Well, we've been studying the Gospel of Mark for over a year now, and we have finally arrived at chapter 13, that is. If you haven't done so already, you can turn in your Bibles to Mark chapter 13. If you want to follow along in the Pew Bible, I believe that's on page 849. I know that some of you are probably excited to finally dig into this chapter, and no doubt others of you are now wondering what's the big deal about this chapter. Well, Mark 13 is an important chapter. It's often called the Olivet Discourse because Jesus is on the Mount of Olives when he gives this teaching. It's recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels. So in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they all record this important teaching of Jesus. It's the most extended teaching block in the Gospel of Mark. It's not only important, It's also the most difficult chapter to interpret in the entirety of Mark's Gospel. So there's no doubt that this is the hardest section of Mark's Gospel to understand. Jesus predicts things that will happen after his death and resurrection, and it's not always clear what he's referring to. There's been a lot of debate throughout church history about how best to understand what Jesus is teaching here, and what exactly is he saying will happen? Is he talking about the end times? Is he talking about something else? When will this happen? Has it already taken place? Or are all these things still future? There are godly, wise, intelligent biblical scholars who have arrived at different interpretations of this chapter, as you well know if you've ever looked into it. So right at the outset, I want to remind us what our attitude should be as we come to study this chapter. This is God's Word. It deserves our best attention and thought that we can give to it. It's good to know what you believe. If you have a position on Mark 13, that's great. You should know what you believe about this chapter. You should know why you believe what you do about this chapter. But we need to approach it with humility. None of us perfectly understands everything Jesus teaches here. We need to hold our positions humbly. No single interpretation of this passage answers all the questions. No single interpretation of this passage is without its problems. I'll just say that right up front. Some things in Scripture are less clear than others. That's just a standard doctrine of Scripture that what is necessary to be believed for salvation is absolutely clear. But some things are not as clear as others. And in my opinion, Mark 13 falls into that category. But we're going to spend three weeks on this chapter. So it's an important chapter. So we're going to spend three weeks trying to get a better understanding of what Jesus is teaching here and why Mark includes this here in his gospel. So with all those caveats, I think it'd be appropriate for us to ask the Lord's help as we come to this chapter. So let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we do ask that you would help us to understand your word. We know that you have given these things to us for our instruction so that we would be encouraged, so that we would be encouraged about what you are doing in the world, so that we would know how to live as your people in the days in which we find ourselves. We pray that you would give us clarity. We pray that you would send your Holy Spirit, illuminate our hearts and minds so that we might see what is here in your word. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. So, this morning I want to try to help you understand some of the big picture of this chapter before we jump into the first 13 verses. So I've set myself a tall order today. But there are two extremes when it comes to understanding this chapter. On the one hand, some people see this as all past. That all these predictions have already been fulfilled. All these things already took place in history and there's nothing in here about the future. You may be familiar with the term full preterism. That's one view of this passage. On the other hand, others look at this chapter as all future. So they would say the things here in this chapter, they have not happened yet. They all will take place in some future end times scenario at the end of the age. And I think both of those positions are problematic. There are clearly things here in this chapter that have already taken place And there are clearly things here in this chapter that have yet to take place. And my understanding of this chapter is that it's mostly, now notice I said mostly, not exclusively, this chapter is mostly about the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. So in verse 2, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, something which did in fact happen in A.D. 70. We often don't know our history well enough to understand how significant that event was in the history of Israel. But Jesus predicts it in verse two. It did happen roughly 40 years after he made the prediction. And then in verse four, his disciples ask him, they're shocked, we'll come back to this in a moment, but they're shocked and they wonder, when are these things going to happen? And the rest of the chapter is Jesus' answer. They ask him a very specific question and Jesus gives them an answer. And we'll come back to that in a moment. Now in case you're wondering, I do believe Jesus is coming back again. There's no doubt about it. Jesus is coming back again. And I do believe this passage talks about that, but it's not his primary focus. The chapter is primarily about the coming destruction of the temple in AD 70. So I want to give you just a brief overview of the chapter before we look at some lessons that we find in verses 1 to 13. The chapter breaks down into three parts, and it's important for you to understand how the flow of this chapter unfolds. In part one, verses one to four, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple. Jesus and his disciples leave the temple after that long day of controversies with the religious leaders. Remember, we've been looking at those in chapters 11 and 12. And one of the disciples comments on the magnificence of the temple. He says, look teacher, What wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. You have to remember, these guys are tourists in Jerusalem. They're from really somewhat of a backwater place up in Galilee, and they've never seen buildings like this. The temple was this magnificent structure. They marvel at it, and Jesus makes this shocking prediction in verse two. Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. We've been reading Mark's Gospel. We know that back in chapter 11, Jesus cleared the temple, a symbol of the judgment that was to come upon Jerusalem and its temple. But here Jesus makes explicit with his words, this temple is going to be utterly destroyed. And it was, as I already mentioned. In AD 66, the Jews revolted against the Romans. War broke out. After roughly four years, the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem. They overtook the city, destroyed it, including the temple. And as Jesus said, not one stone was left upon another. As we continue in this first part, later in verse three, maybe later in the day, Jesus is on the Mount of Olives, just east of the city. They can see the temple from where they are. And four of his disciples, they ask him, tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished? This is a key verse here in this chapter. Notice they're a two-part question. It's crucial for understanding the rest of the chapter. It's the context for everything else Jesus says. First, they want to know when. When will these things be? What things? The things He's just talked about. The destruction of the temple. Second, they want to know what sign. will precede the destruction of the temple? What should they look for? So those two questions, when will this happen? What will be the sign? The parallel in Matthew 24 makes clear here, when the disciples are asking these things, in their minds, the destruction of the temple and the end of the age are one single event. That's how cataclysmic the destruction of the temple was in their thinking. The temple was the pride of the nation. It was the place where God had promised to dwell with his people, the place where sacrifices are offered for sin. If the temple was destroyed, it could only mean one thing in their thinking. That's the end of the world. And so in Matthew 24, they do ask, when will these things be? What will be the sign of this and your coming and the end of the age? Jesus is going to answer their question. He's going to give them an answer to their question about the temple. But he's also going to make clear in his teaching that the destruction of the temple and the end of the age are two separate events. They're not the same. They're not the same. The distressing times leading up to 70 AD, they might seem like the end of the world, but they're not. So that's part one. Part two, verses five to 31, Jesus answers their questions about when the temple will be destroyed and what the sign will be that precedes the destruction. Notice first in verses five to 13, Jesus describes things that are not signs of the end of the age. He says there'll be messianic pretenders, military conflict, natural disasters, persecution, but Jesus says these are not signs of the end. Verse seven, this must take place, but the end is not yet. He goes on in verses 14 to 23 to answer their question about the sign. Remember, they wanted to know, What's the sign going to be that the temple's about to be destroyed? And he tells them very clearly in verse 14, but when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be, and then he goes on to give them instructions, that's the sign. That's the sign of the temple's impending destruction. And we'll come back to that next week, so you can wonder about that for another week, what that's all about. But Jesus tells his disciples that when they see this take place, they need to flee. They need to get out of Judea. And if you look at those verses, you'll see all these instructions specific to local geography and circumstances that were particular to the disciples in the first century in Judea. It just doesn't make sense to apply these things to people who would live thousands of years later. He's telling them what they must do, these particular men, what they must do to avoid being caught in the coming And if you go back and you look at some of the history, you'll see that when Rome surrounded Jerusalem, the Christians there in Jerusalem, they fled. They got out of the city in obedience to Jesus' commands here. So, Jesus gives the sign, and then you have verses 24 to 27. And really, this is, I think, the most difficult part of the chapter. There is a lot of debate about what these verses are describing. Is this something that happened in 70 A.D.? Or is Jesus talking about his second coming? And I think each interpretation has things to commend it. I have friends that hold differing interpretations on these things for good reasons. But I think here, Jesus is still talking about 70 A.D. He's still talking about all the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. In verse 24, notice he says, but in those days, after that tribulation. Which days? Well, those days are the days He's just described in verses 17-20. He uses that phrase multiple times. Those days. Those very days that He's just described. And Matthew's version makes it even more explicit. In the parallel in Matthew, Jesus says immediately after the tribulation of those days. Jesus is still talking about something that happened at that time in history. You look at the language of cosmic cataclysm in verses 24 and 25, it sounds like the collapse of the universe. But Jesus is essentially quoting Old Testament passages here, and we'll look at that next week. Jesus is drawing from Old Testament prophecies about the destruction of nations and kingdoms. It's described in these very catastrophic And the reason being the destruction of the Temple was a dramatic tearing down of the Old Covenant system. A dramatic undoing of theocratic Israel. And so we'll look at that more next week. But maybe you're sitting there thinking, what about verses 26 and 27? Surely that's Second Coming language. But again, I would hold out to Jesus' drawing on Old Testament language. In particular, Daniel 7, verse 13, about the coming of the Son of Man to heaven to be enthroned. And I think we often miss what Jesus is saying here and in other places because we are not immersed in the language and the theology of the Old Testament the way Jesus and His disciples were. And so, Jesus is still describing there for them What will take place in AD 70? And then next, in verses 28 to 31, Jesus answers the when question. Remember, they asked, what will the sign be? They also asked, when? He's told them what the sign would be when they see the abomination of desolation. Now, when will this happen? And he answers clearly and unambiguously in verse 30. He says, it'll happen in the disciples' generation. This will all take place in their lifetime. He says, truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until these things take place. So which generation will witness the destruction of the temple? Jesus says, this generation. Now, I'm fully aware that people interpret that phrase in different ways. But He is speaking very clearly to the men standing there before Him. This generation. the people He's speaking to at that very moment, they will witness all these things. It'll take place in their lifetime. And notice, Jesus stakes His integrity and His trustworthiness on these things happening and being fulfilled in their lifetime. He says, heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. So we have to take seriously the time indicators Jesus is giving here in this passage. He stakes his own believability, his own trustworthiness on these things happening as he said. So that's part two, verses five to 31, where Jesus answers the questions about when the temple will be destroyed and what the sign will be. And then lastly, part three, verses 32 to 37. In this final section, Jesus talks about his second coming. There's a very clear shift in topic in verse 32. He says, but concerning that day or hour, which day? This is technical language for the day of the Lord. Concerning that day, Jesus says, no one knows. No one knows the day or the hour of the Lord's return. Not the angels, not even Jesus Himself. Very puzzling statement, right? We'll get to that eventually. Only God the Father. You see, Jesus doesn't want the disciples to confuse the destruction of the temple with the end of the age. And so he tells them, nobody knows, so be alert, be watchful, be ready. So that's Mark 13 in three parts. And so everything is clear now, right? Everything has been simplified and we can all just go home. I think I've probably raised more questions than answered for you at this point. But over the next three weeks, we'll unpack these verses in more detail and hopefully the chapter becomes a little clearer to you. Now, let me add here, at GBC, we don't require you to hold to a particular view of the end times to be a member. We don't think that should be a basis for fellowship. However, we do require that you believe that Christ will return again, that he will come back bodily visibly in power and glory to judge the wicked and to vindicate his people. We can all agree on that. And so that means it's okay if you reach different conclusions on this chapter than Craig and I do. It's not going to be a barrier to our fellowship as a church. I think we'll all have to wait until Christ returns to really come to full agreement on Mark chapter 13. Now, the question comes up, if most of this chapter is about something that happened long ago in 70 AD, does that mean there's nothing here for us? Does that mean there's nothing here for us to learn? And I don't think that's the case at all. You see, Jesus' purpose here is not to give his disciples a bunch of material for speculation, a bunch of material for theories about the future. His purpose is to prepare his disciples for faithful endurance in difficult days. It's interesting to note there are 18 imperatives here in Mark 13. Often we just think this is all a bunch of predictions about things that will happen, but Jesus tells His disciples again and again what they must do to be prepared and ready in difficult days. He's encouraging faithful discipleship. And really, the big idea here, especially in the first 13 verses, is that Jesus' disciples must be watchful. They must persevere. They must endure. And so, even though these things were directed specifically to them, there's application for us today also. We live in difficult days as we await the return of Christ. And we need to hear Jesus' words of exhortation. We need to hear Jesus' words of promise so that we can faithfully endure till the end as well. in the remainder of our time this morning, I want to focus on three exhortations that Jesus gives in verses 5 to 13 and their application to us today. So, number one, Jesus says, don't be deceived. Verses 5 and 6, don't be deceived. He says, see that no one leads you astray. Many will come in My name saying, I am He, and they will lead many astray. in this opening section where Jesus gives them just general instructions about what to expect, He tells them, don't be led astray. Why do the disciples need to be on guard against deception? Well, Jesus says very clearly, there will come many imposters, many messianic pretenders will come on the scene, and He says they will deceive many. They'll claim to be some kind of messianic figure, and Jesus says, to fall for it. And what's interesting is uncertain times always provide opportunity for false prophets, for false teachers to prey upon people's fears, to prey upon people's expectations, and that's exactly what you see happen in the years leading up to the temple's destruction. The book of Acts almost functions like a commentary on these verses, verses 1-13. There are a number of examples in Acts of these false prophets, false messiahs. Two men are mentioned in Acts 5, Thutis, who attracted a following of 400 people. Chapter 5 also mentions Judas the Galilean, who led a number of people astray. Acts 21 mentions an unnamed Egyptian who led 4,000 Jews out into the wilderness. And the first century Jewish historian Josephus says that this Egyptian man who had some kind of messianic pretension claimed to be a prophet, and he claimed that the walls of Jerusalem would fall down at his command. And of course, that did not happen. But the years leading up to the destruction of the temple, you can see from acts, you can see from history, are just full of these messianic pretenders. Now, you're well aware the situation is not much different today. Some of you probably remember Jim Jones and his people's temple cult in the 70s. In the 90s, David Koresh in Waco, Texas, claiming to be a messianic figure. Several years ago, there was a Puerto Rican man who claimed to be both Christ and the Antichrist in the same person. I'm puzzling. I don't know how he did that. I don't know how that makes any sense. But there are all kinds of messianic pretenders, false teachers, false prophets, and Jesus' warning against deception is just as applicable to us today. Know that there will be false teachers and imposters in the church. You know, so many professing Christians just blindly believe whatever they hear from preachers and teachers on TV and the Internet, and they're led astray. You know, Peter, one of the men Jesus is speaking to right here in this passage, he wrote in 2 Peter 2, verse 1, but false prophets also arose among the people, he's talking about in Old Testament times, just as there will be false teachers among you. Peter tells the church, there will be false teachers among you. It's guaranteed. And so discernment is called for. You know, false teachers have a field day with this end time stuff. They love to prey on people with this material. And you need to be on guard. And I would encourage you, get as far away as possible from date-setters. We'll talk more about date-setters later in the chapter, but get as far away from them as possible. If any teacher or preacher claims to know when Jesus is coming back, don't listen. You would think this is just things that happen out on the fringe, In the evangelical world, there are preachers saying Jesus is coming back on this date, or Jesus is coming back between these dates. Jesus will come back this year. They've done it over and over again. Don't listen. Don't wonder whether this person has some kind of special insight, and so you need to pay attention and maybe try to learn from them. Jesus clearly says in verse 32, no one knows the day or the hour. If there's one thing in this chapter that doesn't require any special training to understand, it's that. Nobody knows. No one knows when it's going to happen. But people fall for this stuff all the time. There's absolutely no reason that the book, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988, should have sold 4.5 million copies. That's a lot of books. There's no reason people should have fallen for this stuff. And what's even worse, that author wrote a follow-up book the next year. Why Jesus Would Come in 1989. And I would just encourage you, some people get caught up in this stuff because they think this is the deep stuff of the Bible. This is where the meat is. If you want to dig deep into the Bible, study the doctrine of the Trinity. You're going to be adoring the Triune God for all of eternity, so you might as well get started now. Study something like that, you're not going to be disappointed that you didn't learn more about Gog and Magog during this life. Don't be deceived, Jesus says. Don't be deceived by imposters and false teachers. He goes on to give a second exhortation in verses 7 and 8. He says, don't be frightened. Don't be alarmed, verse 7. It's ironic that so much of the contemporary teaching about the end times, it stirs up the very fear Jesus is warning against right here. He tells His disciples, you know, there's going to be things you see, things going on in the world. Don't panic. Don't be overwhelmed with fear. And yet, what do so many Bible prophecy teachers do today? They make you nervous. They make you worried. They make people scared. Jesus knows His disciples will be tempted to fear when they see what's going on in the world. He says there will be international conflict. Verse 7 talks about wars and rumors of war. Verse 8, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. He goes on to say there will be natural disasters in various places, earthquakes and famines. And again, this is exactly what you see play out in the decades leading up to the destruction of the temple. There was frequently war on the borders of the Roman Empire. The Roman historian Tacitus described major earthquakes in Antioch and Phrygia and Laodicea. Pompeii was leveled by an earthquake in AD 63. Rome experienced famine in 41. There was widespread famine in Judea in 46. It's mentioned in Acts 11.28. Again, Acts commenting on these things, that what Jesus said has come to pass. Now, Jesus tells his disciples, don't be alarmed. But if you're living through these kinds of things, and you're experiencing them personally, it's going to be alarming, right? It might feel like it's the end of the world, but Jesus says these things are actually not signs of the end. These are not signs that the world is right around the corner. He says in verse 7, this must take place, but the end is not Yet. And then at the end of verse 80 says, these are the beginning of birth pains. And so you see what Jesus is doing here. He's telling his disciples, there's going to be chaos in the world around you, but don't mistake it. Don't think that the end is tomorrow. These are the beginning of birth pains. And moms, you know that when the contractions start, the baby's not necessarily coming in the next 30 seconds. What do first time parents often do? The contractions start, they rush off to the hospital, and then only to hear, nope, it's not time yet. Go home, get some rest, come back later. And Jesus says all these things are the beginning of labor. They signal there will be a birth. This intense suffering, these pains are a signal there will be joy at some point. There will be the joy of a birth. at some point, but no one knows how long the labor might last. I think the application here is clear. Jesus says, don't be frightened by these things. Wars, political upheaval, earthquakes, famines, wildfires, floods, all these things are characteristic of the fallen age in which we live. If you think about it, every generation of Christians have had to live through these kinds of things. They don't necessarily mean Jesus is coming back tomorrow. If anything, they are reminders to us that this world is broken by sin. Paul in Romans 8 talks about the whole creation groaning together in the pains of childbirth. These things remind us that the world we live in has been marred by sin, that there's a judgment day coming, and that God promises one day to make all things new, but they are not end times riddles to be unraveled. So when North Korea launches new missile tests, should you run around like Chicken Little saying, the end of the world is coming, the sky is falling. When tensions flare up between Israel and its neighbors, Should you believe that Armageddon has begun? Jesus says no. Don't be alarmed. These are not signs of the end. Those things are concerning. So don't get me wrong here. If there's war, if there's disaster, we should pray for people affected by those things, but they are not reasons to fly into faithless panic. You don't need to pore over the news headlines trying to figure out how world events fit into the book of Revelation. Your time would be better spent studying how Revelation proclaims the triumph of Jesus Christ. Ignore the talk radio people with all their conspiracy theories and their doomsday predictions based on what Russia and Iran are doing. Don't waste your time listening to the prophecy gurus. I came across a website this week that's a rapture index. It bills itself as a Dow Jones Industrial like indicator of how likely the coming of Christ is. And it uses factors like wars and famines and political upheaval and things like that. Don't buy into that stuff. Don't give time to those kinds of things. Blood moons mean nothing as far as the future is concerned. You know what you should do when you hear about wars and rumors of wars and you see these kinds of things going on? Yes, you should pray, but put in some extra hours at work. Do some landscaping in your backyard. Spend time with family and friends. Faithfully serve Christ in whatever He's given you to do and let God deal with the timing of the end. So Jesus says, don't be frightened by these things. And then the third exhortation He gives to His disciples is don't give up. Don't give up. Don't be deceived. Don't be frightened. Don't give up. In verses 9 to 13, he makes his instructions more personal. So you may notice he's been describing things that are generally true of their experience, generally characteristic of the world, and now he shifts his attention to things that they themselves will specifically experience. He says in verse 9, be on your guard. Watch out for yourselves. Notice, Jesus doesn't call them to be on the lookout for signs at the end. He tells them to watch themselves so that they're not caught off guard and led astray. In verse 11, he exhorts them not to be anxious. In verse 13, he tells them endurance is what's needed for the days ahead. Now, why do they need these exhortations? Well, Jesus tells them very clearly, persecution is coming. Persecution is coming. They will be mistreated because they name the name of Christ. Verse 9, he says, they will deliver you over to councils and you will be beaten in synagogues. Think of the apostles in Acts 5 being flogged by the Jewish authorities. Think of Paul saying that he received 39 lashes, five separate times, from the Jewish leaders. Jesus goes on to say, you will stand before governors and kings for my sake. Big sections of the book of Acts are taken up with Paul standing before Roman leaders like Festus and Felix, giving a defense of the gospel and a defense of his apostleship. In verse 12, Jesus says, this persecution will even come from family members. 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. And you see this play out in the history of the Christian church. During the persecution under Nero, in the 60s, the AD 60s, many Christians were imprisoned and executed on the testimony of family and friends. So Jesus is saying persecution is coming from the religious authorities in Jerusalem, from the Roman authorities, even from family members, and then he just broadens the scope even wider. In verse 13, he says, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. And the key there is for my name's sake. Jesus is saying, they're not just gonna hate you because you're some fringe group, they're gonna hate you because of your allegiance to me. This is all the result of your commitment to me. And again, Jesus is speaking particularly about the things that his apostles would endure. But this is still the norm for Christians in many parts of the world. Christians in places like North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, they don't need sermon illustrations about persecution. When we talk about it here, we have to get you thinking about how this takes place throughout the world. They don't need illustrations. This is a daily reality for them. This is a lived reality for them. Just this month, World Magazine reported that roughly 70% of the world's Christians do not have the freedom to worship freely. They don't have the right. They're denied the right to gather together freely. Sometimes they have to do it secretly. Persecution is to be expected, Jesus says. You think of what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ, Jesus will be persecuted. We should expect to experience opposition and difficulty as we follow Christ. We need to have it clear in our minds that Jesus has not promised that following Him will exempt us from difficulty. Sometimes we can give people the impression that if they will just put their faith in Jesus Christ, their life will be okay now. Everything will change and get better. There's truth to that. Their sins will be forgiven. They will be reconciled to God. They can have the joy of knowing that Christ is their Savior. There will be trouble for following me. You can expect it. Don't be surprised when your non-Christian family and friends disapprove of your faith. Jesus says persecution will come from even your own family. They won't understand why you're so into this Jesus stuff. Don't be surprised when they disapprove. Don't be surprised when they take issue with your moral position on certain issues. They won't like it. Don't be surprised if your commitment to Christ makes you unpopular in the workplace. Or maybe even in school. Don't be surprised that you're passed over for promotions at work because of your commitment to Christ. Jesus says these things are to be expected. Expect to be hated, Jesus says. But he encourages his disciples, you must not waver. You must faithfully endure. He gives them three reasons for not giving up. First, know that persecution won't stop the advance of the Gospel. You might think that persecution would actually hinder the spread of the Gospel, and sometimes it does, but Jesus shows here that persecution actually provides opportunity for witness. Look again at the end of verse 9. Jesus says that when you're put on trial, it's for the purpose of bearing witness. It's for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel. And then you have verse 10, which just kind of seems dropped in the middle there. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. There's deliberate language Jesus uses. It must be proclaimed. That points to divine necessity. God will accomplish his plans and purposes for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel through his people. Now the word first there indicates the gospel must be preached to all nations before something else. takes place, before what? I think in context, it means before the destruction of the temple. And now maybe you're thinking, how in the world could that be? Was the gospel really preached to all nations before 70 AD? Well, Paul said it had. Paul, writing in the early, in the 50s and early 60s, could say in Colossians 1.6, that the gospel was bearing fruit in the whole world, or verse 23, He says the Gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven. He tells the Romans in Romans 16.26 that the Gospel has been made known to all nations. Now does he mean that every person who was alive in every part of the world had heard the Gospel at that time? No, of course not. Does he mean that the Gospel had reached what is now Escondido, California, the furthest parts of The earth? No, of course not. He had no idea that such a place existed. So what is he saying? He's saying the Gospel had been preached throughout the known world. Which for Jesus, His disciples, for Paul, that meant the Roman Empire. The work of worldwide evangelism continues today. So don't hear me saying we shouldn't be about making disciples of all nations. That task is laid on every generation of the church. But here in Mark 13, Jesus is assuring his disciples. Remember the context. The temple will be destroyed. The focal point of Jewish life will be torn down. And Jesus is assuring his disciples the gospel is going to advance beyond the borders of Israel. It's not going to stay confined here in Israel. Before that day of judgment, when the temple comes crashing down, God will have begun building a new temple not made with hands. a spiritual temple made up of believers from all nations, not just the Jewish nation. And so Jesus is encouraging his disciples here, don't give up. Persecution won't stop the advance of the gospel. There's a second reason for not giving up. Notice the promise of divine aid in verse 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." Now, this isn't an excuse for preachers and teachers of God's Word to forego preparation and study. This is a promise to weak and defenseless believers that God will come to them in their distress. When they're put on trial before others, the Holy Spirit will enable them to speak boldly about the gospel. There's a third reason for not giving up. Look at the end of verse 13. The one who endures till the end will be saved. Jesus holds out this promise to those who press on faithfully and don't give up their faith in Him. He promises, you will be saved. You will inherit eternal life. Suffering, hardship, even persecution cannot deprive you of your salvation. So how long must we endure? Jesus says, to the end. When's that? I take it to mean the end of your life. He just told his disciples that some of them would lose their life for his sake. And he's telling them now, press on. Persevere. Persevere faithfully until your dying breath and you will Be saved. In Revelation 2.10, Jesus tells the church in Smyrna, be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. You see, endurance is what's needed in the Christian life. Not fits and starts of faithfulness, not races halfway run, but endurance until the end. To borrow the title of a Eugene Peterson book, what's needed is a long obedience in the same direction. Jesus is encouraging His disciples here. The one who endures, the one who presses on, will be saved. The promise here is meant to inspire endurance. I think sometimes we can read this and become worried. But Jesus is here telling you, look at the goal. Look at the end. Keep your eye on the goal. The hardship is worth it. The difficulty will be forgotten when you enter the glory that awaits you. True believers endure to the end. True believers persevere. The genuineness of your faith is expressed in your perseverance. And undergirding that truth is the grand promise that God preserves believers. You see, believers persevere because God preserves believers faithfully to the end. Paul says in Philippians 1, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. And one of the ways He brings that work to completion in your life is with these warnings and promises. The warning, if you don't persevere to the end, you won't be saved. The promise, if you do persevere, you will be saved. It's guaranteed. Keep your eye on the finish line and don't be moved, Jesus says. Don't give up in these difficult, days. What trials are tempting you to abandon your faith in Christ? What opposition are you experiencing that's making you consider throwing in the towel? Maybe it's a relationship that hasn't turned out the way you wanted it to. Maybe it's some personal sin you continue to struggle with no matter how hard you try. It seems you just can't shake this sin. Maybe it's the slow, discouraging deterioration of your health. Whatever it might be, Jesus' message is, do not give up. Endure, and you will enter into eternal life. How often, when you experience trials, do you think, nothing good can come from this? My life is ruined. This is the end of all my hopes and dreams. God has forgotten me. Jesus is telling His disciples here, know that God's plans and purposes for you can never be hindered. They can never be thwarted. He's accomplishing good in you in the midst of these trials and difficulties. He can tell His disciples that when they're arrested and put in prison and threatened with execution, He's even going to use it so that the Gospel advances. Know that God is working good in your life. Know that He is near to give you help, that promise. that Jesus holds out in verse 11 of the help of the Holy Spirit. How precious to suffering believers that God will not leave you alone. He will come to you and give you aid. He will come and give you help. Just when you think you can't go on any longer, you can't do it anymore, He gives strength. Just like He told Paul when Paul asked to have that thorn in his flesh removed, some distressing circumstance. And Jesus' answer is, my grace is sufficient for you. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. He will enable you to keep going. Trust Him to keep you. Trust Him to keep you faithful till the end. So this is Jesus' message for His disciples. There will be difficult days ahead. But He says don't be deceived. Don't be led astray imposters and pretenders. Don't be frightened by what you see taking place in the world around you. Don't give up when you face difficulty and opposition. Endure by putting your confidence fully in Me and My promises. All that I've promised will come to pass, Jesus says. And it's the same message to us. Even though many of these things were particular to these first apostles, it's the same message to us. You see, as we study Mark 13, We need to make sure not to miss the forest for the trees. And it's very easy to do. There are lots of puzzling statements in this chapter. There are many questions to be answered. But we shouldn't miss the big picture. Jesus is assuring His disciples of the certainty of His victory. He's telling them that He will triumph. You think about the context. Just a few days after Jesus spoke these things, He would go to the cross. and He would defeat sin and death through His own death on the cross. He rose on the third day. He ascended to heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God. And He now reigns as King. He now reigns as Lord of all. And His triumph is certain. He will triumph over all His enemies in judgment. He will triumph in salvation for all who put their faith and trust The destruction of Jerusalem, which Jesus describes here in these verses, it's just a small preview of His even greater triumph at the end of the age. And Jesus wants His disciples to know there is no doubt that in the end He wins. He will have the victory. And Jesus taught these things to His people because He wants us to be confident in His victory. You see, this isn't about coming up with theories and speculations and charts, although I did think about giving you a chart to help you understand these things. That's not Jesus' purpose. We see His pastoral concern here. He doesn't want us to lose heart as we see the things going on in the world around us. Remember His promise. In the world, you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome. the world. And so the message is be discerning, don't be led astray, don't be overcome with panic, but rather be confident that God has not lost control. This world is not spinning out of control. God is sovereignly directing history to its appointed end when Christ returns in great power and great glory. And so may we endure faithfully as we eagerly await His appearance. Let's pray. Our gracious God, we do thank You for Your Word. We recognize that not everything in it is easy to understand. Not all of it is as clear as we might want it to be. But we do rejoice that what is clear is that our Lord Jesus is true and trustworthy. Not one of His words will fail. We thank You that His victory is certain and that we share in it with Him by faith We pray, Father, that you would help us to be wise, help us to be discerning as we live in uncertain days, help us to plant our feet firmly in the truth of your word and not be moved from it. We ask that you would guard us from those who would lead us astray. Father, we ask that you would preserve us and keep us for your heavenly glory as you have promised to do. For we ask in the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.