Welcome to this glorious day. Before we start I would like to take a minute and encourage each of you to engage with the text and each other by commenting at the end of the lesson. (Just click on the word comments to add one or read others.) One of the reasons this was changed from an email format to a blog format was to allow people to dialogue with each other. You are welcome to add comments, thoughts or additional insights to the readings each week and engage with each other.
Our text continues on in the gospel of Mark. Jesus has made his triumphal entry on Sunday. (Chapter11) On Monday he has cursed the fig tree (a symbol of Israel in the Old Testament and the Temple) and attacked the Temple sacrificial system plus those profiting from it. On Tuesday, as he enters Jerusalem again, the fig tree is dead meaning the Temple system is dead. It bears no fruit and needs to be pulled out by its roots. He then proceeds to the Temple where his authority is questioned and challenged by the three groups of people in charge of the Temple system-the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. (Chapter 12) Ironically they are challenging where his authority comes from when in reality by the answers he gives he is demonstrating total authority over them. When he responds they have no reply and have to leave. We now come to Chapter 13 as he is leaving the Temple on Tuesday, never to return to it. As the Messiah he has demonstrated total authority over the Temple and has declared it dead. He has become the Temple, remember he told them “destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days’. He has the presence of God in him-not the Temple building that was suppose to contain the presence of God. The last Temple building God had resided in was Solomon’s Temple.
V1 As they are leaving the Temple a disciple comments on how impressive the Temple building is. It was impressive-one of the wonders of the ancient world. Herod had built it in an attempt to legitimize his kingship and to impress the people. One of the largest stones used in building it was 42ft.x 13ft.x 3ft. They were held together by gravity, no cement was used and the stones fit together perfectly considering each was cut at the quarry for a specific place and brought in. There was to be no sound of chisels at the Temple site, just silence. The Holy place was covered in gold plates so it shown in the sun, with the rest of the building a stark white color. The small part left of it is still impressive today.
V2 Jesus responds to the disciple’s awe of the building by saying as beautiful as it is, it will soon all be destroyed. All of these magnificent stones will be tossed down around it. This must have been a shocking statement for the disciples to hear. The temple had been started in 20-19 BC and was still not finished around 30 AD when this event is taking place. How could this magnificent building – Gods house – be destroyed.
V3 They proceeded to the Mount of Olives, opposite the Temple and sat down to look at it.
V4 Four of the disciples question Jesus privately as to when will this destruction take place and what will be the signs that it is about to occur.
V5-6 Jesus tells them to not be led astray by false Messiahs that will come and proclaim that they are Gods chosen. This was actually an issue as many declared themselves to be Messiahs come to fight the Romans and eradicate the pagan overlords. They all failed. Most came from the Zealot movement.
V7-8 When they hear of wars. When they hear of Jews rising up against Romans, of kingdoms fighting kingdoms and natural tragedies, such as earthquakes this will be the beginning of the birth of the age to come; of God becoming king and reigning in every heart instead of a building. God giving new life to the world, in terms of a mother laboring to bear a child. (Which for me was no picnic, just ask my husband.)
V9-13 He then tells them they, too, will be persecuted for following him. They will be beaten, questioned, betrayed by family and others while proclaiming the news that Gods Kingdom has broken in with Jesus’ coming.
V14-23 Jesus then gives the sign that will start the birth pangs. It will be the “desolating sacrilege” set up where it not ought to be. This refers back to Daniel 9:27 where Antiochus Epiphanes IV (who believed the god Zeus was manifested in him), a Greek ruler over the land, declared Judaism was dead and everyone must become Greek. He invaded the Temple and sacrificed a pig on the alter, desecrating it. He put a statue of Zeus in the Temple and declared all must bow down to it. The pagan rulers invaded the Temple. Jesus is using this previous incident; which all Jews knew about as the celebration of Hanukkah had come out of this incident when the Maccabeus revolted and took back the Temple, to let them know the sign will be the same; the pagans (Romans) will invade the Temple. In 64AD the revolt by the Jews started and in 70AD the Romans destroyed the Temple by destruction and Jerusalem by surrounding it and starving the people. It is an awful story to read. Another revolt took place in AD 132-135 which resulted in all the Jews being expelled from Jerusalem and the city renamed. The temple has never been rebuilt and the platform is now in the control of Muslims, with their Holy sites built on it. Gods’ kingdom started breaking into this world with the coming of Jesus and the destruction of the Temple and it is still an ongoing birth.
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