Be Alert! Watch!

We can’t relate to the surprise and horror the disciples must have felt from Jesus’ warning that the great buildings of the temple will be destroyed. “Not one stone here will be left on another.” No building in Canada is viewed like the temple in Jesus’ day.

If the Parliament buildings collapsed, so long as nobody was injured, we’d probably say, “Meh. We’ll rebuild.”

The temple in Jerusalem was different. It was key to Jewish religious and national identity. The temple is proof the Jews are God’s chosen people. It’s where heaven and earth connect.

Huge outer court of all nations (35 acres), women’s court, Israelites’ court, priests’ court, holy place, and behind the veil: the holy of holies with ark of the covenant. B/t the cherubim’s wings is God’s mercy seat.

Temple is center of Jewish worship: daily offerings, prayer, and schools. Major feasts 3x/yr: all Jews expected to attend. Day of Atonement: blood sprinkled on ark by high priest.

Herod the Great sought political favour with Jews by renovating the temple. Herod replaced the temple rebuilt by those who came back from Babylon in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Enlarged, expanded, and beautified. It was the biggest building in the Roman Empire! Place of national pride and religious identity. Construction began in 20 BC. Still under construction in Jesus’ day. Not compete ‘til 60 AD.

Jesus’ disciples voice the usual reaction when they say, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” The height, brilliant white stone and gold evoke a sense of awe.

This temple, meant for God’s glory, sparked unhealthy pride. They worshiped the Lord, but the temple became an idol. They were impressed with the building instead of the Lord.

The temple, like the tabernacle before it, was never meant to be permanent. Everything in the OT points to Jesus’ coming. Every sacrifice and burnt offering promised that the Lamb of God would come to take away the sin of the world.  Later in the NT, in Hebrews, God’s word explains:

The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:13–14 (NIV)

God has given us an outward sign that our consciences are made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. We’re going to celebrate the sacrament of baptism on Easter Sunday.

Benjamin,

Connor,

Jade, and

Karissa will be baptized.

The water of baptism is a symbol of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. Stepping forward to be baptized is an act of repentance, an admission of guilt before God. But when the water is placed on their foreheads, it’s a sign that Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross, cleanses us from sinful “acts that lead to death.”

The sacrament doesn’t effect just those being baptized! It is a tangible reminder for

Charles & Diane,

Jordan,

Phil & Danielle and

Rachel

of their baptism as they profess their faith.

The sacrament of baptism is a reminder for every baptized person that Jesus has cleansed us from guilt by dying for our sin. It offers hope to those who have not yet been baptized: accept God’s offer of forgiveness through Jesus.

Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection 3 days later replaces all the rituals and sacrifices at the temple. The temple is no longer fruitful. That’s why Jesus pronounced its doom.

We mentioned God’s judgement on the temple last week. Mark records how Jesus pronounced doom on the fig tree, and it withered. In Mark 13, Jesus tells his disciples the temple is also doomed: “Every stone will be thrown down.”

The rest of Mark 13 is Jesus’ answer to the 4 disciples. Peter and Andrew, James and John are the first disciples Jesus called. Now they listen as Jesus sits on the eastern side of the Kidron Valley and delivers God’s judgement on Jerusalem.

There’s historical precedent. The OT prophet Zechariah describes the Day of the Lord. In Zech. 14, he mentions the Mt. of Olives, where Jesus is sitting among his disciples as a place of judgement. In Jesus, the Lord has come to Jerusalem with judgement. God’s judgement is coming.

Understandably, the 4 disciples wonder when:

Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? Mark 13:4 (NIV)

Jesus offers a mixed response. He describes God’s judgement: judgement on the temple is connected to the arrival of the Kingdom of God. It begins when Jesus is lifted up on the cross.

Jesus also describes how the kingdom of God will come in all its fullness when “people will see Jesus coming in clouds with great power and glory.” As Jesus responds to his disciples, it’s hard to untangle the timeline of events he’s speaking about.

“Wars, earthquakes, famines” are beginning of birth pains. Ask any mother, labour and delivery can take a while!

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’” a phrase from OT prophet Daniel. Use footnotes to look it up.

Mark doesn’t expect all his readers will get it, he adds parenthetical phrase “let the reader understand.” I haven’t read any scholars who really do understand! They suggest:

200 y earlier, Antiochus Epiphanes built altar to Zeus in temple, then sacrificed a pig – kicked off Jewish revolt

Caligula, Roman Emperor (37-41 AD), threatened to erect a statue of himself in Jewish temple

It’s hard to know exactly what Jesus means. Is he speaking about Antiochus in the past, the events that led to the Jewish war in the future, in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed or something that is still going to happen? It’s not clear.

But Jesus is quite clear that nobody should try and work out a timeline for Judgement Day is coming. Despite all kinds of predictions over the years, nobody knows when.

During the COVID pandemic, I was asked if COVID marked the end of the world. Christians ask that Q in every global crisis: Bubonic plague, WWI, WWII, 9/11. I’ll give you the same answer today as I gave then. The only thing we can say with any certainty is: Jesus’ return is closer today than it was yesterday. If not today, tomorrow it’ll be even closer.

But listen to the urgency in Jesus’ words:

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. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Mark 13:28–29 (NIV)

It’s near. Right at the door. But although many people have tried, you can’t decode Jesus’ words to calculate a precise date. Jesus tells his disciples that HE doesn’t even know:

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Mark 13:32 (NIV)

In case you missed it, Jesus emphasizes this point:

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 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.

“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. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:33b–37 (NIV)

So why does he speak of these events to his disciples?

Jesus wants his disciples, then and now, to be alert and watchful.

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 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.

“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. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:33–37 (NIV)

You know how this goes in school or on the jobsite. When the supervisor leaves, you keep working, right?

Oh man! I worked hard all morning and only pulled out my phone now . . . that’s when the boss showed up!

Have you gotten busted too? Why does the teacher show up right when I stop working and goof off?

Jesus doesn’t want that to happen to his disciples, doesn’t want that to happen to the church. Be on guard! Be alert!

I don’t know when Jesus will return, but I don’t want you to be caught unprepared. Don’t lose focus. Don’t get distracted by unimportant stuff. Don’t grow slack in faith or lazy about behaving like a disciple of Christ.

When you’re diagnosed with a terminal disease, you’re told to put your life in order. There are songs, articles, and books about the choices you make when you know you’re likely to die soon. The advice is: “Live like you’re dying.”

I have a different suggestion: Live as if Jesus is coming this afternoon – tomorrow at the latest – so that you’re ready “if he comes suddenly.” Be on guard! Be alert!