Mark 13:4-13
“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Mark 13:4-13 NIV
This is the question almost everyone wants to ask when they read this prophetic section. When is this going to happen? Whether you’re familiar with these words or not, Jesus foretells what will be happening on earth before His return.
But the question which has seized the minds of men and women has always been, When is it going to happen? Will it be in my lifetime? And what will be the signs, so we'll know when it will begin to happen?"
For twenty centuries people have been asking this question. For twenty centuries people have been anticipating that the coming was to be in their own time. We must honestly face this.
Every generation has thought Jesus was coming back within their own time, because of signs which they saw, or thought they saw, in the immediate events of their day.
But I think it clear, as you read this account through, that to ask the question, When? Is to ask the wrong question. Jesus makes clear that if we focus on When? We are going to be misled and ultimately deceived. And this has been the record of what has happened to many people, many leaders and teachers, as they have tried to dig out the answer to the question, When?
How many times have you been left speechless? Times that you were surprised into giving an impromptu talk or, worse, when you were expected to defend yourself, but shocked into silence.
As believers we can expect confrontation constantly. Many people will question our belief system, ask questions to trip us up and try to prove that God does not exist.
How terrible then if you are actually arrested and thrown in jail because you tried to minister to someone? Can you imagine the fear the apostles had to live with?
These days we are still afraid to speak up, to acknowledge our own faith. If it is because we wish not to offend other religions or because we are afraid of judgment, I’m not always sure.
But the truth is that we should never be afraid to talk about God. We should feel compelled to discuss the gospel with others.
There’s this constant phrase, patient endurance that you see in the Bible. It’s the same sentiment here in in these scriptures, the one who endures to the end will be saved.
And I want to just encourage you to think about that word in your life today. Yes, there’s a sense in which God has called us to thrive and excel and run the race before us.
These are words and phrases, images that we see in the Bible. But we also see endure on days when it’s really hard to run. And on days when we don’t feel like we’re thriving to endure, to patiently walk and trust in God when it’s hard, when it’s difficult, when despair or darkness seems to be setting in or surrounding you.
Maybe on a particular day, over many days or months or years to endure in the middle of it all. The one who endures to the end will be saved. How do you endure? You know that your endurance is not the end of the story.
Or you endure when you know that your salvation is the end of the story. You endure when you know that darkness is not the end of the story. Deliverance is the end of the story.
That light’s coming even when you can’t see it, when you’re in the middle of the tunnel, light is coming. The one who endures to the end will be saved.
In other words, and I just want to encourage you to hold onto this. If you’re in challenging dark despairing days, know that challenges are not the end and darkness is not the end and despair is not the end.
That in Christ you always have hope and you have strength to endure, and you have patience to endure and love to endure. And God promises you everything you need. Peace, help to endure all the way to the end, and the end will be good.
The end will be no more sin, no more sorrow, no more suffering, no more difficulties, no more crying, no more pain, no more tears. He will wipe every single one of those from your eyes.
The end will be glorification. The end will be you with God, dwelling with God free from all of these things to enjoy Him and His family forever in eternity. So endure today in view of that day.
But look at the last thing that the Lord would have us know concerning this waiting period in history, a promise about enduring to the end. At the end of verse 13, He says, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
And let’s be careful how we understand this. I don’t believe the Lord is saying to us that we would somehow earn our salvation by enduring to the end.
Rather, I believe He is saying that we prove that we are already saved by the fact that we endure to the end. In the long history of this hostile and turbulent period before His return, it will be the endure to the end ones who prove that they were truly His.
But for now, let’s make sure we get the point of the passage before us. We are living right now in the waiting period the long period of time between the destruction of the old Temple and the promise of our Lord’s return.
This is the time in which the heavenly Father has graciously given it to us to live for our Lord and be His witnesses to this world. And in this passage, He has given us some specific instructions on how to do so faithfully all the way to the end.
Even when our situation makes us feel like everyone is against us, we can endure, we must endure, we will endure. When we are faithful, when we endure, we can be certain that our future is with the Savior and great things await us at his return!!!
Father thank You for this day and the breath we breathe today. Lord rain down Your abundant blessings from the windows of heaven over my friend and family today. Lord give us strength, to endure faithfully to the end so we will find your glorious welcome into your eternal Kingdom of mercy, grace, and joy. Lord pray for our endurance in the battle against sin. Lord we pray for endurance and battles with suffering and difficulty and despair. Lord we pray for endurance today. Lord use my friend to be a bold witness of Your grace to all today. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !
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