What Will Endure?

Text: “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:13)

As Lutherans, we don’t spend a lot of time trying to predict the day when Jesus will return. There are a couple of reasons. The one that we often point to is the verse that says “No one knows the day or the hour” when Jesus will return. But another big reason is that, to try to predict that day, you have to twist several passages and make them say things that they don’t really say.

But it also would be a mistake to make the opposite error. Whenever someone tries to predict the day, we (rightly) reassure people that it doesn’t work that way. God does not intend for us to know which specific day it will be, nor did He give us the clues to figure it out. But I hope we’re careful not to give the impression that Jesus’ isn’t coming back. Yes, these attempts to predict the day are absurd. At the same time, the reality is that He iscoming back. And, you know, it’s not a bad thing for people to grapple with that reality occasionally.

For the disciples in our Gospel reading, for example, that was a hard realization. But it was one that they needed to wrap their heads around. It starts with the revelation that the temple, as glorious as it was, would not endure. And we’re talking about complete destruction. Today—right now-- you and I could still go and see the Parthenon. We can visit the pyramids. We can see Stonehenge. They’re still standing, if only as ruins of what they used to be. But Jesus is clear: Not even ruins will be left of the temple. Its destruction will be complete. Not one stone left on top of the other.

And of course, it’s not just the temple. Everything associated with it—the Old Testament Priesthood, the sacrifices, and the service that had lasted for 1,400 years—they would all come to an end. For them, that really would have been the end of the world. I don’t think there’s a modern equivalent for us—this church building being destroyed, for example, would not have nearly the same impact. It would be sad. It would be a huge loss. We would grieve for all the important moments in our lives that happened here, for all the time and energy and money that we put into it. But it certainly would not strike to the core of our identity in the same way that losing the temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices struck at theirs. It’s not just the loss of something really beautiful. Our worship could go on anywhere. All we need is the Word, water, bread and wine, and some space to gather for our church’s ministry to continue. But not for them. For them, that really would have been the end of the world.

“But,” Jesus assures them, “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” That really is a great way for us to approach all three of today’s readings. They challenge us to grapple with the reality of what will and what will not endure. It’s a hard thing to think about, but necessary and, in the end, even comforting.

If you look, there are several things that will not endure. Some of them are pretty fundamental. The prophet Daniel assures us that “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). That sounds vaguely reassuring—depending upon what, exactly, it means—but, at the same time, it’s also a subtle reminder that the earth and the stars and these things that we look at with a similar sort of awe and reverence as the disciples showed toward the temple will not endure, either. Even the earth (no matter how well or how poorly we take care of it), the stars, and this universe will pass away. They will not endure.

There are other things that will not endure—and it’s a relief, to a point. Jesus tells both the disciples and us, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, 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. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

There are, and will continue to be, false teachers and false teaching both within and outside of the church. There are no two ways about it. This is a hard warning to exercise care in who we allow to teach us and instruct us. There are and will continue to be false teachers who claim to teach the truth, who preach from God’s Word, who use the name of Jesus Christ regularly, but who are not teaching God’s word faithfully. Neither they nor their teaching will endure.

And the danger is not just from false teachers. I heard someone say this week—quite correctly—that “If a pastor doesn’t step on your toes occasionally, he’s not doing his job.” Or, as St. Paul warned St. Timothy, “3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, ESV). There will continue to be both false teachers and false teaching that will lead many to their destruction—but neither those teachers nor their words will endure.

There will also continue to be wars and rumors of wars. But they will not endure, although that isn’t much comfort for those who have already sacrificed, who have already fought and sustained serious wounds or even death, who are mourning lost loved ones.

Jesus also cautions that there will be persecution—“ they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.” But they should not fear it. Earthly governments and the persecution that comes from them will not endure either.

It’s comforting, isn’t it, that the rulers of North Korea, Iran, and Syria will not endure, nor will their regimes. It’s comforting that the Republican and Democrat parties will not endure, for that matter. But that also includes Michigan. And it includes communities like little Unionville. This community, as much as we love it, will not endure.

We can actually go one step further. Earthly organizations—including this congregation! —will not endure, either. And it gets worse. “[B]rother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death” (Mark 13:12). Even our families will not endure. As I said, it’s not an easy thing to think about, but it’s necessary and, in the end, even comforting.

It’s comforting because there are, in fact, other things that will endure. It is painful to consider that, as beautiful as they are, the earth and stars, our families, our congregation, or our community will not endure, but Jesus assures us, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

The disciples were devastated that the temple would not endure. But, as Hebrews reminds us, the temple, as glorious as it was, was only a shadow of the heavenly reality. There can be no doubt that it was glorious. There was the Holy Place, with “2 …the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence [inside]. …3 [And b]ehind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat…” (Hebrews 9:2–5, ESV). Not only was it physically very beautiful, to go into the Most Holy Place was to enter the presence of God. And yet it was a copy, a pattern, a shadow of the heavenly reality.

The temple would not endure, but the heavenly realities stand forever. “24[And] Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on [your] behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:24–26, ESV).

Jesus’ crucifixion really does change everything. His bleeding and dying for you have eternal consequence. The Old Testament priesthood and sacrificial system would come to an end, but not before Christ, our Great High Priest, offered on the cross the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all people at all times and then ascended to the heavenly realities to take up His service there forever—serving on your behalf. Christ has opened for you the way into the greater holy places by means of His flesh, by His blood. And He is priest forever.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. The Word you hear from that lectern, the Word of Law and Gospel that you hear from this pulpit, will endure forever. Pastors will come and go. Different voices will be heard from this pulpit, but—by God’s grace!—only His Word will be heard from it because that Word will endure forever. The promise that was made to you when that Word was attached to the water in this font—that Word of promise in and with that water will endure forever: You are a child of God. The gifts given to you when that Word is attached to the bread and wine on this altar—the gifts given by that Word in, with, and under that bread and wine will endure forever: You have eternal life.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Although there is no temple there, “22 …for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it…. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations” (Revelation 21:22–24, 26; ESV).

There will be a new heaven and new earth where, “3 [God] will dwell with [you], and [you] will be his people, and God himself will be with [you] as [your] God” (Revelation 21:3, ESV).

And when that new heaven and new earth finally come there will be a few last things that will come to an end: “4 …death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, ESV) “He will swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8).

This building will be destroyed one day, along with the rest of this creation. But Christ’s Church will endure forever. There will, in fact, be a day of judgment. Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. What we see every Sunday morning is a bunch of ordinary people with all of our failings, dressed up in our Sunday best, distracted by fussy children, half asleep ourselves. From that day on, the eternal reality will be finally and fully visible: the One, Holy, Christian Church; the sons and daughters of God; the Bride of Christ; those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will shine like the brightness of the sky above, …like the stars forever and ever (Dan. 12:3). “3 …[They] will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:3–5, ESV).

Regardless of when the actual day of our Lord’s return will be, today’s readings challenge us to grapple with the reality of what will and what will not endure. It is a hard thing to think about, but necessary and, in the end, even comforting. Because, “the one who endures to the end [in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ] will be saved.”