Throughout the history of the Church, the so-called Olivet Discourse in Mark 13 has spawned repeated speculation about the end of the world. As Christians have endeavored to discern their place in the history of the world, they have applied the imagery of the Olivet Discourse time and again to their own day, asserting that certainly in their day the end of the world had arrived and the Second Coming of our Lord was going to occur in their generation. Yet as we consider their predictions we find that they have, as Gary DeMar has noted, two things in common: those who made them were sure of their prediction and they were all wrong.

What then are we to make of these words of our Lord? First, what is it that he is addressing? Second, when did he imagine that these things were going to take place? Third, why does he use the type of language that he uses to describe these events? These are the questions we must answer. To do so, I want to break our survey of this chapter into two portions. This week we will consider the first two questions – what is he addressing and when did he think these things would take place? Next week we will examine particular portions of the discourse and explain why Jesus uses the language he uses to describe this particular event. Lord willing we will be equipped to avoid the silly speculation that has characterized many of our brothers and sisters throughout Church history as well as be equipped to respond to the accusations of men who accuse our Lord of being mistaken in his supposed description of the end of the world.

God has designed us as His servants, made us in His image, the image of the Triune God who, by nature, gives – the Persons of the Godhead joyfully giving glory one to another and joyfully giving life to their creatures. Because this is the nature of God and because, in redemption, He is remaking us into His image, there is an energy and joy that develops in the context of giving and generosity. Seeing others give of their time and goods to ourselves and others inspires us to imagine ways in which we can repeat the conduct. Having been blessed, how can I bless in turn?

Among the stories which have inspired such generosity and giving in Scripture, few are more memorable than the story of the poor widow and her two mites – praised for her generosity when her generosity was so small. As Jesus takes a break from his controversies with the authorities in the Temple, He observes a poor widow – and the faith and generosity that he viewed in this poor widow moved Him to summon His disciples and give one of the most powerful lessons about giving – a lesson that will be repeated by our Lord Jesus in the days to come.

Today, a scribe encounters Jesus. No doubt poisoned by rumors circulating about Jesus, he is initially intent to undermine Jesus’ credibility. However, as Jesus answers his question, he finds himself astonished by His teaching. Following his appreciative reply to Jesus’ words, Jesus endeavors to lead this scribe from a position near the Kingdom into the Kingdom itself. Consequently, Jesus asks His own question and delivers a warning about the scribes. Behind His question and His warning seems to be the goal of pushing the scribe and others to understand the implication of the commandments in the Messianic age: what will it mean to love the Lord and to love one’s neighbor now that Messiah has come?

One of the challenging things that confronts a study of the Word of God is the power of our presuppositions. One of the most powerful of these assumptions – which one finds frequently in the commentaries – is that of pride or arrogance. The commentator assumes that if he can’t figure out the meaning of the text, or if the argument doesn’t work based on how he’s explained it, then the problem is with the text itself. But it is always possible, is it not, that the problem isn’t the text but the commentator himself?

So take Jesus’ response to the Sadducees. His refutation of the Sadducees is routinely scorned. “Jesus did not know what he was talking about; his argument just doesn’t work.”

Jesus, these commentators suggest, clearly did not know what he was talking about. But to plagiarize from our Lord in the text today, I think we can safely say to the commentators, “You are greatly mistaken.” So let us look at the text and see how Jesus overthrows the folly of the Sadducees and the folly of his modern day critics.

Jesus’ conflict with the Pharisees and Herodians emerged early on in his public ministry. So here we find them once again putting Jesus to the test. Jesus has been causing quite a stir in Jerusalem during the Passover celebrations, acting and teaching as though He has a right to declare God’s judgment upon the place. They know, of course, that this just isn’t the case. They have sent their representatives to inquire into Jesus’ credentials time and again – and their findings? Clearly this man is not from God – he’s just another revolutionary who needs to be crucified.

So now they want to smoke Jesus out – if he really thinks he’s bringing in the kingdom of God then let’s get him to say as much and we can destroy him. “Let’s get Jesus to incriminate himself, to state what he’s really up to.” The means they use to accomplish their purpose is a carefully framed question designed to put Jesus’ claims to the test, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Regardless how Jesus responds, the Pharisees and Herodians are confident that they have him trapped. But Jesus escapes their clutches and in the process once again highlights the unique nature of the kingdom he is introducing.

Last week we saw the authorities in Jerusalem question Jesus’ authority. On Monday Jesus had pronounced judgment on the Temple after driving out those who bought and sold in the Temple. On Tuesday the authorities confront Jesus about his action, demanding to know who he thinks he is doing such things. Jesus uncovers the disingenuous nature of their question and refuses to answer them directly. Instead he tells them a parable, a story – and it is this parable that we study today. But we’ll find that, like King Amaziah of Judah, the scribes, chief priests, and elders refuse to give heed to Jesus’ warning and immediately begin paving the way for their own destruction.

We return, after a month long hiatus, to the Gospel of Mark. Prior to our break, we witnessed Jesus enter into the center of activity in Jerusalem, the Temple, and bring things to a standstill. While there this carpenter from Galilee announced God’s judgment upon the place, quoting from the words of Jeremiah. Now Jesus returns to the Temple the next day and the authorities want to know – who do you think you are? Who gave you the authority to do these things? Jesus’ response reveals not only his shrewd understanding of human nature but also, subtly, the true origin of his authority.

Last week we studied the symbolic action of our Lord entering into the City of Jerusalem on a donkey. His action conjured up passages throughout the OT in which God promised to rescue His people from exile and restore them to fellowship with Him and with the land. Jesus’ action announced the fulfillment of those promises. God was acting in Him to rescue His people.

But the promises throughout the OT were mixed with warnings. When God arrived on the scene, He would come to save, come to deliver, come to rescue; but He would also come to judge unbelief, to condemn the wicked. His coming would be, as Malachi said, like a refiner’s fire, like fuller’s soap. Many of the Jews assumed that this meant He would rescue Jews and destroy Gentiles; the Jews were the chosen people, after all. But Jesus undermines that notion. The wicked who would be condemned were the leaders, the shepherds in Israel along with the sheep who were willingly following them in their idolatry and folly.

Today we study another symbolic action of our Lord – the point of the action this time pointing to the coming destruction of the Herodian Temple and the judgment of all who refused to give heed to His warnings.

History has been full of symbolic actions. A symbolic action is an action performed not for the sake of the action itself but to communicate some greater message. So to put one’s heart over one’s hand is a relatively minor gesture in and of itself. Combine it, however, with the recitation of a pledge of allegiance to the United States and the action becomes symbolic of some deeper meaning.

Consider, for example, the famous promise of General Douglas MacArthur after his flight from the Philippines with the outbreak of WWII. MacArthur assured his enemies, the American public, and the captured POW’s, “I came through and I shall return.” On Oct 20, 1944 then when MacArthur landed on the beach of Leyte Island in the Philippines, the significance of his traipse through the water up the beach was not lost on friend or foe – he had fulfilled his promise and would fulfill it to the end. Sometimes actions have a greater meaning than the action itself. These actions are called symbolic actions.

Today we read of a symbolic action in the life of our Lord. Hopefully as we study this text we will come to understand the significance of Jesus’ symbolic action. Jesus is building on a history of promises in the Old Testament that God would eventually rescue His people from exile. Jesus’ action announces to those with eyes to see that this moment has arrived. The long awaited arrival of the Son of David has come.