This is a copy of my talk given at Ayia Kyriaki and Saint Stephen’s in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Sunday 17 November 2024. The Bible reading was Mark 13:1-8.

Prayer

Heavenly Father
I thank You for Your word
By the power of the Holy Spirit
May You speak to my heart
And change my life
In the precious name of Jesus I pray
Amen.

Introduction
We’re getting closer to the end of our church year. Next Sunday, 24 November, is ‘Christ the King’ Sunday, which is the church’s equivalent of New Year’s Eve. And as we draw closer to the season of Advent, our Gospel readings begin to emphasize the signs of Jesus’ Second Coming. Jesus talks about some of these signs in Mark 13:1-8.

Jesus’ return is, probably, one of the most mind-boggling, difficult, and supernatural aspects of the Christian faith to understand and, as a consequence, has been lost in endless controversies/speculations – yet it’s one of the most distinctive Christian beliefs we have. It is known as eschatology (Not to be mistaken for escapology!). It’s a theological word that has its roots in two Greek words eschatos, meaning last and logos meaning word. And so, when we use the term eschatology, it literally means the last word and is known as the doctrine of the last times.

Our reading from Mark 13 is often referred to as the Olivet Discourse (because it was delivered on the Mount of Olives). Here, Jesus gave the disciples, and us, a glimpse into the future. The sermon spoke to both the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD and the destruction to come when He returns. Jesus’ sermon focused attention on being prepared, our readiness to suffer, and to trust in Him and His word.

1. The Temple
Samuel Johnson remarked in 1777 When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. The Jews would have felt the same about the Temple. Early rabbis said this:

He who has not seen Jerusalem in her splendour has never seen a desirable city in his life. He who has not seen the Temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life.

The Temple complex was the very centre of life for the Jewish people – we see that in 1 Kings when King Solomon built the first Temple, and then in Nehemiah where the rebuilding of Jerusalem with the Temple at its centre was so important. The Temple mattered a great deal. And although the Romans were occupying the land, religious life continued with the hope that soon the Messiah would come and re-establish the glory of Israel.

The magnificent Temple would have been a tangible sign of great hope in the promises of God. Even though it was a mistake that the Israelites had made before, many couldn’t help but look at that Temple and think – it is obvious God is with us and on our side, we have the Temple, we will be ok. One of the signs Jesus talks about is the destruction of the temple, and he uses that sign to describe what things will be like on earth as the Second Coming draws closer.

When the disciples commented on the size of the stones, they were likely expecting a Messianic takeover of the temple. They were looking forward to a life of power and prestige. Unfortunately, they still did not realize the true nature of Jesus’ kingdom.

The destruction of the temple was the result of its misuse by its leaders. The sacrificial system of the temple could not make sufficient atonement for the sinfulness of mankind. The disciples could not believe that one of the architectural wonders of the world had lost the grandeur of the spirit.

As Jesus and the disciples walk to the Mount of Olives the Temple would have been in full view the entire time and so I presume the disciples were pondering and perhaps talking through the enormity of what Jesus had just told them. In their theology, their way of understanding God and His purposes, the destruction of the Temple would only happen when the world would end, and so the very natural question comes from Peter, James, John and Andrew in vs4: “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?”   

2. Treasure In Heaven
Jesus’ conversation about the destruction of the temple was symbolic of the systems and institutions that oppress and exclude people. He was talking about the end of the status quo and the beginning of justice, freedom, and the redistribution and/or redefinition of power and wealth.

Jesus reminds us not to create treasures here on earth but to create treasures in heaven. Things that we think are permanent in our lives are only temporary. They can be taken away. Our journey through life is short. Our true home is in heaven and our true wealth is in knowing Jesus’ love and care for each of us. Do you remember this old song:

This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

3. False Teachers
Jesus continued his description of the events to come by emphasizing that many people will claim to be Him and will deceive many people. The false teachers represented the religious cultism that results from man’s search for spiritual meaning outside of God’s world and word. Man’s self-interest often leads to social upheavals. Natural disasters often occur when the ecological system is upset by things such as pollution.

The main reason why false teachers can thrive is because of our secular society. People do what they please, and they have no time or place for God. Bringing God into the equation makes people uncomfortable. They try to gain satisfaction from earthly things, but the only thing that gives us true satisfaction is faith in God.

4. Pains Of Childbirth
When Jesus referred to the pains of childbirth, he was referring to the frequency of the signs of the end time. When a woman is in labour, her contractions are infrequent at first and become more frequent as the baby comes closer to entering the world. Babies don’t make an appointment before the turn up.  But the point about being pregnant is that the baby is definitely coming at some point. You don’t know when, but there’s an inevitability about it.  A pregnant woman needs to have her bag packed and be ready for the baby’s arrival.

And it’s the same with Jesus’ return. The signs of the end times will be infrequent at first but will escalate to massive and tragic proportions just before Jesus’ return.  God’s answer to trouble is trust. He wants us to trust him in times of trouble, especially as the Second Coming draw closer. God is at work in ways that is beyond our ability to understand. Our job is to be alert for it.

5. More Signs
The whole of chapter 13 of Mark’s Gospel contains all kinds of signs that will indicate when the end is near. He warned about times when the followers of Jesus will be persecuted and brought before judges and kings. Family members will turn against each other. (Mark 13:12). He told of unnatural things happening in the heavens. “The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken” (Mark 13:24-25).

As the time of Jesus’ return draws near, wars and rumours of wars will escalate in number or intensity – or both. These conflicts will involve both nation states and ethnic groups. Natural disasters will gain more worldwide attention.

Many people wonder if we are living in the end times ourselves, given all that is taking place in our world today. These signs are constantly happening, so Jesus told the disciples not to see them as signs of final judgment, but rather, as precursors to the end-time.

Conclusion
From this moment in Mark 13, it will be around three days before Jesus will be nailed to a cross. All of human history and the whole of scripture has been leading up to this moment. God’s people had been waiting for the Messiah, but that waiting is over. And after the cross, comes the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus, then a new period of waiting begins.

We live in the interim between Christ’s ascension and his return, and in this interim we will experience the same circumstances that Jesus promised his disciples. We will experience false prophets, wars and rumours of wars, natural disasters and persecution.

This passage from Mark’s Gospel was not meant to make us worry about the future. It was written to offer comfort to first century believers who were struggling to make sense of their world and their lives.  We have the same struggles, so this passage gives us some measure of comfort as well.

When Jesus spoke to the disciples about the destruction of the temple, the troubles leading up to that day and of the signs that the terrible day was upon them, he was speaking to both their generation and ours.

Jesus reminded the disciples that buildings are only stones and bricks. What really matters is what goes on inside. God’s life-giving word is meant to give us guidance while we are on our journey of faith. We gather together to bring all of our joys and concerns and thanksgivings to God. A simple meal of bread and wine has profound spiritual significance.

Before Archbishop Justin resigned over the Makin Report, he was interviewed about the damage this report was doing to Church of England (CofE). He replied, quite provocatively: “I don’t give a hang about the institution. If the CofE fails, then God will raise up another institution.”  I think that it was a grave error to say that. It’s precisely the job of leaders to care about their institutions and to care for them!

However … in the context of today’s reading, a building, or an institution, may be destroyed, but the place where God dwells can’t be destroyed because God lives in Jesus, his word as well as in the hearts and minds of all believers. The destruction of the temple was not the end. It was the beginning. It was not about dismantling God it was about the renewal of faith.

Our hope is in Jesus’ return, which will be the main event of the end times. We must be careful not to be deceived by world events. Instead, we must look forward to the greatest event in history – Jesus’ return for his church!

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author, Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.