Mark 13:1-8 The End and the Coming of the Son

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”

Anyone else get a little uncomfortable when I read this verse? Look at these large stones what a large building! What beautiful windows and lofted ceilings.

Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

See all these cracks in the plaster! See all these empty pews!

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.

For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Feeling comforted yet? Safe and secure in our future?

This might seem contradictive but Matthew 6:34 tells us “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

These words should invoke comfort and confidence in the believer, not fear. Why? Because these words were written 2000 years ago and are talking about today! This is our assurance that God has not abandoned us, that God knows what is going on in our lives just as much today as He did when these words were recorded.

While we might want to build things to last for eternity that we never have to change once we have accomplished what we set out to do, our world is more like this chalk street art. Hours upon hours to create something that is only meant to last for a day.

Our great churches aren’t just going to fall they are going to be thrown down! There will be war! There will be famine! And through all this, there will be God.

And in this time of chaos and hurt there will be those who claim that they know what God wants, they know what God has to say about things, and they will lead you many astray.

Our words of comfort are found from Jesus. John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

If you want to hear God’s plan, you have to first let go of yours. I hope to tell you a whole lot of personal stories about me in the coming years, and I hope you listen because I haven’t a shred of doubt in my mind that God walks with me. It is this knowledge that allows me to let go of what I want and instead embrace what God wants for me. It allows me to accept that my life will be destroyed from time to time and in its place, a new temple will be built. That temple will not be permanent either, there is a good chance it too will be destroyed and that’s okay.

If you want to look like you have a clue what’s going on on any given day it’s easy, just accept that you don’t and move on. We fight so hard to protect what we have living in absolute terror a future that we don’t know what is going to happen. We stay in jobs that we’re miserable at, remain in relationships that have no trust or love, live in homes that no longer meet our needs because they’re familiar, we sit in complacency holding on as tight as we can to a temple that we told time and time again is going to be thrown down forgetting that the only thing we need in the new church is the cornerstone: Jesus Christ.

We cannot fear the temple being thrown down. We must instead trust that it is inevitable granted it might be figurative or it might be literal. Only God knows the future, our only job is to trust that God knows what He’s doing.

Don’t be alarmed by what you hear. Don’t be led astray. Don’t be inclined to give up on the faith just to get by in a difficult world.

This is just the birth pangs. It’s about to get a whole lot worse so that it can get a whole lot better.

1 Samuel 2:1-10

2 Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies
    because I rejoice in your victory.

² There is no Holy One like the Lord,
    no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
³ Talk no more so very proudly;
    let not arrogance come from your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
⁴ The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble gird on strength.
⁵ Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.
⁶ The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
⁷ The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low; he also exalts.
⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
    and on them he has set the world.

⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will perish in darkness,
    for not by might does one prevail.
¹⁰ The Lord! His adversaries will be shattered;
    the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    and exalt the power of his anointed.”

Hannah’s prayer for a child has a whole lot in it about destruction doesn’t it? Bows being broken, The Lord kills and brings life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. He brings low; he also exalts.

Like our New Testament passage, there is hope in destruction. It is nothing something to be feared but to be embraced. Change is inevitable. You can either fight it and cling to that which is dying or you can embrace the unknown and step forward with the confidence of the Lord behind you. All things must end so that new things can begin.

Here on earth, hardly ever do we want someone to die. Death is one of the hardest things we cope with in this lifetime and yet. One day, I was working with a group of mothers in recovery and one of them had the most brilliant insight. If people didn’t die, we would not get to experience the joy of new life. For a group of women who strongly attested their children were the most important thing in the world to them, this was profound.

If no one ever died, there would be no children. The earth would have been over-run with human beings long long ago. From the dust of this earth we are made and to the dust of this earth we will return when it is our time.

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.

For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquake in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Every hurricane you hear someone say: The end is near!

Every earthquake: The end is near!

Every atrocity or natural disaster: The end is near!

I’m sure it’s at least one day closer now but we are told, do not be alarmed.

There are three reasons we are not to be alarmed and should instead find comfort in the destruction.:

Number 1: We’re told do not be alarmed not just because it probably isn’t the end just yet

Number 2: We are also told not to be alarmed because these things are necessary.

Number 3: We are told not to be alarmed because the end is a time of rejoicing! The destruction of this earth is a time of rejoicing for those who believe. The End of Days is a celebration of God’s Kingdom coming fully to earth as it is in heaven.

We are to find comfort in this, not fear. Stop being afraid of what is to come and rejoice knowing that God is coming. The future is not unknown to us.

Not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down. Hooray!

God will rebuild the temple even better than it was before. It won’t look like it was before because that wasn’t God’s final temple!

Every time our church undergoes a period of being thrown down instead of living in fear we must rejoice. The end is coming nearer. The one who can rebuild it is at hand and he has big plans, grand plans for us. Hold strong and keep living and doing what God wants you to do. When we turn our hearts and minds and hands toward what God wants from us, he rebuilds our temple of worship. But we are warned that if instead we go astray and get bogged down in the doomsayers of the world, we will be lost.

We must hold fast to our cornerstone, Jesus Christ. Live as he lived, love as he loved, and find comfort and hope in the destruction around us.

May, the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
And give you peace