We tend to think that everything will continue as it currently is. We tell ourselves that if there will be any change, it will be for the better. Even when we know that conditions are getting worse and trouble is coming, there is still something in us which believes that it won’t affect us or that it will pass us by. But, sometimes, things do not get better. Sometimes trouble and destruction does overwhelm us. Sometimes we do experience suffering.
One time Jesus had to correct His disciples’ view of the future. Mark tells us about it in chapter 13 of the Gospel which bears his name. In verses 1 through 20 he writes, “As he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!” Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?” Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains. But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. The Good News must first be preached to all the nations. When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days! Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter. For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be. Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.”
This teaching of Jesus is one of the most difficult to understand. What causes the difficulty is that we know from other accounts in Scripture, the disciples not only asked about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, but also about Christ’s return and the end of the world. It is not easy to determine which of Jesus’ answers applies to what question. However, in spite of the difficulties in interpretation, we can learn many things from what Jesus said which apply to us today.
When the disciples boasted to Him about how magnificent the Temple was and how big its stones were, Jesus replied that not one stone would be left upon another. No doubt this shocked the disciples. How could such a massive and magnificent building suffer such destruction? Nevertheless, what Jesus said is true. In 70AD the Romans did such a thorough job of destruction that though the huge platform upon which the Temple was built still remains, we do not know the exact location where the Temple stood.
From this we learn that size and splendor do guarantee permanence. We humans are often impressed by how big something is, but God has other values. The Temple in Jerusalem had failed in its purpose. God desired it to be a house of prayer for all nations; it was to draw people from all backgrounds to God. Unfortunately, the hypocrisy of the religious leaders turned the Temple into a hindrance. They emphasized the Temple rather than God in whose honor it was built. In another sense, the Temple had also fulfilled its purpose. The Temple was where the presence of God dwelt among men. Jesus supersedes the Temple because He is the image of God in human form. Where we have the reality, we no longer need a picture. For both these reasons the Temple had outlived its usefulness; it was appropriate for God to do away with it.
Jesus also cautioned His disciples to not believe everything they heard. Sadly, not everyone who claims the name of Christ really belongs to Him. There are many who deceive others in the name of Christ and prey on their fears of judgment in order to benefit themselves. In speaking of the judgment, Jesus once said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23 NIV)
Jesus also warned His disciples not to become upset by rumors. Wars and natural disasters are part of the normal course of events. They do not necessarily herald the end of time. God will not destroy the world until Christ’s message has been preached to all nations. In the same way, persecution is not a sign that the end is near. Suffering for Christ is the normal condition of His followers.
If wars, natural disasters and persecution are not signs that the end is near, what is? Jesus gave His disciples a specific sign from the writings of the prophet Daniel by which they would know that the destruction of Jerusalem was approaching. The ‘abomination that causes desolation’ which Daniel prophesied, pointed to the Syrian king who defiled the altar of burnt offering in the Temple in 167BC. However Jesus indicated that there would be another fulfillment. When the disciples saw the abomination approaching, they were to flee the city. History tells us that Jesus’ disciples took His instruction seriously. When they saw the Roman armies march on Jerusalem they fled to another city and so were spared.
The main lesson in what Jesus said on this occasion is that we must be ready at all times. We do not know when the end will come – will our souls be right with God whenever it arrives? The followers of Christ were spared when Jerusalem was destroyed because they were ready and obeyed what Jesus told them. How ready are we for Christ’s return and the judgment?