Do not be frightened - Those things must take place

Mark 12:38-13:13 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, ³⁹ and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

⁴¹ And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. ⁴³ Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

13 As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

³ As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. ⁶ Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

⁹ “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. ¹⁰ The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ¹¹ When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. ¹² Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

In today’s text it says:  As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately,  “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”   Jesus says:  do not be frightened. There are hundreds of times throughout the Bible that some form of the words fear not or do not be afraid are said.  What is important then is that we recognize why it is that we should not be afraid; that we should not fear. Notice in today’s text, Jesus says: those things must take place.  He assures us that the very things that could frighten us will take place.  In Matthew 24:25 Jesus says:   Behold, I have told you in advance.   In John 16:33 Jesus says:  These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. In Deuteronomy 31:6 God says:  "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."  The reason we should not be afraid, is not that bad and frightening things will not happen in our lives, Jesus tells us in advance that they will. We should not be afraid because Jesus has already overcome; been victorious over anything and everything that we might face and He will never leave us. In Romans 8:31-39 it says:  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  In John 19:30, when Jesus was on the cross, He said:  “It is finished!”  Because of God’s love for us, demonstrated in the finished work of the cross, we too are victorious, we too can overcome the world.

Look at what Jesus continues to say will happen:  “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” He doesn’t say if these things happen. He says they will happen; those things must take place.   Again though we are not to worry. The Holy Spirit will guide us. Jesus says: the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.  Yet, we are not just to honker down, to withdraw from the world and our society to endure for our own sake. Jesus says:  you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  We are to stand before the world and the culture as a testimony of Christ to them. We are to preach the gospel to all nations. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says:  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”   We are not to hide the light of Christ, but rather we are to shine it brightly in the midst the darkness of our culture and society.  In 2 Peter 3:11-12, in light of the return of Christ, coming judgement, Peter asks the question:  what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.  Many of the very people Jesus says will betray us, are those who we love. Should we not then live as a testimony of the light and love of God and Christ, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven?

What sort of people ought we to be? We should be those who are not afraid in spite of the things that must take place.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, I am not afraid because You are with me. I am not afraid because through the finished work of the cross You have already overcome everything that I will face. I am not afraid because nothing can separate me from Your love. More than enduring to the end, I will testify of Your love and shine the light of Your truth in the darkness of the world.  Amen.