DAY #76: March 17, 2009 - Mark 13:14-37

Who would God have you invite and bring to Easter @ COV? Easter is the day that changes everything. Maybe this is the day that God will reach the people in your world.

In today's passage, we see that Mark urges his readers to understand Jesus’ words in light of the prophecy from the Old Testament prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). The sacrilegious object that causes desecration refers to the desecration of the Temple by God’s enemies. The sacrilegious object refers to pagan idolatry and sacrifice (Deuteronomy 29:16-18; 2 Kings 16:3-4; 23:12-14). The sacrilege would occur in the Temple itself and cause it to be abandoned.

The first fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy occurred in 168 b.c. by Antiochus Epiphanes. He sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the sacred Temple altar. This act incited the Maccabean wars. The second fulfillment occurred in a.d. 70 when the Roman army would destroy Jerusalem and desecrate the Temple. Some scholars say that the third fulfillment is yet to come. Jesus’ words may also look far forward to the end times when the Antichrist will commit the ultimate sacrilege by setting up an image of himself in the Temple and ordering everyone to worship it (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:14-15).

Many of Jesus’ followers (including Mark’s readers) would live during the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70. Jesus warned his followers to get out of Jerusalem and Judea and flee to the hills across the Jordan River when they saw the Temple being profaned. Jesus gave this warning to get out quickly for these will be days of greater horror than at any time since God created the world. The Jewish historian Josephus recorded that when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and devastated Judea, one hundred thousand Jews were taken prisoner and another 1.1 million died by slaughter and starvation. So many Jews were crucified that the hills were emptied of trees in order to build enough crosses.

While Jesus’ words could be taken as referring to the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in a.d. 70, they are so emphatic and clear that they must point ultimately to the final period of tribulation at the end of the age, because, as he stated, it will never happen again.

After these cosmic events, all the people on earth will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds. Jesus’ return will be unmistakable; no one will wonder about his identity. Jesus’ Second Coming will not be as a humble, human carpenter, but as God’s Son with great power and glory.Upon his return to earth, Jesus will send out his angels to gather together his chosen ones from all over the world. The angels’ gathering of the elect signifies the triumphant enthronement of the Son of Man, who will be revealed in all his power and glory. When he comes, the whole world will know that Jesus is Lord, and Christians’ hope and faith will be vindicated.

The disciples, like anyone living in Palestine, knew how to interpret the coming of summer from the buds and leaves of the fig trees. In the same way, when the disciples see the events (described in 13:5-23), they would know that his return is very near. The fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy would assure the disciples that the other prophecies he had given regarding the end times would also come true.

Regarding the “when,” of his Second Coming, Jesus’ answer was blunt. He then pointed out that the mark of a disciple was not having inside information, but serving Christ faithfully. Spiritual vigilance becomes the essential theme of the entire chapter. Jesus’ servants must be so busy that they have no time to speculate about his schedule.

While Jesus had given general “signs” to observe regarding the coming of the end, he clearly explained to the disciples that the exact day or hour was not known by the angels or the Son (Jesus himself). When Jesus said that even he did not know the time of the end, he was affirming his humanity (Philippians 2:5-8). Of course, God the Father knows the time, and Jesus and the Father are one. But when Jesus became a man, he voluntarily gave up the unlimited use of his divine attributes. On earth, Jesus laid aside his divine prerogatives and submitted to the Father’s will. Thus, only the Father knows the exact time of Jesus’ return.

In the parable about watchfulness, Jesus described himself as a man who left home to go on a trip (Jesus would be returning to heaven). The disciples are the employees left behind to carry on their work. The gatekeeper is commanded to keep watch for the master’s return. The employees understand that they are in charge of themselves, had their own work to do, and would not want the homeowner to return suddenly and find them being lazy. Because they do not know when the homeowner will return, these employees must keep a sharp lookout so as not to be found sleeping.

Jesus’ followers would not want to be found spiritually lax, but instead conscientiously going about the work given by God for them to do. Each of us has enough assigned work to do that we shouldn’t be neutralized or paralyzed by fear or doubt. We do not need to worry about how other employees compare to us; instead, we should devote ourselves to doing what God has given us to do.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

This passage today is a clear shot across the bow of our lives to stay alert. This passage is clear teaching that I and everyone else who claims the name of Christ is responsible to do the work that He has assigned each of us to do. Would to God that every believer alive today would take to heart what Paul said in Acts 20:24 -

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."


Lord, work in the hearts of the people at COV in such a way, that they would feel the responsibility that has been entrusted to them as followers of You. In a culture where everyone is concerned about their rights and freedoms and privileges, raise up men and women at COV who will put Your concerns first in their lives.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)