Mark Reading Plan – W13D1
Week 13 | Day 1 | Mark 13:1-8
Check out all the previous readings here.
Pray
Ask God to open your heart to His word today.
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “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.
Reflection & Questions
As we approach the end of Mark, Jesus also is turning his attention to talking about the end times. Mark 13 is all about the end times. Jesus begins by warning of signs that feel like the end, but are not.
Firstly, what will feel like the end of the world to the disciples is the destruction of the Temple. The disciples were in awe of the Temple. But Jesus is no respecter of earthly buildings (they pale in comparison to those in heaven!). He predicted that the Temple would be destroyed, and indeed it was in 70AD. The significance of the destruction of the Temple cannot be overestimated. This was the center of the Jewish faith, the sign of God’s presence, and was the only place the Jews could bring sacrifices. Its destruction devastated the Jewish community – but this was not the end of the world. God had a new Temple he was building; a Temple of people where His presence would dwell by the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, another false sign of the end, will be that, “Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he.’” Jesus says, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” How can we watch out? By studying the Word. By learning to listen to the Spirit. As we grow in knowledge of God (both head and heart), we will develop the capacity to be able to spot counterfeits.
Finally, disasters, both natural and man made, will also be prolific as the end approaches. But this is not the end either – “these are the beginning of birth pains.”
As we look around today, we see disasters like Jesus described and read of false prophets trying to deceive. Does this mean the end is near? It’s nearer than ever. But whether or not it is the end, the way to live is the same: drawing ever closer to Jesus and following Him more fully with our lives everyday.
Pray
Talk to Jesus in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “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.
Reflection and Questions
As we are headed towards the end of the book of Mark, Jesus also is turning his attention to talking about the end times. Mark 13 is all about the end times. Jesus begins by warning of signs that feel like the end, but are not.
The first thing that Jesus talks about that will feel like the end of the world to the disciples is the destruction of the Temple. The disciples were in awe of the Temple. But Jesus knows that this Temple isn’t even CLOSE to as good as Heaven is! He predicted that the Temple would be destroyed, then about 40 or so years later, it was! Now, to be clear, this was a BIG deal that the Temple was destroyed. This was the center of the Jewish faith, the sign that God was with them, and it was the only place the Jews could bring sacrifices. Its destruction was a HUGE deal – but this was not the end of the world. God had a plan for something much better. Heaven! Aren’t you excited for when we are all in Heaven together??
Prayer
Talk to Jesus in response to today’s reading.
Bible Reading
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “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.
Devo Focus
“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Vs. 4
Devo
Years ago there was a sarcastic phrase that people would say when they wanted to point out that something wasn’t a big deal: “It’s not the end of the world!” and it was often punctuated with an eye roll. Well, what does the end of the world actually look like? Mark tells us a little about what it won’t look like:
Mark 13 is all about the end times. Jesus begins by warning of signs that feel like the end, but are not.
Firstly, what will feel like the end of the world to the disciples is the destruction of the Temple. The disciples were in awe of the Temple. But Jesus is no respecter of earthly buildings (they pale in comparison to those in heaven!). He predicted that the Temple would be destroyed, and indeed it was in 70AD. The significance of the destruction of the Temple cannot be overestimated. This was the center of the Jewish faith, the sign of God’s presence, and was the only place the Jews could bring sacrifices. Its destruction devastated the Jewish community – but this was not the end of the world. God had a new Temple he was building; a Temple of people where His presence would dwell by the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, another false sign of the end, will be that, “Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he.’” Jesus says, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” How can we watch out? By studying the Word. By learning to listen to the Spirit. As we grow in knowledge of God (both head and heart), we will develop the capacity to be able to spot counterfeits.
Finally, disasters, both natural and man made, will also be prolific as the end approaches. But this is not the end either – “these are the beginning of birth pains.”
As we look around today, we see disasters like Jesus described and read of false prophets trying to deceive. Does this mean the end is near? It’s nearer than ever. But whether or not it is the end, the way to live is the same: drawing ever closer to Jesus and following Him more fully with our lives everyday.
Prayer
Talk to Jesus in response to today’s reading.
