Persevering to the End

Living in Light of Coming Judgement

Intro

Please do keep your bible’s open as we look at our passage this morning in Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Mark.

If you went to the doctor’s tomorrow, and found out that you had one year to live – what would you do?

What if you had three months?

What about two weeks?

What if it was just one day?

What we know about the future shapes how we live in the present.

As we’ve been going through our series in Mark’s Gospel we’ve been looking at Jesus in the past couple of weeks as he has arrived in Jerusalem in his final days before his death. Jesus has entered Jerusalem triumphantly, cursed the temple, and had altercations with the scribes and Pharisees before our passage this morning where we read verse 1 that Jesus leaves the temple.

Mark chapter 13 contains what is known as the Olivet Discourse, as Jesus teaches on the Mount of Olives overlooking the temple. This morning we’ll look at the first half of this discourse, which focuses more on Jesus’ warnings surrounding the destruction of the temple in 70AD, and next week we’ll look at the second half where Jesus focuses more on his second coming. And as we look at this prophetic text we should learn how we are to live as Christians today in light of a future coming judgement.

1 - Fix Your Eyes on Jesus (13:1-4)

Please look with me at the first few verses of Mark 13:

Mark 13:1–4 · ESV

¹And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ²And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” ³And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

As Jesus and the disciples make their way out of the temple, one of the disciples comments on the beauty of the temple. And whichever disciple it was, was right in a sense. The temple in Jerusalem was externally a wonder to behold. Made of massive white stones, with gold inlays and bronze gates. The Jewish historian Josephus described it as a “Mountain of Snow”. For us to behold it would be like seeing the Taj Mahal, or St Peter’s Basilica, or the Arc de Triomphe, or the Pyramids of Giza, or Duncan’s favourite – Buckingham Palace.

But for the disciples it was even more so, because aside from the physical beauty, it was also the centre of Jewish history and identity. It symbolised the covenant between God and Israel, and was the place where God dwelt among them. But as we remember from a couple of weeks ago in Mark’s gospel – Jesus entered the temple, uncovering its hypocrisy and evil, cursed it, and denounced it as a den of robbers. Rather than standing as a symbol of God’s favour on Israel, Jesus declared it to be a stumbling block, a symbol of God’s judgement upon them.

And this is seen in Jesus’ actions at the start of this chapter. Verse 1 Jesus came out of the temple, and verse 3: he sat down on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple.

We read in the book of Ezekiel, how the prophet sat down on the Mount of Olives and saw the glory of God leave the temple, leaving it defenceless and vulnerable. This was a foreshadowing of the first destruction of the temple, where God brought down covenant curses on Israel, the temple being destroyed, and only a remnant being preserved and taken into captivity. And we see the same thing happening in this passage. Jesus, God become man, leaves the temple. And after leaving the temple, he sits down on the same mount and tells his disciples of the coming destruction of the temple, and the judgement that will arrive.

”There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

We’ve seen time and time again in the gospel, how the disciples continually misunderstand Jesus, how they don’t get what he’s doing. Even now that they have understood that Jesus is the Christ, they don’t understand what that means. They’ve seen Jesus enter Jerusalem as the King, but now he’s saying that the temple will be destroyed? For the disciples, and the Jews at that time, the destruction of the temple could only mean that it was the end of the age. They couldn’t envision life without the temple. They still don’t understand Jesus and his Messianic work, even though he has told them of his coming death and resurrection.

And so they ask him verse 4, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign that these things are about to be accomplished?”

This view, that the destruction of the temple, and the end of the age would happen at the same time, was typical of Jews living at this time. Because the Old Testament often flattens prophecies in a way, presenting things which may not take place at the same time side by side. It’s like looking at something with only one eye open, you have no depth perception and things which are further away and closer to you can look like they’re beside each other. Where the Old Testament only revealed the coming of Jesus darkly in types and shadows, we can now fully understand it in the revelation of Jesus.

Jesus is explicit with the disciples in John’s Gospel when he tells them that he did not come to judge the world. The disciples did not understand that Jesus was going to come twice. Once to die to redeem his people and usher in the Kingdom of God in this present age, and once again in the future, in the age to come, when he will return again to judge the living and the dead.

Jesus, the Christ, has come to Jerusalem to die. And he uses every bit of time he has with the disciples to prepare them for how to live when he is gone. His answer to the disciples’ questions in the rest of Mark chapter 13 shows how Jesus separates the disciples’ misunderstanding in their question by teaching on both the destruction of the temple and the end of the age when Jesus returns in his second coming. Jesus compares these two events – and answering the disciples in the manner that they’ve asked, places them side by side. Because both events will involve judgement, both will require vigilance, both will have similar signs of their imminence. At this time the disciples couldn’t comprehend that they would be different events, but once Jesus died and rose again, they would be able to realise what he meant when he told them these things.

But before we continue hearing Jesus’ prophecies on these coming events, let’s take some time to consider how we should reframe our way of looking at the world based on what we’ve already seen from Jesus.

It would be amazing if one day Redeemer had a building of our own. A place that we owned, in the community, where the gospel could be proclaimed. But the goal shouldn’t ever be for the building itself – but because of what it would be used for, and how it would facilitate that. If we had a church building that was used for true worship of God, for the proclamation of the gospel, for prayer and evangelism, then we could rejoice in having a building that is used for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. But if we are like the Israelites, hypocrites who use a church building for our own self-serving; who turn the building into a den of robbers; who oppress the poor and needy; who have fixed our eyes on the things of the world rather than the things of God – then we have made the same mistake that the disciples made.

Rather we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. We need to listen to his words, and, as we will see, obey his commands.

Jesus himself declared something greater than the temple is here.

If Redeemer has a building, or we each have cars, and houses, and clothes, and technology, and whatever else – but we don’t have Jesus, but we don’t have faith, but we don’t care for the vulnerable, but we don’t have love –

Then we have nothing but symbols of judgement.

Are you focusing on the right things? Are you creating the right priorities in your life?

Do you say look at this job, or look at this holiday, or look at this family, or look at this hobby?

They won’t last.

Nothing will. All the things of this world will pass away.

Rather we need to have an eternal mindset. One that is fixed upon Jesus and his glory. We need to look forward to the end of this age and the eternity beyond. That is what matters. All this – doesn’t. Nothing you have is yours. Your time is like vapour, like mist, like smoke. It is here today and then vanishes. Your life will be gone, your body will rot and decay. But there is coming a time when there will be judgement. We must live in light of that judgement by fixing our eyes on Jesus.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

2 - As He Tells You How to Live (13:5-13)

Look with me from verse 5:

Mark 13:5–13 · ESV

⁵And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁶Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. ⁹“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹²And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Before Jesus tells of the destruction of the temple from verse 14 on, he first tells of both the signs that will precede it, as well as how the disciples are to live in the meantime. The destruction of the temple is a typological judgement of what is to come when Jesus returns. Jesus will return to judge. The commands for how the disciples are to live as they approach this destruction of the temple in 70AD should also then be typological for us as we live awaiting Jesus’ second coming.

When Jesus tells of wars and famines and earthquakes and false teachers and Anti-Christs and persecution, he doesn’t tell of specific events, but rather that these are the beginning of birth pains. These events will happen as the disciples approach 70AD and will also continue as we await Jesus’ return. Jesus’ description of these events in verse 8 as the beginning of birth pains suggests that wars, famines, false teachers will all come and go, with periods of peace and calm, and then more of trouble. And as we progress in this age we should expect them to get gradually worse and more frequent over time, just like in childbirth, until Jesus returns to set all things right.

Jesus speaks as Israel’s final prophet, giving clear instructions to his disciples on what they must do. Look at all the warnings he gives them in this section alone:

Verse 5: see that no one leads you astray.

Verse 7: do not be alarmed.

Verse 9: be on your guard.

Verse 11: do not be anxious… and say whatever is given you.

Verse 13: endure to the end.

Jesus shows his care for us, and his care for the disciples, by telling us what will happen. He doesn’t leave us in the dark. We know what will happen. And so we should do as he has commanded. We should be on guard, we should endure, we should have hope, we should not be worried or anxious. We know where our hope lies, so we should then live in light of this.

We should not be led astray. We must be on our guard. False teachers aren’t just something that we read about in the bible and existed in ancient times. They don’t just exist in big American prosperity gospel churches. They don’t just exist in the Roman Catholic Church, or in any of the false religions of today. They can, and surely do, exist in Ireland, now, and will do their best to lead people astray. Away from the truth of the gospel.

Jesus is warning his disciples. They know Jesus. They know him as the Christ. They are walking with him, and yet Jesus warns them. And if Jesus warns the disciples thusly, how much more should we be vigilant ourselves.

The one who endures to the end will be saved.

Part of how we know our own election and can be assured of our salvation is by our perseverance in the race. Let us then cling closely to the word of God, testing all that we hear against scripture as our final authority in all faith and practice.

When Jesus tells the disciples not to be alarmed verse 7 when they hear of wars and rumours of wars, he has in mind particularly verse 19 when he tells of such a great tribulation regarding the siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple. How can Jesus tell his disciples not to be alarmed even when that happens, or other wars happen? It is only by faith which rests in Jesus. If Jesus is our only hope in life and death, then no matter what happens we need not be alarmed. Because we know our outcome is secure.

Are you alarmed, anxious, worried when you lose your job?

Are you alarmed, anxious, worried when you consider world politics?

Are you alarmed, anxious, worried when that family member treats you poorly?

In your weakest, darkest moments you need not be alarmed if Jesus is on your side.

If Christ is for you, who can stand against you?

Jesus warns the disciples verse 9, look with me, they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.

Jesus warns his disciples of the need to count the cost of following him. Life in this age will not be easy. There will be persecution. You may not be beaten and killed as the disciples were, or as many Christians around the world today are, but if you are a follower of Jesus you shouldn’t expect the world who hates God to love you. Rather you should be expected to be hated for your allegiance to him. Are you ready for that? If Christianity became illegal in Ireland tomorrow and you lost your job, and your house, and were imprisoned and separated from your family – would you endure to the end?

What about Jesus’ words in verse 12: Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.

I know there are some here this morning for whom this is true. Your families hate you for your love of God. This is a sad reality of the broken, sin-stained world we live in, and is a poor reflection of what God had in mind when he created families. Let me encourage you, as Jesus does, to endure to the end. Praying for, and loving your family even as they do not love you. Jesus himself was rejected by his own family and hometown and can sympathise with you in this.

But for some we need to ask – do you love your family more than God? Because if we love our family more than God we won’t be able to persevere when they hate us – nor will we rejoice at Jesus’ return. Because Jesus will return in judgement. But if we love God more than our family, then we can and will rejoice when Jesus returns, and we will be able to live in light of that reality now. We will be able to know that though they may hate us and despise the truth, because of our love for God which overflows into love for our families we will love them anyway, and proclaim the gospel to them for salvation from this coming judgement.

One posture will fear the coming of the Lord, the other will long for it, and live in light of it.

The only way that we can live as we await Jesus’ return is to do so by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who will comfort us in affliction and tribulations. It is the Spirit who will give us the words to say when we have opportunity. Verse 11: Do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is preparing the disciples for his departure and is seeking to comfort them by telling them about the Holy Spirit, also called the Comforter, who will be with them when he is gone. This same Holy Spirit we have now and in him we live and move and have our being.

Jesus warns us that rather than being deceived and led astray, that we need to stand firm, on our guard. The Jews were faithless and the temple became a den of robbers rather than a house of prayer. If we want to escape the same judgement and destruction that they will face, we need to endure to the end to be saved. It is the Spirit that will ensure that we stand firm, unswayed, not led astray, and by whom we will endure to the end for our salvation.

Jesus doesn’t give specific timings of when he will return in judgement, in fact as we will see next week, he will say that no one knows when he will return – the signs and warnings that he gives are general and should prevent complacency in us. Yet, we should hope for, and long for the Lord’s return. But that shouldn’t prevent us from living our lives in this present age while we wait.

Would you plant a church tomorrow if you knew that Jesus would return the day after?

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel Jesus tells his disciples:

Matthew 28:19–20 · ESV

¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Jesus will be with us by his Spirit to the end of the age. What then are we to do while we await his return? Proclaim the gospel, obeying Jesus’ commands and teaching others to also.

Look at verse 10: The gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.

The coming of the end of the age isn’t a licence for us to sit back and do nothing. No in fact just the opposite. It is because of the coming judgement that we must preach the gospel. The gospel is the only hope we have in the judgement to come. Note that Jesus doesn’t say that first everyone on earth must believe the gospel. Just that it must first be preached to all the nations. This happened across the Roman Empire before the destruction of the temple in 70AD, and must happen across the world before Jesus’ return. Amidst persecution, war, and hatred, the gospel must be proclaimed. And Jesus has commanded us to do so as he tells us how to live.

3 - Knowing That Judgement is Coming (13:14-23)

And this brings us to our final section this morning as we consider Jesus’ prophecy against the temple in Jerusalem and the events surrounding its destruction by the hands of the Roman Empire.

The Jewish revolution against Rome, began by the Zealots, came to a head in 70AD. The son of the emperor, Titus, led the Roman army in the siege of Jerusalem and sacking of the city and the temple. Nick Needham, a church historian, writes this of the events:

Rome’s armies totally crushed the revolt, almost completely destroyed Jerusalem, and reduced the temple to a pile of smouldering ruins. The loss of Jewish life was horrific; the Jewish historian Josephus, who was alive at the time and wrote a history of the Jewish War, estimated that 1,100,000 Jews were killed in the fighting, and 97,000 taken captive and then sold into slavery or put to death for sport in the Roman arenas. The Jewish Palestinian Christians, however, took no part in the War; in obedience to the prophetic words of Jesus, they left Judaea before the serious fighting started, and took refuge in the Gentile town of Pella, in northern Peraea, east of the Jordan.

In the sacking of the city the temple was set on fire, and the Roman soldiers, seeking to preserve the gold inlays, overturned the stones of the temple, fulfilling Jesus’ words that there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

Look with me at Jesus’ prophecy of this time from verse 14:

Mark 13:14–23 · ESV

¹⁴“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ¹⁶and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁷And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸Pray that it may not happen in winter. ¹⁹For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. ²⁰And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ²¹And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²²For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.”

So accurate was Jesus’ prophecy of this time, that critics of the bible think that it must have been written after the events of 70AD.

But what is the abomination of desolation, and what is it that the reader is supposed to understand? These are both references to the end of the book of Daniel, which like this passage in Mark, and the book of Revelation, is apocalyptic literature. The call to let the reader understand refers to the prophecy in Daniel chapter 8 where Daniel, having seen a vision, struggles to understand its meaning, and the angel Gabriel says to Daniel “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

Jesus is showing that he is the one who will explain the mysteries that Daniel was not able to fully understand. The abomination of desolation is similarly referred to in Daniel chapters 9 and 12. Many Jews believed this prophecy of the abomination of desolation standing where he should not as being fulfilled by the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes who set up a pagan altar in the temple in Jerusalem in 168BC. But Jesus shows that that was at best a foreshadowing of the true desolation. What Daniel’s prophecy really referred to was the destruction of the temple that was to come.

But why was Israel, and the temple to experience this judgement? This destruction of the temple is a continuation of the judgement that Jesus began by his cursing of the temple that we saw a couple of weeks ago. While that was temporary in his kicking out of the money-changers and traders, this would be permanent. The destruction of the temple marked the completion of the Old Covenant, as the curses of the covenant were finally and totally enacted upon Israel.

God had promised to Abraham two promises. First, a numerous, physical offspring, who would inhabit the land of Canaan. And second, a single offspring who would be a blessing to the nations. This covenant that God made with Abraham was continued with the nation of Israel, where God promised them blessings and continued living in the land if they obeyed his law, and cursing and exile if they disobeyed him. The first promise to Abraham was fulfilled with the dedication Solomon made of the temple he built for God. The people were numerous and inhabiting the land. But the people continued to disobey, and so God poured out the curses of the covenant on Israel, destroyed the northern kingdom, and sent Judah into exile – preserving a remnant until the second promise to Abraham was fulfilled.

And with the birth of Jesus, that promise to Abraham is complete, and there are no promises left to be fulfilled, nothing to stop God from pouring out his judgement and curses upon Israel for their disobedience. Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, it is done and finished, and so God destroys the temple, the symbol of that covenant and its sacrifices, and brings judgement on the disobedient Israelites.

This is why the writer to the Hebrews writes In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Old Covenant was made obsolete with Jesus’ coming, and was fully done away with in 70AD with the destruction of the temple that Jesus prophecies about here. And in the same way that God used the surrounding nations to bring judgement upon Israel in the Old Testament God does the same here, using the Roman Empire to bring an end to the people of Israel.

When the Jews asked Jesus whether they should pay taxes to Caesar or not, Jesus replied to offer to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s. But the Jews do neither – and assure their own destruction by God at the hand of the Romans.

And this whole section telling of what will happen is sad. It is a terrible thing to suffer judgement at the hands of a Holy God. And this is what is happening. A judgement from God on a disobedient people. But we must also see God’s patience even in this judgement. Not only did God preserve Judah until now, where he had destroyed the Northern tribes, but he waits for 70 years after the birth of Jesus to enact his judgement which he could have poured out there and then.

But this judgement should still give us pause. We shouldn’t just gloss over this, even if it might make us uncomfortable. Because it is a stark reminder that there is judgement for not following God. There is judgement for our disobedience, for our sin. Israel disobeyed – and was destroyed.

Jesus will go on in the rest of this discourse on the Mount of Olives to tell of his return, when he comes again. And when Jesus returns it will be as a judge. All Christians confess the words of the Apostle’s Creed which says that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. In Matthew’s account of this passage, Jesus tells of how the faithless will be cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. They will be sent into the eternal fire, into eternal punishment. This is serious. And we should learn from this judgement on Israel as we await Jesus’ return.

The Christians in Jerusalem listened to Jesus’ words, and they fled Jerusalem during the revolt. We are to obey Jesus’ words for our salvation.

Look from verse 15: Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.

There is danger in looking back, in tarrying too long, in being too attached to the things of the world. We don’t know the day or the hour of Jesus’ return. We are to be vigilant and on our guard. To those who think that they can make themselves right with God some other time, just not now – Jesus’ warning is stark. We must flee to Jesus for our refuge immediately.

Recently, when Okiki and I were in London, the fire alarm in the hotel we were staying at went off in the middle of the night. Now, when you get to a certain stage you tend to just ignore fire alarms because they’re always drills or accidents, and so we didn’t leave the room, and sure enough, after a few seconds the alarm turned back off. And we were safe, because there was no fire. But if there was a fire it would have been a different story. Because we waited. The comfort of the bed was higher than our urgency to get out. If you’re in a burning building and someone has told you about it and your need to get out, you don’t pack your bags. You leave immediately.

A couple of weeks ago we sang one of my favourite hymns – Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy, of which one of the verses says this:

Come, ye weary, heavy-ladened, lost and ruined by the fall!If you tarry till you’re better, you will never come at all.

The time to come to Jesus is now.

In Jesus’ instructions in this section Jesus both tells the people to verse 18: Pray that it may not happen in winter as well as verse 14: let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. The people are told both to pray, as well as to flee. This should be a lesson to us. We don’t just “let go and let God”, but we do as we’re commanded. We pray, and we take action.

There is a famous illustration of the drowning man who sees a boat. And the people on the boat ask the man if he needs help, to which he responds that no, he’s fine, he’s trusting in God to save him. And the boat leaves and then a lifeguard swims up and asks if the man needs help, but again the man says no, God will rescue him. And finally someone throws the man a life ring, but the man doesn’t accept it for the same reasons as before, and he drowns. And he gets to heaven and asking God why he didn’t save him, God replies that he sent him a boat, a lifeguard, and a life ring.

God has given us bodies and minds. We are to use the means and resources and blessings he has given us in this life. If we have legs, we are to flee to the mountains. We need to have faith in, and be found in, Jesus to escape the coming judgement. Faith obeys. It wouldn’t be faith for the Christians then to say that they had believed Jesus’ words and then stay in Jerusalem when they saw the signs he had talked about. As we live awaiting coming judgement we must live in obedience to all that Jesus has commanded us.

And we should also be comforted as we read this passage. Jesus speaks according to his prophetic office here, but he also does so in his priestly office, comforting the disciples and encouraging their prayers. Jesus commands us to be vigilant and prepared and to avoid being led astray, but he also gives assurance and comfort that the elect of God will persist.

Verse 13: The one who endures to the end will be saved.

Verse 22: For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

The implication here being that it is in fact, impossible, to lead the elect astray.

What good news this is! That even in the midst of destruction and judgement, God will not let his people fall away. The Christians in Jerusalem avoid the curses of God by fleeing the city, and they would not be led astray by any who sought to mislead them. And if you are a Christian today the same is true. You can have full assurance that God will keep you to the end, that you will endure, that you will be saved.

In the final judgement we read verse 27 that Jesus will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

And if you are a Christian then let’s praise and thank God that it is only because of his patience that we have been saved. For the sake of the elect Christian Jews God was patient in bringing destruction to Jerusalem. And Jesus is patient in this time. Each one of us has only been saved because God did not bring his judgement upon us before we turned to him in faith and repentance.

What will you do with the patience that he is still affording to us? Will you run to Jesus for protection? Will you tell others about this need for safety that is only found in him?

Jesus’ delay in his return is not that he has forgotten his promise – but that he is merciful and patient. As the apostle Peter writes:

2 Peter 3:9–10 · ESV

⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Conclusion

Many people today don’t like judging, or the concept of judgement. But judgement is a good thing. Because we have a perfect, holy, God we know that no sin will go unpunished. No wrong will not be made right.

Jesus will come again to judge. Those who trust in him will be judged righteous and those who don’t will be judged guilty. The righteous will go into eternal life, and the guilty to eternal damnation.

The disciples looked at the beauty of the temple, but one greater than the temple is here. Let us fix our eyes then on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, and listen as he tells us how to live, knowing that this judgement is coming. The temple could not provide atonement for sin, but the blood of Jesus can. This is the gospel. We are sinners, there is coming judgement, but we can be reconciled to God by receiving grace and mercy from Jesus, through whom we will be considered righteous on that judgement day.

Let me finish with these words from John’s Revelation, speaking of those times after the coming judgement:

Revelation 21:2–4; 22–27; 22:20 · ESV

²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” … ²²And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. ²³And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, ²⁵and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. ²⁶They will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. ²⁷But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. … ²⁰He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!