The Gospel Must First Be Preached To All Nations
Mark 13:1-37
Key Verse 13:10
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
About twenty-five years ago, Dr. Will Durant, together with his wife Ariel Durant, completed a book entitled “The Story of Civilization.” This book comes in eleven volumes, each consisting of more than 1,000 pages, and it describes the history of human beings from ancient days to the year 1981 when Dr. Durant died. This book is so thorough that it is called “a biography of mankind,” and the history department at UC Berkeley uses it as a textbook. Nevertheless, although Dr. Durant wrote more than 10,000 pages to explain the story of mankind, he died in 1981 and was not able to write about the things that have happened over the last twenty-five years. His greatest limitation was that he could only look into the past, not into future history. In today's passage, however, we find a very different story. Jesus, the Son of God, provides his disciples with a brief summary preview of human history all the way to the time of his second coming. Jesus could do this because he is God and is totally above and beyond the time domain. Jesus taught his disciples these things so that they would not be distracted by the present situations, but instead they would know the point of history and live accordingly.
Part 1. Do you see all these great buildings? (vs. 1-2)
Look at verse 1-2. The disciples mostly came from small towns and villages in Galilee where the way of life was very simple. Many of them had lived as fishermen all their lives before meeting Jesus and never had a chance to travel the world. But because they followed Jesus, they found themselves in the capital city of Judea and in the most important building—the temple. The temple they saw was built by Herod, and it was the biggest, most impressive temple building that has ever been built. It was made out of massive stones, and the color was very light so that on a sunny day it hurt your eyes to look directly at the temple building. When the disciples saw this building, their eyes went wide—they had never seen anything like it before. Even as Jesus taught in the temple courts, they might have had a hard time concentrating on the message because they were looking at the beautifully constructed temple walls and pillars. Although the disciples had come to the temple several times with Jesus, they were always amazed by what they saw, but they had so far kept their thoughts to themselves because Jesus' business was serious. This time, however, one of the disciples could not help expressing his thoughts to Jesus. He said, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
Personally, I remember in the past feeling the same way whenever I drove through the 110 and 105 freeway interchange. At this interchange, there is a web of concrete roads suspended a hundred feet in the air by massive concrete pillars. Whenever I saw it, I thought to myself, “Wow! Human beings are really able to do amazing things! If something like this existed a thousand years ago, it would have been the wonder of the ancient world.” Not only so, but traveling along these roads in the sky are hundreds of cars, speeding people around at eighty miles per hour. In Jesus' day, it would take three days to travel from L.A. to San Diego, but with cars we can make the trip in two hours while listening to classical music and eating fish tacos from Del Taco. To be honest, I am often impressed by advances in technology. For example, Google has a free program called, “Google Earth,” and with this program you can zoom in on any place in the world and see detailed areal photos. For example, you can zoom in on the Downey Bible Center, and then, with the click of a button, you can zoom across the earth and look at the Korea UBF headquarters building in Seoul. And there are so many other things that people have made which are totally impressive and amazing, so I can understand how the disciples felt.
But how did Jesus see the impressive buildings? Look again at verse 2: “'Do you see all these great buildings?' replied Jesus. 'Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'” What Jesus said was totally shocking. The beautiful temple would be turned into rubble. The impressive 110-105 interchange will be totally destroyed. Google, and the entire Internet, will pass away.
Why did Jesus give his disciples such a shocking glimpse into the future? Personally, I think it was to help them have the right perspective on life. When I realize that all of the impressive things that mankind has built in this world will pass away some day, it makes me stop and think. If these pass away, what great thing is there for me to live for? When I think about it, the answer is Jesus, himself, because he lives forever. Jesus was humble and unimpressive-looking, but he is the Son of God who has eternal life in him. Jesus' greatness is the greatness of God, and while all the glory of this world will pass away, Jesus' glory will remain forever. Jesus wanted to help his disciples have the right perspective on life by teaching them the truth about this world and all that man has done. Otherwise, they might be tempted to put their hope in the things of this world rather than Jesus.
Let me ask you a question: your job and Jesus. Which is greater? If you think your job looks bigger than Jesus you have a “perception problem.” The same thing is true about technology, about people around us, and about everything in this world. All these things will pass away, and the glory of men will fade. But Jesus, who is greater than all, will remain forever. So let's not be dazzled by the wonders of human achievements; but let's fix our eyes on Jesus whose greatness and glory will never pass away.
Part 2. The gospel must first be preached to all nations (vs. 3-23)
Look at verses 3-4. Jesus' words about the temple were so shocking that the disciples were speechless at first. But later, on the Mount of Olives, where the temple could still be seen in the distance, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Jesus privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
In verses 5-37, Jesus answers their questions. His teaching can be divided into two parts. The first part, verses 5-23, is about what will happen before Jesus comes again, and the second-part, verses 24-37, talks about what will happen when Jesus comes again. First, let's think about what Jesus has to say about the time before he returns.
Look at verses 5-6: “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.'” The first sign that the end of the age is near is that there will be many people who come in Jesus' name and even claim to be him and thus deceive many people. Jesus told his disciples about this ahead of time so that they would not be deceived also. These days, there are many religions that claim to be Christian but which do not remain true to God's word, such as the Mormon church and Jehovah's Witnesses—and they deceive many people, just as Jesus forewarned.
Look at verses 7-9. Other signs that Jesus' return is near is that we will hear of wars and rumors of wars, which is easier than ever before thanks to mass media technologies such as television, radio, and the Internet, which enables us to hear about wars going on in far-away places, such as the war in Iraq. There will also be earthquakes in various places, and famines. Jesus describes all of these scary events as “the beginning of birth pains.” The thing about birth pains is that the pains steadily become more frequent and more intense as the time for delivery nears, and the greatest pain comes just before the greatest joy, which is what it will be like when Jesus returns. Thus, on account of Jesus, his disciples will be persecuted, giving them the chance to testify about Jesus before governors and kings.
When we look at all of these things that will be taking place before Jesus' return with ever-increasing intensity and frequency, we may begin to hope that Jesus' second-coming is still far away. We may also wonder why Jesus will let us go through all of those hard times. Why does he not just take all of those who believe in him out of this world when things begin to get really bad? We can find the answer to this question in verse 10.
Let's read verse 10 together: “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” In the midst of all the turmoil leading up to Jesus' second-coming, a very important work is being carried out by Jesus' disciples throughout the world—the gospel is being preached and the kingdom of God is growing. The main reason Jesus has not yet come back is that the Father's world-mission purpose has not yet been completed. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Because of God's love, he wants all nations on earth to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus' final command to his disciples was to make disciples of all nations on earth by telling them the good news.
In America, it is easy for us to assume that everyone has heard the gospel message, but even in America there are many people who have never heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ. In view of today's passage, we see clearly that our mission here on earth until Jesus' second-coming has just two basic parts: we have been called to preach the gospel to all nations on earth, and in the process we must keep our faith in Jesus. What will happen when we serve this mission to the end? Verses 11-13 reveals that we will face both persecution at home and by society—and possibly even death. The more we work to proclaim the good news of Jesus, and the more we make disciples of all nations, the more all people on earth will hate us because of Jesus. Yet in the midst of even such persecution, Jesus encourages us to stand firm, for everyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.
In verses 14-23, Jesus further reveals details about the days preceding his second-coming, and they will be dreadful days. There will be much suffering, and there will be many false Christs and false prophets who try to deceive and destroy Christians. Jesus tells us about all of these things ahead of time so that we would be on our guard and not give into despair or deception.
God is using our missionaries and shepherds as good examples of those who preach the gospel without giving into despair and deception. Right now, Msn. Isaac and Rebekah Kim are in Sudan, attending the Africa UBF Director's Conference, and a few days ago they attended a Middle-East UBF Director's Conference. At these conferences, they have been meeting with missionaries in some of the most difficult mission fields in the world.
For example Missionary Andrew Kim was given charge of the ministry in Sudan—a country that has been racked by years of civil war, including ethnic cleansing and severe persecution of Christians. Msn. Andrew is from Korea, but he has learned the Sudanese language and he faithfully serves the college students in Sudan with the word of God. Despite the dangers involved in preaching the gospel in an increasingly-Muslim nation, Msn. Andrew is leading many native Sudanese to Jesus, such as Shepherd Oyo Moses. This year, Shepherd Oyo went to Egypt, a thoroughly Muslim nation, to pioneer Cairo University as a Ph.D. student. It is truly an amazing work of God that He is using native Sudanese, in the midst of the many problems facing that country, to give their lives to Jesus' world salvation purpose—even working to preach the gospel in a nation that is very unreceptive to the gospel. Another example of disciples of Jesus obeying Jesus' world salvation command despite many challenges and dangers is Missionary Joseph and Maria Sohn who are pioneering Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Living in America, we do not want to hear the message of the terrible sufferings that Christians will face in the days before Jesus' second-coming. We enjoy many comforts here for now, such as religious freedom, political stability, and wealth. But in many other places in the world, the signs of the approaching end are much clearer, and the difficulties associated with living as a servant of Christ are increasingly severe. Thus, while we might read this passage and be afraid of the sufferings we might go through, I believe that God has helped our missionaries in Middle-Eastern and African nations to read Jesus' words in today's passage and find much encouragement in the midst of their sufferings, for Jesus says that those who stand firm to the end will be saved and that the gospel must first be preached to all nations on earth. Jesus did not sugar-coat his message to his disciples because he knew that they would have to face these trials; instead, he gave them the words of encouragement and warning they would need.
Personally, when I look at the challenges we face in America, I realize that our danger is that we would be tempted to hold onto the material things we can enjoy here by neglecting Jesus' world mission command. I think many American Christians fear that God would call them as missionaries to poor countries where Christians are persecuted. That is why it is good for us to study this passage, which helps us have the right perspective of this world and our lives in it. The key point is that we must put our hope not in this world, which will pass away, but in Jesus who will come again and reign forever. So we must think about the second-part of Jesus' teaching—the part about what will happen when he comes.
Part 3. The Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory (vs. 24-37)
Look at verses 24-27. Let's read these verses responsively:
24 “But in those days, following that distress, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 26 At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 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.'”
When Jesus comes back, it will be an event that no one in the world can miss. All of the lights in the heavens will be darkened in anticipation of the coming of the true Light of the World. At that time, all people on earth will look up and see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then all people on earth, for the first and final time, will suddenly all have the right perspective on life. Those who put their hope in Jesus and who suffered for Jesus' name sake in obedience to His world salvation command will know that all of their labor and tears were not in vain. They will be full of joy. Those who thought that the things of this world were greater than Jesus and who neglected to serve God's world salvation purpose will realize their big mistake and feel regret. At that time, all of the most glorious buildings, creations, and achievements of mankind on earth will pail in comparison to Jesus' power and glory.
When will all this take place? Look at verses 28-37. One of the reasons Jesus told his disciples all these things was so that they would not be caught off-guard when he returns. No one knows precisely when Jesus will return, but when we look at all of the signs Jesus mentions in this passage, we can be sure that Jesus' coming is indeed near. Therefore, we must hold onto the words of God rather than anything in this world, for heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus' words will never pass away.
What should we do, then, in light of Jesus' teachings in this passage? Throughout the passage, Jesus continually warns his disciples to be on their guard and be alert. In fact, the very first word Jesus says is “watch,” and the last word he says is also “watch!” In verses 34-37, Jesus encourages us to watch as if we were servants whose master went away on a journey. Let's read these verses:
34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 'Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!”
About 2000 years ago Jesus indeed went away, leaving his disciples in charge of his ministry, each with his assigned task. In view of Jesus' second coming, which could happen at any time, Jesus encourages us to be faithful to the mission he has given us. Overall, the mission he has given us is to preach the gospel to all nations on earth, but practically he has given each person different tasks to do in serving his world mission command.
Personally, I thank God for this passage because it helps me to have a biblical perspective on this world and my life. As I shared earlier in the message, I am easily impressed by all the things that people are able to do with the talents God has given us. Not only so, but I enjoy the comfortable life that we have here in America, and I found that in my heart there is some reluctance to fully give myself to Jesus' world salvation command because I would like to hold onto some of the comforts and things that this world has to offer, such as living in a safe environment where I don't need to worry about money and where I can spend my days smiling under the beautiful California sun. All of these desires are somewhat in conflict with Jesus' desire for me to obey his world mission command. But through this passage, I found that that key to being set free from this conflict is to put my hope in Jesus' second coming. This world and all that is in it will pass away, but Jesus will come in glory and power, and neither he nor his words will ever pass away. My job as a disciple of Jesus is to obey Jesus' world mission command, which I can do wholeheartedly regardless of the costs by putting my hope in Jesus.
May God bless all of us to put our hope in Jesus who is coming again in glory and power so that we would not be deceived by this world, but instead give ourselves fully to God's world mission purpose.
One word: To all nations
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