Endings many
Commentary
As the end of the church year approaches, the emphasis of the propers turns increasingly eschatological. With the Gospel of Mark, this means chapter 13. A lengthy discourse, as lengthy as any in Mark, it is like chapter 4, the other lengthy discourse, in having clearly distinguishable sections.
In 13:1-2 is the simple account of a brief exchange between the disciples and Jesus as they are leaving the temple. Like many other faithful people of the time, the disciples were marveling out loud about the size and sturdiness of the temple. The engineers of Herod the Great had reconstructed the temple shortly before the time of Jesus, so the walls of the outer court resembled an impregnable fortress. Yet, Jesus responded, "... all will be thrown down."
The biblical report reminds me of a conversation I overheard sometime in the late 1960s or early '70s. There had been assassinations, student uprisings, national guard incidents on campuses. One man said to the other, "What is all of this coming to?" The other replied, "I came out of the station from my commuter train this morning and looked up at the massive skyscrapers and said to myself, 'This is all too strong to topple.' " "That's the way I feel," said the first speaker and the two parted. There isn't a great deal of room for eschatology in modern life.
The aftermath of the temple talk, however, was a conversation that sounds perennially contemporary. Jesus began with a warning, repeated three times in the chapter, to beware of false predictions of the eschaton. Although there would be wars and disasters, these were not the final judgment, but foretastes of it (vv. 3-8).
More specifically for Christians, Jesus warned of persecutions to come. The faithful will have difficulty being loyal to Jesus and, at the same time, being completely in harmony with human institutions. Yet, they must press on to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and trust the Holy Spirit to help them through every difficulty. "The one who endures to the end will be saved (vv. 9-13)."
Using language from Daniel 11:31, the account speaks of a time of devastation in Judea. Again there is a warning against false prophets and false messiahs and a promise of survival for the elect. So a pattern has been established for understanding the life of Christians in the world: (1) the independability of natural and social orders, (2) promises of God's care for survival and (3) warnings against obsession about the end of history.
OUTLINE I
Salvation individualized
Daniel 12:1-3
Introduction. It is good to remember that Daniel does not appear with the books of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible as it does in the English translation. Of three sections, it is in the last, which is made up of various types of literature. As apocalyptic literature, Daniel makes references to history with esoteric symbols, shows great concern for the final outcome of history and presents more supernatural phenomena than occur elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.
Our text is the conclusion of a vision in chapters 10-11, which spanned four centuries of history, from the Persian Empire until the time of the vision, about 165 B.C.
A. v. 1. Protection and deliverance. Divine care is made specific in terms of angels with names. Michael had been introduced in 10:13 and 21 as the angelic prince who fought against the enemies of God's elect people. The same assurance is expressed by the book of life, where God has recorded the elect (cf. Exodus 32:32-33). In spite of their great distress, they shall "escape."
B. v. 2. For the only time in the Hebrew Bible, resurrection brings some of the dead to everlasting life and others to everlasting condemnation. Faith in the justice of God was so complete that the injustices of earthly life could not be final.
C. v. 3. The final ecstatic poetry speaks only of the wise and the righteous, whose after-life is too glorious to be compared with anything on earth. By God's salvation, earthly history has concluded in a heavenly, eternal brilliance.
OUTLINE II
From heaven to heart
Hebrews 10:11-18
A. vv. 11-13. Christ is enthroned in heaven. In contrast to other priests, not only the high priest of some earlier passages in Hebrews, who stand daily to suffering sacrifice; Christ is seated, because his sacrifice has been completed once for all. This completion of Christ's earthly ministry fits the eschatological emphasis in the other lessons for today. This lesson differs, however, in that Christ still awaits the final subjugation of evil. The imagery comes from the royal liturgy of the Davidic monarchy (Psalm 110:1-3) and suggests that Christ now carries divine authority and power to rule.
B. vv. 14-16. Christ has already won the saints. Strong language declares them not only sanctified, as though ritually cleansed to come before God in worship, but perfected. The message of Jeremiah 31:33-34, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is quoted to provide a more specific understanding of what is meant. The relationship with God is firm, as the will of God is imbedded in the heart and mind, the consciousness and conscience, of Christians.
C. vv. 17-18. Barriers between God and humans are overthrown. Forgiveness, rather than memory of sin and guilt, prevails. With the offering for sin completed by Christ, further offerings are no longer needed. Christians are free to worship without fear, to concentrate upon buying relationships within the community of believers and to attend to great deeds (vv. 19-24).
OUTLINE III
A final ending
Mark 13:24-32
A. vv. 24-25. The negative judgment in biblical eschatobogy emphasizes the temporary character of the ordered world. The logic would be simple: the God who created the world could bring it to an end.
B. vv. 26-27. The positive promise for the last days may take various forms in the Hebrew Bible. Here, Daniel's reference in 7:13 to the "Son of Man" suggests to Christians the return of Jesus, who had referred to himself frequently by that term. Heavenly messengers for gathering the elect were also known in pre-Christian apocalyptic.
C. vv. 28-31. The central message in Mark is neither final judgment nor ultimate fulfillment of eternal promise. If judgment were the primary motivating force, the Christian life could be dominated by fear. If an ethereal outcome were foremost, withdrawal from earthly realities might predominate in one form or another.
Consequently, Jesus refers back to earthly events ("these things" in vv. 29-30) mentioned in verses 7-13, as experiences to be endured by the present generation of disciples, but with the faith that the words of Jesus will endure beyond everything.
D. v. 32. In the only statement where Mark speaks of Jesus as Son of the Father, it is to stress his ignorance of the time for the eschaton. Therefore, the emphasis falls on the need for Christian diligence in caring for Christ's work during his physical absence.
In 13:1-2 is the simple account of a brief exchange between the disciples and Jesus as they are leaving the temple. Like many other faithful people of the time, the disciples were marveling out loud about the size and sturdiness of the temple. The engineers of Herod the Great had reconstructed the temple shortly before the time of Jesus, so the walls of the outer court resembled an impregnable fortress. Yet, Jesus responded, "... all will be thrown down."
The biblical report reminds me of a conversation I overheard sometime in the late 1960s or early '70s. There had been assassinations, student uprisings, national guard incidents on campuses. One man said to the other, "What is all of this coming to?" The other replied, "I came out of the station from my commuter train this morning and looked up at the massive skyscrapers and said to myself, 'This is all too strong to topple.' " "That's the way I feel," said the first speaker and the two parted. There isn't a great deal of room for eschatology in modern life.
The aftermath of the temple talk, however, was a conversation that sounds perennially contemporary. Jesus began with a warning, repeated three times in the chapter, to beware of false predictions of the eschaton. Although there would be wars and disasters, these were not the final judgment, but foretastes of it (vv. 3-8).
More specifically for Christians, Jesus warned of persecutions to come. The faithful will have difficulty being loyal to Jesus and, at the same time, being completely in harmony with human institutions. Yet, they must press on to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and trust the Holy Spirit to help them through every difficulty. "The one who endures to the end will be saved (vv. 9-13)."
Using language from Daniel 11:31, the account speaks of a time of devastation in Judea. Again there is a warning against false prophets and false messiahs and a promise of survival for the elect. So a pattern has been established for understanding the life of Christians in the world: (1) the independability of natural and social orders, (2) promises of God's care for survival and (3) warnings against obsession about the end of history.
OUTLINE I
Salvation individualized
Daniel 12:1-3
Introduction. It is good to remember that Daniel does not appear with the books of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible as it does in the English translation. Of three sections, it is in the last, which is made up of various types of literature. As apocalyptic literature, Daniel makes references to history with esoteric symbols, shows great concern for the final outcome of history and presents more supernatural phenomena than occur elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.
Our text is the conclusion of a vision in chapters 10-11, which spanned four centuries of history, from the Persian Empire until the time of the vision, about 165 B.C.
A. v. 1. Protection and deliverance. Divine care is made specific in terms of angels with names. Michael had been introduced in 10:13 and 21 as the angelic prince who fought against the enemies of God's elect people. The same assurance is expressed by the book of life, where God has recorded the elect (cf. Exodus 32:32-33). In spite of their great distress, they shall "escape."
B. v. 2. For the only time in the Hebrew Bible, resurrection brings some of the dead to everlasting life and others to everlasting condemnation. Faith in the justice of God was so complete that the injustices of earthly life could not be final.
C. v. 3. The final ecstatic poetry speaks only of the wise and the righteous, whose after-life is too glorious to be compared with anything on earth. By God's salvation, earthly history has concluded in a heavenly, eternal brilliance.
OUTLINE II
From heaven to heart
Hebrews 10:11-18
A. vv. 11-13. Christ is enthroned in heaven. In contrast to other priests, not only the high priest of some earlier passages in Hebrews, who stand daily to suffering sacrifice; Christ is seated, because his sacrifice has been completed once for all. This completion of Christ's earthly ministry fits the eschatological emphasis in the other lessons for today. This lesson differs, however, in that Christ still awaits the final subjugation of evil. The imagery comes from the royal liturgy of the Davidic monarchy (Psalm 110:1-3) and suggests that Christ now carries divine authority and power to rule.
B. vv. 14-16. Christ has already won the saints. Strong language declares them not only sanctified, as though ritually cleansed to come before God in worship, but perfected. The message of Jeremiah 31:33-34, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is quoted to provide a more specific understanding of what is meant. The relationship with God is firm, as the will of God is imbedded in the heart and mind, the consciousness and conscience, of Christians.
C. vv. 17-18. Barriers between God and humans are overthrown. Forgiveness, rather than memory of sin and guilt, prevails. With the offering for sin completed by Christ, further offerings are no longer needed. Christians are free to worship without fear, to concentrate upon buying relationships within the community of believers and to attend to great deeds (vv. 19-24).
OUTLINE III
A final ending
Mark 13:24-32
A. vv. 24-25. The negative judgment in biblical eschatobogy emphasizes the temporary character of the ordered world. The logic would be simple: the God who created the world could bring it to an end.
B. vv. 26-27. The positive promise for the last days may take various forms in the Hebrew Bible. Here, Daniel's reference in 7:13 to the "Son of Man" suggests to Christians the return of Jesus, who had referred to himself frequently by that term. Heavenly messengers for gathering the elect were also known in pre-Christian apocalyptic.
C. vv. 28-31. The central message in Mark is neither final judgment nor ultimate fulfillment of eternal promise. If judgment were the primary motivating force, the Christian life could be dominated by fear. If an ethereal outcome were foremost, withdrawal from earthly realities might predominate in one form or another.
Consequently, Jesus refers back to earthly events ("these things" in vv. 29-30) mentioned in verses 7-13, as experiences to be endured by the present generation of disciples, but with the faith that the words of Jesus will endure beyond everything.
D. v. 32. In the only statement where Mark speaks of Jesus as Son of the Father, it is to stress his ignorance of the time for the eschaton. Therefore, the emphasis falls on the need for Christian diligence in caring for Christ's work during his physical absence.