Written by: Pete McCahon
Mark 13 v 20-23
God has decided to make that terrible time short. Otherwise, no one would go on living. But God will make that time short to help the people he has chosen. At that time, someone might say to you, ‘Look, there is the Christ!’ Or another person might say, ‘There he is!’ But don’t believe them. False Christs and false prophets will come and perform great wonders and miracles. They will try to fool even the people God has chosen, if that is possible. So be careful. I have warned you about all this before it happens.
Notes
In this passage Mark is recalling Jesus talking about 'things to come', in other words what we might call the end times. His key point though is that we should stand firm in our faith despite all the terrible things going on around us. No matter how bad it seems God is in control and is watching out for us, even to the extent of "making that terrible time short" because he knows it would be too much for us.
When we are faced with a difficult task it is often easier to achieve when we block out all other distractions and think only about the task. Jesus now encourages us to us that same approach. Part of standing firm is keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. Our relationship with him is what provides us with security. Jesus warns that people will come and try to distract us with new heroes and 'holy men' who seem to have fantastic image and all the right talk but that we should not be fooled by them.
We need to take the time now to get to know Jesus so that we will recognise him when it gets rough! Our faith is not based on how we 'feel' but the knowledge of what Jesus has done for us and the security of that relationship. Jesus is warning us to get ready and stand firm.
Mark 13 v 24-27
“During the days after this trouble comes,
‘the sun will grow dark,
and the moon will not give its light.
The stars will fall from the sky.
And the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
“Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then he will send his angels all around the earth to gather his chosen people from every part of the earth and from every part of heaven.
Notes
The period of time leading up to "the end of the world" and Jesus coming back again is often referred to by scholars as the 'Tribulation' or 'the time of troubles'. In this passage Jesus is warning us that there will be many terrifying signs in the sky and chaos everywhere before Jesus comes again. These are signs that the end is coming but we should not be afraid.
These signs are events which have been talked about right through the bible, many of Gods prophets talked about them in the Old Testament. This helps us because we know that things are not falling apart without anyone in control but actually like a jigsaw all the pieces are coming together.
The big event is that Jesus is coming back and all the world will see him come and be amazed. Then he will set up his kingdom on earth and those who follow him will be gathered together to live with him. Jesus describes us as his 'Chosen people' no longer meaning just the Jews but everyone who follows Jesus. We can be secure that no matter what happens our God is in control and all these things are leading up to the moment when Jesus returns.
Mark 13 v 28-31
“Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come. I tell you the truth, all these things will happen while the people of this time are still living. Earth and sky will be destroyed, but the words I have said will never be destroyed.
Notes
This is a really interesting passage because Jesus is using a bit of local knowledge in the same way that we might hear old folk say "red sky at night, shepherds delight". Most trees in Palestine where Jesus was preaching were evergreens which meant they didn't change much in the year, but the fig tree was special as it was the last to get new leaves in spring. The fig tree with fresh green leaves was a sure sign that summer was coming.
Jesus is talking about his second coming and his message is simple. The signs of Jesus coming back will be clear and then you know the end is near. There is also an added reassurance that God is faithful to his people. Mark quotes Jesus as talking about "the people of this time... still living". This refers not to a specific time or group but to the fact that Jesus is saying all these things will happen and my people will survive.
This passage is an encouragement for us to watch for the signs of Jesus coming back and be good witnesses to others while we wait. In other words not to get so distracted with watching we forget to get on with living.
Mark 13 v 32-37
“No one knows when that day or time will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. Be careful! Always be ready, because you don’t know when that time will be. It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it, giving each one a special job to do. The man tells the servant guarding the door always to be watchful. So always be ready, because you don’t know when the owner of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning while it is still dark, or when the sun rises. Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping. I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: ‘Be ready!’ ”
Notes
This is the final section in a long chapter where Jesus has been discussing his return to earth. To illustrate his point he uses a parable about the householder. Jesus like the householder gave us work to do before he returned to heaven. He expects us to be faithful and work hard whilst he is away, he also expects to find us working when he returns not spending our time looking out for him coming back.
Perhaps the easiest way to sum up his message is to divide it into three simple statements.
1) The time of Jesus' return is near
2) No one knows when that time will be
3) Always be ready
This doesn't mean that only those who are ready will go to heaven with him, only that we should try to remain ready because we love him. It is not our work that makes us part of Jesus' family it is our relationship based on his sacrifice and acceptance of us. Part of our relationship is that we do things to please him. So if we fail he will still love us, we are still part of his family, but we should strive to please him. Our time is better spent focusing on what Jesus wants us to do here and now than worrying about what might be in the future.
Revelation 21 v 1-3
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and there was no sea anymore. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God.
Notes
This at first glance is a complicated passage to understand. We can understand why God might decide to create a 'new earth' but why would there need to be a 'new heaven' or 'no sea' anymore? The answer is in understanding the word 'new', this doesn't mean an updated version of the same thing but a complete reworking of the idea. So not only will the earth be recreated totally different but heaven will be created with an entirely new sense of God's nearness.
The sea which for people in Johns (the author) day was a terrible thing, wild and uncontrollable represented evil, but now in the new earth the sea as a bad thing will be gone and replaced with something new. All of this sounds odd but actually is just John trying to describe something for which he has no words. The new creation will be so great that human words are not enough to express it.
John describes hearing Gods voice declaring that God will now live with his people in this beautiful new creation, this new Jerusalem. This new city is described as a bride because we can all understand how much time and preparation goes into a new bride getting ready for her wedding. As God is going to live with us his people up close and personal then everything around him will be stunning. We can be excited about the adventure of what is to come in our relationship with Jesus.
Revelation 21 v 4-5
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.”
The One who was sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.”
Notes
This is an amazing passage of the bible because in it John describes how God himself will be our comforter. The image is the same as that of a mother picking up a crying child and caring for it. John gives a small list of 'evils' and describes them as being taken away. What is great about this is that these are the same things that cursed mankind at the beginning of the Bible. Now near the very end of the Bible we see these curses being undone because there is a new relationship.
In fact so special is this moment that it is one of the very few times that John actually quotes God himself as speaking. Often it is identified as a 'loud voice' or angels, but here God himself is proclaiming "I am making everything new!" So overwhelming is this moment that John almost forgets to write it down and has to be reminded!
This passage is not just an encouragement to us of Gods faithfulness and love now but a reassurance that we will live with him and know him even better in the future. This is confirmed by the declaration that these words are "true and can be trusted" in other words they carry God's personal guarantee of
fulfilment!
Revelation 21 v 6-8
The One on the throne said to me, “It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. Those who win the victory will receive this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards, those who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies—all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Notes
In his own words God declares that He is the one who finishes everything, He goes on to describe himself as the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet in other words the beginning and the end of everything from A to Z! This is great news because often we can become overwhelmed by problems and afraid for the future. God here is saying that He is in control no matter what the situation.
He then goes on to promise free water to all those who are thirsty. This may not seem all that great to us, but John who was writing this down, would have grasped the generosity of unlimited clean water. What God is really saying is that all those with needs will be satisfied in the new kingdom with him. Instead of worrying about what we might lose in the destruction of the old earth, we can relax knowing that we will be more than satisfied in Gods presence.
This kingdom however is for those who overcome and now John lists those who did not overcome. The cowards who betrayed their faith and other believers, who gave in and behaved like those who follow the enemy. For them there is no other option but what John describes as 'second death'. What is fantastic news is that we don't have to be superhuman Christians just to be faithful to God and he will welcome us into His kingdom.
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version
(Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes