Mark 13:2-8

Mark 13:2-8  “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.

Birth pains for what? is the real question here.  Why is Jesus telling them that there will be a time of great destruction and turmoil?  I believe Jesus is really telling the disciples that the time of peace, the time of the Messiah's reign on Earth, is not in the immediate future.  He is preparing them for his death and telling them to look for a future day when He, the MESSIAH, will come and restore all things to God.  “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.  (Mark 13:26-27)  The disciples expected Jesus, their Messiah, to eventually reign, but they thought it would be in their lifetime.  They thought that Jesus' popularity and miraculous power would sweep him into power--that the yoke of the Romans would be broken, and the temple in Jerusalem would become the seat of Messiah's rule.  But in this passage, Jesus is telling the disciples that his reign is not in the immediate future.  He tells them that the temple will be torn down and the earth and its inhabitants will experience great pain before He, the Messiah, returns to establish his reign forever.  

For two thousand years people have predicted Jesus' return as the Messiah.  Christians love to speculate about when He will return.  In every church, the most popular Sunday school classes are those on Revelation.  People want to know when Jesus will come back.  Sometimes I wonder why.  Is it so they can get ready?  Is it so they can get others saved?  Is it so they can now have their lamps burning, so they will be burning brightly when the Lord returns?  For sure, there will be a day when the Messiah will return to Earth.  There will be a day when his kingdom will be established, and when righteous judgment will be meted out to everyone that has ever existed.  But for us Christians, the Messiah has returned.  His reign is in our hearts.  His temple is within us.  He has returned to comfort us.  He has returned to show us how to escape the wilderness we call life.  The Messiah has returned in each of us to restore all things to himself.  We are the blessed ones, for HE HAS RETURNED.  

Then how should we live?  We should live rejoicing, for He is within us.  I know some days that is really difficult.  Some days everything looks rather bleak, disappointing, but remember the Messiah has returned.  He is within you.  He said in the book of John, "I'll be in them, and they will be in me."  No, we are not alone.  We don't have to be looking for him, seeking him.  We don't have to add up how many wars have happened, or how many earthquakes have taken place.  We don't have to sit around in doubt, anxiety, and fear, wondering if the Messiah is coming.  No, if we have asked him into our lives, He has returned to each of us.  And whether in death, or in his second coming, we will see him some day face to face.  Some day in the reality of the flesh, we will see him as He is, but today in the spirit, He has come to us.  Rejoice, for God is with us, truly with us.