Mark 13:1–13

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, “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.

“But be on your guard. For 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. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time


As they came out of the temple, one of the disciples pointed out the magnificence of the temple buildings to Jesus. The temple of Jesus’ time was built by Herod and was considered one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world, spanning one-sixth of the land area of Jerusalem. The Jews were very proud of their temple but Jesus warned them that shortly not one of those magnificent stones would still be on another. The temple was only fully completed in AD 64 and was completely destroyed in AD 70.

When they sat on the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, and John asked Jesus about the coming of the Messianic kingdom. From their Old Testament perspective, they didn’t know of God’s plan for the church which would bring a long time between Jesus’ death and resurrection and His return to bring in the Messianic kingdom. Jesus spoke about events that would indicate the imminence of His second coming. Many of these things like wars, nation against nation, earthquakes and famines are true today and may be part of the birth pains Jesus was speaking about. But those things will be more severe during the time of the tribulation which will happen right before Jesus comes again. During that time there will be great persecution for the Jews and some will die. Those who endure, those who make it through this troublesome time, will be saved—not for eternal life (that is by belief in Jesus alone)—but saved from death and survive into the Messianic kingdom. Jesus’ main point is that in all of this, no matter what is happening around us, we must continue to minister for Him. Let us not be hindered by the events around us, or what happens to us, from spreading the gospel.