Day 78 - Mark 13, Verses 1-13

From: Chapter-A-Day: Volume 3 By: Norman W. Berry

• 2 min. read • grade level: 7

From chapter 11 and the following, we have been seeing the changes resulting from the Lord’s rejection. In Mark 11:11¹¹And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:11) we read of Jesus entering the Temple. In verse 1 of today’s chapter, we see His going out of the temple. We do not read in this gospel of His going into it again. The Lord left the temple, the glorious center of the Jewish religion. God was finished with it. A new one will come later (v. 35) and He will be its Master. Just think of how many people today, Jews, Catholics and Protestants, are clinging to the old customs and traditions. (Read 2 Cor. 5:17).

V.3-4 The disciples question Him about what He had said in verse 2.

V.5-37 The Lord gives them a grand outline of what would take place in their lifetime and right on till when He would return in His glory. But four times He said “take heed.” Watch for them, and then look at the last word of our chapter. But also notice that He uses another word of warning “watch.” Look for it three times tomorrow, and three times in Mark 14:32-72³²And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. ³³And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; ³⁴And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. ³⁵And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. ³⁶And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. ³⁷And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? ³⁸Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. ³⁹And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. ⁴⁰And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. ⁴¹And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. ⁴³And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. ⁴⁵And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. ⁴⁶And they laid their hands on him, and took him. ⁴⁷And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. ⁴⁸And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? ⁴⁹I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. ⁵⁰And they all forsook him, and fled. ⁵¹And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: ⁵²And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. ⁵³And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. ⁵⁴And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. ⁵⁵And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. ⁵⁶For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. ⁵⁷And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, ⁵⁸We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. ⁵⁹But neither so did their witness agree together. ⁶⁰And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? ⁶¹But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? ⁶²And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. ⁶³Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? ⁶⁴Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. ⁶⁵And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. ⁶⁶And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: ⁶⁷And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. ⁶⁸But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. ⁶⁹And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. ⁷⁰And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. ⁷¹But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. ⁷²And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. (Mark 14:32‑72). Keep your chart near you and notice in it, the things from this chapter.

V.5-8 The main character of Satan, the Devil, is to deceive. From the Garden of Eden (2 Cor. 11:3) to the end (Rev. 12:9⁹And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)) Satan, in these verses is like the “deceiving serpent” (v. 5, 6, 22).

V.9, 12-13 But here as the “roaring lion” in violence — Satan’s two characters.

V.10 This refers to “the gospel of the kingdom” which Jesus and His disciples preached when He was on earth. The nation of Israel rejected it. Today we have the gospel of the grace of God, going out to all the world. But this verse is the future after the believers are taken to be with the Lord. Then the world which may not have heard the gospel, will then have an opportunity. See “C” to “E” on your chart see also Matthew 24:14¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14).

V.11 In the meantime they could count on the Spirit of God — after Jesus had returned to heaven — to give them help as to what to say.

V.12-13 The more closely they lived to please the Lord, the more they would be misunderstood and hated. We too (2 Tim. 3:12).

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