Be on Guard
Text: Mark 13:1-37
Core Idea: Jesus will come back with great power and glory to judge the wicked, vindicate the righteous, and redeem His people back to Himself. Then until He returns, we are called to be on guard, to be hopeful, and to be vigilant as we faithfully do the work that He has given us.
INTRODUCTION
Well, we are going through the Gospel of Mark – exploring the life of Jesus. Last week, we learned that Jesus is both the Son of God and the Son of David, who comes to give away His life for us – and now He’s inviting us to give away our lives to Him for He is the only way to life. Today, we’ll see Jesus giving His disciples one last teaching before He begins the preparation for His death – to equip them for the things to come but also to give them hope. Then with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Mark 13 – and we’ll read the whole chapter. Let me read this for us.
1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. 9 You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of Me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there He is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. 24 But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 26 At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. 28 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. 32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let’s look at verse 1 again, “As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’” One of the things that we know from Ancient Jewish writings is that the scale and the appearance of the temple were absolutely monumental – unrivaled in its beauty. Robert Stein points out that “the temple was one of the most magnificent structures in the world of that day. As a total complex, it was the largest sight in the ancient world. The total temple platform was about 35 acres.” And just to give you an idea of how big that is – they say that 1 football field is roughly around 1 acre. This was a big place – no wonder the disciples were utterly stunned by it. But more than its appearance, what made the temple so glorious was the fact that this was the dwelling place of God – the very embodiment of Israel’s relationship with God. The temple stood as the symbol that Israel belonged to God. It really was at the centre of Israel’s life, Israel’s identity, and Israel’s history – the temple meant everything to the Jewish people. And yet Jesus predicted in verse 2 that not one stone will be left standing – that the heart of Jewish people, the very centre of worship for all God’s people, would be destroyed. The disciples must have been shocked – they were probably asking, “Who? When? How? Why?” But being unable to come up with an answer, the disciples asked Jesus in verse 4, “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” And Jesus began to describe the events that will signal not only the coming destruction of the temple but also the second coming of Jesus Christ – the final judgment. Now, before we look at the content of His teaching, let me point out one thing. When we read passages like this, we’re easily tempted to speculate about the future – but if we read it carefully, we’ll realize that this text is actually about the present. Jesus is not trying to tell us when He will return but rather how we should live our lives today knowing that He will return. In other words, this text is not about speculation but discipleship. The disciples may have asked Jesus for information, but He will address the attitude of their hearts so that they would remain faithful to the end. That’s the point of this chapter. Then let me share three things from this passage:
· WE ARE CALLED TO BE ON GUARD
· WE ARE CALLED TO BE HOPEFUL
· WE ARE CALLED TO BE VIGILANT
1) WE ARE CALLED TO BE ON GUARD
Verse 5 – Jesus responded to the disciples’ question with an imperative, “Watch out.” This is the same Greek word that’s translated as “be on guard” in verses 9, 23, and 33. Jesus basically begins by warning them to be careful because there will be many things that can cause them to fall. Again, the disciples wanted to know stuff, but Jesus just wanted their hearts to be ready. Then what are the things that they ought to be on guard against? Let me just point out three things. First, deception. Verse 5, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.” When I first read this, I was a little bit confused. Think about it. Jesus was talking to His disciples – if anyone knew Jesus, it was them. They were in close proximity to Jesus for the last three years. Then why would they be fooled by someone who claims to be Jesus? Wouldn’t they see through it? Why would they be deceived? It didn’t make sense. But if we think this way, we’re underestimating the power of deception and the sinfulness of our hearts. Listen to what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Paul doesn’t say that the false teachers will go out to lead people astray – no, he says that people will willingly turn away from the truth in order to suit their own ambitions. In other words, the danger ultimately lies in our hearts. And this is exactly what we see today. Listen to some of these quotes. “Being poor is a sin” (Robert Tilton). “If we please God, we will be rich” (Jerry Savelle). “God wants His children to wear the best clothes, drive the best cars, and have the best of everything – just ask for what we need” (Kenneth Hagin, Sr.). These are common statements from “prosperity gospel” preachers. Now, you would think, “Who believes in these things?” – but sadly, many do because the message appeals directly to our heart’s desire. Let’s be honest – who doesn’t want to have the best of everything? So, in their greed, in their desperation, many turn to false teachers – dreaming about a life that will never be fulfilled and a life that will never satisfy their hearts. They are choosing to be deceived – and if we’re not careful, if we’re not guarded, we too will be deceived.
Second, tribulations. Jesus warned them in verse 7, “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.” Now, let’s be honest – we tend to do the opposite of what Jesus says here. When we watch the news, we panic and say, “The world is falling apart. The market’s going to crash. Bad things are going to happen. What are we going to do?” But look at what Jesus says, “Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Jesus says that all the mess in the world is expected because we still live in a world that is broken and sinful. These things don’t signal the end (“it’s going to happen now”) but simply point to the end (“the end will surely come”). Do you see the difference? So, when we see these things, we need to guard our hearts against being paralyzed by fear and worry. Instead, we ought to be encouraged because it shows us that everything is taking place just as God planned. Yes, tribulations will come but it also means that Jesus will come back – and when He does, He will judge the wicked, vindicate the righteous, and make all things right again. We must guard our hearts so that we’re not distracted by events around the world.
Lastly, persecution. Look at verse 9, “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of Me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.” Following Jesus means that we will be hated – that’s the unavoidable reality for Christians. We will face hostility from authorities, families, and friends because the world is against Christ and all that He stands for. Why? Why does the world hate Jesus? Jesus says in John 3:19-20, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” The world hates Jesus because He exposes their darkness. Jesus brings to light their preference for darkness, their allegiance to the father of lies, and their rebellion against the true King – which is why the opposition against His disciples will be intensely fierce. The world is threatened by Jesus. Then how should we respond to this hostility? Verse 10, “The gospel must first be preached to all nations.” We must faithfully preach the gospel. Nothing should stop us from proclaiming this good news to the world – knowing that this is our only hope. And if we’re scared, Jesus says in verse 11, “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Jesus doesn’t promise deliverance (at least not right now) but empowerment through the presence of His Spirit who will work in and through us. Then we must guard our hearts so that we don’t cave into the pressures of this world but boldly proclaim the gospel.
Okay, let me summarize it for us. Here’s the main point: Jesus calls us to be on guard because we will face deception, tribulations, and persecution in this world. But that’s not all – He also calls us to stand firm and persevere in verse 13. Brothers and sisters, it won’t be easy to follow Jesus in this world – but may we faithfully live a life worthy of the gospel knowing that He is coming back. Let’s endeavor to live a life that truly matters.
On verses 14-23
[Now, just a word on verses 14-23. This portion of the passage has brought a lot of confusion which is why a lot of commentaries dedicate pages to explain Jesus’ words here. What’s going on here? Is Jesus giving an end-time prophecy? Is He talking about the antichrist? Now, it would be impossible for me to go into detail and the layers of meaning that are embedded here. So, let me just give you a general idea of what this passage means. Up to this point, verses 5-13, Jesus has been talking about the circumstantial things that will take place from this point onward – false teachers, wars, chaos, opposition, and persecutions. Jesus tells them that the world will be a difficult place to live in for His disciples. But remember that all these things began with a question about the destruction of the temple – “when is this going to happen?” So, here in verse 14, Jesus will respond directly to their question. In order to understand Jesus’ words here, I must first point out the significance of the phrase, “The abomination that causes desolation.” This is taken directly from the book of Daniel which occurs three times in the book (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). And every time it’s used, the context is the temple – that something incredibly disgraceful, devastating will take place in the temple and how that will leave the temple defiled and uninhabitable. It would drive away the people of God from the temple.
Now, when Jesus mentioned this phrase, it would’ve reminded the disciples of the incident in 167 B.C. when Israel had been taken over by the Seleucid Empire. It’s recorded that more than 40,000 Jews were killed – and they outlawed circumcision, burned the Torah scrolls, and rededicated the temple to Zeus. This was humiliating and devastating to the people of God – and a clear fulfillment of “the abomination that causes desolation.” But here, Jesus said that there’s going to be another fulfillment coming – the temple will once again be desecrated. Then what does He tell His disciples to do? Verse 14 – He tells them to run. Verse 15 – He tells them to get out because this tribulation would be unbearable. And that’s exactly what happened around 40 years later. In 70 A.D., the Romans invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. The Jewish historian Josephus describes these horrors in great graphic detail. He wrote that outside the city, the Romans crucified so many Jews that they ran out of wood for crosses, and inside the city, there were diseases, murder, starvation, and even cannibalism – resulting in the death of 1.1 million Jews. Then knowing what was to come, Jesus said to them in verse 23, “Be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.” This is the first prophecy – Jerusalem will be destroyed. The temple will be obliterated. Not one stone will be left on another.]
2) WE ARE CALLED TO BE HOPEFUL
Verse 24, “But in those days, following that distress, ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’” Now, it’s important to note that there are many passages in the OT with this same description – and they’re always found in the context of talking about the Day of Judgment or the Day of the Lord’s Return. For example, Joel 2:31 says, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the LORD.” Then with this in mind listen to what Jesus says regarding the day when the sun will be darkened in verse 26, “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man. Then to say what He said in verse 26 was no accident – here, He was proclaiming that the Day of the Lord will be the day of His return. But more than that, Jesus was basically saying, “I am the LORD. And when I come, I will come in glory. I will be exalted. I will come as the reigning King – and everything will be about Me.” Jesus’ second coming will be completely different from His first coming. He first came to a remote, obscure town just outside of Jerusalem where hardly anyone noticed – lying in a manger. But when He comes back again, He will come riding on the clouds and all eyes will be on Him and all will bow before Him. The first time He came, He came in humility – to provide salvation for sinners through His death on the cross. But when He comes back again, He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. And when He returns, everything will be made new – there will be no more pain, injustice, disease, sin, and death. Everything will be restored to the way it was meant to be. But that’s not all.
Verse 27, “He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” Do you know what this means? It means that when Jesus comes back, His eyes will be fixed on His chosen ones. It means that Jesus is coming back for us – to bring us back to Him. Then think about this. What do you think this meant for the disciples as they witnessed Jesus being crucified on the cross? What do you think this meant for the Christians in Rome as they were being persecuted for their faith? It must have brought them hope – knowing that this couldn’t have been the end. They knew that Jesus was coming back for them and their stories will continue – and in the same way, this truth should also bring hope to all of us today. Jesus is telling us, “I’m coming back for you – no matter where you are, I’ll go to the ends of the earth to bring you back to Me.” Brothers and sisters, we’re called to hope in all circumstances knowing that this is not the end – our story will continue, and it will be glorious for those who trust in the Lord for He will bring us back to Him. This truth is beautifully described by C.S. Lewis in his book, The Chronicles of Narnia. So, let me read from the last paragraph of that book, “As Aslan spoke, he no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us, this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them, it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” Friends, do you long for this day? Or are you so invested in this world that you’re no longer looking forward to the day when everything will be so much more glorious? Are you preparing for the life to come? Are you ready for this day?
In fact, let me speak to our non-believing friends here. Thank you for spending time with us and patiently listening. I know that this wasn’t the most pleasant message to hear but it’s going to get a little more uncomfortable because, yes, it’s true that the day of Jesus’ return will be the day of redemption for the believers – but that day will be the Day of Judgment for those who do not turn from their sin and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They won’t be basking in the fullness of God’s glory – instead, they’ll experience the fullness of God’s justice against their sins. I know that this is very difficult to swallow but I share this not because I want to instill fear in you but because I genuinely don’t want you to experience this. But this is more than just avoiding pain – I share this because I want you to experience the greatest joy, the greatest hope, the greatest love that only Jesus can give for He created us, and He knows us. Then can I invite you right now, at this very moment, to give your life to Jesus today? Turn from your sin and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior – and here’s why you should do this, the reason why He is our only hope. Do you remember what Jesus said in verse 24? He said, on the day of His return, “The sun will be darkened.” Then listen to what Mark 15:33 says – this is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, “At noon, darkness came over the whole land.” The day of Jesus’ death looked like the Day of Judgment – in fact, it was. On the cross, Jesus Christ experienced the ultimate Day of Judgment for us. Jesus received the judgment against our sin so that you and I would be set free. He was swallowed up by darkness so that you and I could experience the light – the glorious presence of God. This is the gospel: Jesus, the great Judge of the universe, was judged for us. In other words, at His first coming, Jesus didn’t come to bring judgment; He came to take it for you. Friends, this gospel is available for you today. But you must receive it, believe it, and let it transform your life – for this is how you become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in verse 31, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” Don’t waste your life on things that will pass away. Instead, build your life upon Him. Hope in Him today.
3) WE ARE CALLED TO BE VIGILANT
Jesus concluded His teaching with two parables. The first one was about the fig tree. In verse 28, Jesus basically says, “Just as leaves on the fig trees tell us that summer is near, when you see these things happen (deception, tribulations, and persecution), know that I am coming back. In fact, everything I described will begin to take place even before this generation passes away.” Jesus was telling them that the days of hostility will begin with them and will continue until He comes back. And you could almost hear the disciples asking, “Then when are You coming back? When will this great tribulation end?” And Jesus said in verse 32, “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Now, this doesn’t mean that Jesus is somehow a lesser God than the Father – it simply points to His humility and willingness to submit to the Father’s wisdom. Think of it this way: submission is not about losing honor but rather about giving honor. Jesus was giving honor to the Father by submitting Himself to the Father’s plan. Do you know what this means? It means that if Jesus Himself didn’t know, we will certainly never know when Jesus is coming back – which also means that since God has wisely chosen not to share that knowledge with us, we shouldn’t waste our time trying to figure it out. In fact, if anyone claims that they know, you could just ignore them because they really have no idea. God will not reveal that to us. Then what are we called to do? Verse 37, “I say to everyone: Watch!” which in Greek literally means, “Wake up! Don’t fall asleep! Keep watch! Be vigilant!”
What does this mean? How do we live this way? To answer this, let’s take a look at the second parable in verse 34, “It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.” Did you catch that? When the master went away, the servants didn’t gather to figure out when the master was coming back. Instead, they were busy engaging in the task that they were assigned by the master. This is what it means to be vigilant. Brothers and sisters, Jesus has entrusted each one of us with responsibilities – then as we wait for His return, we should endeavor to be faithful to our calling knowing that He could come back any time. In other words, we ought to live with purpose. Then think about the callings you have received. If you’re married, passionately love your spouse. If you’re a parent, graciously love your children. In your workplace, work with integrity. In your school, study with diligence. In this church, serve with compassion. In the world, sacrificially love and intentionally share the gospel. And whatever you do, be mindful of Christ – do everything out of your desire to please and honor Christ for this is the calling that we have all received. This is how we ought to live our lives every single day.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus will come back with great power and glory to judge the wicked, vindicate the righteous, and redeem His people back to Himself. And until He returns, we are called to be on guard, to be hopeful, and to be vigilant as we faithfully do the work that He has given us. Then let us continue to stand firm in the Lord knowing that this world is not the end but only the beginning of a greater story.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Why does Jesus call us to be on guard as we wait for His return? How do we do that practically?
2) How does the doctrine of the Second Coming give us hope for our circumstances today?
3) Do you long for the day of Jesus’ return? Why or why not? How are you preparing for the life to come? Are you investing in the life to come?