The Jews will desire to rebuild a third temple, but Christ’s body is where the true temple of the Holy Spirit resides.
11. Jesus knew that the question asked in Mark 14:61 and His answer given in vs 62 would incriminate Him and give Him the death sentence. I am glad He made that choice on my behalf. If He didn’t, we would still be lost in our sins. But would I stand up for Him even to the point of death if required? I am exhorted to pick up my cross and follow Him wherever He leads – but to death? I believe if any of us are ever required to die for the cause of Christ – our Lord will give us the grace by His Spirit to stand in that hour. I believe that if we ever had to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ we first need to see the frailty of our flesh – for Peter, this happened as outlined in Mark 14:66-71. Has the Lord humbled you to this point at all? It is a mercy if He has. Pride is a deceitful thing and unless we have been brought low we are very unlikely to see its influence subside in our lives.
12. Unfortunately, we can all relate to Peter in this regard in some way, Mark 14:66-72. Praise God Jesus restores us simply because we are His. Our Lord promises never to leave us nor forsake us, Heb 13:5. He will make sure that we remain in His grace. Praise God!
Vision Point for cell groups – Cell groups on break over the school holidays
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. That we see Christ even as Covid goes through the community.
2. Praise, hope and Joy through this new year.
3. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
4. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Visitors last 2 weeks
2. Safety over the Christmas New Years season.
3. Appreciation to all involved in ministry in 2021. Joy in our service. Thankyou for your service.
4. Word of God being blessed at CBC.
Announcements
1. All ministries on break until the end of January
2. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
