Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons

Mark says this passage happens 2 days before the Passover... John says it's 6 days. Mark (like Luke) put together a thematically orderly account, not chronologically rigid.

There's a chiasm, centered on the woman's good work being beautiful. Its structure helps understand the perceived timing discrepancy. Mark's main point is shown in the chiasm: the beauty of the woman's good work vs the chief priests who are supposed to be the good example! He's showing us what true discipleship looks like.

Another apparent discrepancy: John only describes Jesus' feet being anointed, where Mark and Luke say His head (and it ran down to His feet).

v1-2... stealth: "deceit". Like Jacob deceiving his father. They want to arrest Jesus, but not in full view, lest the people riot, though Judas' timing threw things off; the Sanhedrin ended up with Jesus high and lifted up on Passover, for the world to see! It was VERY public. In trying to silence Him, they secured His victory!

v3... Bethany is 2 miles east of Jerusalem. Psalm 133:1 fellowship! Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus) poured out all the expensive ointment; it ran down His head and body to His feet. Washing His feet with her hair, she's saying her best parts aren't worthy of His dirtiest parts.

v4-5... some disciples ask, why was the ointment wasted?! It could have been used to provide for the poor, according to Judas. Some people think it's their business to tell others how to spend their money. This is an anointing for Jesus' burial. 

Nard is mentioned in the Song of Solomon. The woman anoints her lover; this is echoed here as Mary of Bethany loves Jesus. Song of Solomon ends with a woman searching a garden for her lost lover... When Jesus is resurrected, Mary is looking for him in the garden. It's all a picture of Jesus and the Church.

v6... Leave her alone! She's done a beautiful thing to me! Jesus is the defender of the true Church. Mary didn't need to defend herself; Jesus defended her, as He will do for us.

v7... Dt 15:11: He cares for the poor, but they'll always be there to take care of. He's only here for a short time longer. 

v8... she's done what she could, anointing Him for burial. Did Mary hear Jesus talk about his impending crucifixion? It's possible. Women in the gospel often had more spiritual insight than men.

v9... she's an example of the true Church! 

v10... Judas went to betray Him. And he plotted and planned it, which is more severe than simply sinning in the moment.

v11...when the other disciples heard Jesus's words, they rejoiced! But Judas sought an opportunity to betray Him.  

In Matthew and Mark the anointing with oil is described 2 days from the last supper, then John says those things happened 6 days apart.

V1-2... Trying to arrest Jesus by stealth = doing something deceitfully.

V3... Simon the(we assume former) leper. We won't know who he is. They all entertained each other around the table.

The woman is Mary. She was interrupting the men, unusual for the time. She pours a huge amount of expensive ointment on Jesus, snapping the neck off the decanter to let it flow. A pound of pure nard. Almost a year's salary! She may be rich, or it may be a family heirloom. It flows from his head down to his feet. She rubs it into his feet with her hair. A woman's hair is her glory! Feet are the dirtiest part. She was equating her best with Jesus' worst. She was saying she wasn't worthy! 

V4-5... Some were indignant at the waste. Other accounts say Judas was particularly upset, calling it wasteful when the poor could benefit from it! That was insincere. He would later betray Jesus.

2 Timothy 3... People will become lovers of self, and lovers of money. Judas had this vice. He was only thinking about how much money he could have made from a transaction involving the nard. 

Stay away from people like this! And don't be this kind of person yourself. Focused on what other people have, what you have. Money is one of the great snares. The love of it is the root of all evil. It's a misplaced passion. 

When you're angry at someone, the way to stop being angry is: pray for them! Likewise, if you have a problem with money, start giving it away! Be generous! The more we entertain to the Lord, the less it has a hold on us!

Judas is so angry he strikes a deal for Jesus' murder. 

V6... Mary has done a beautiful thing! An act of generosity, even worship. Hold nothing back from God! Only care what he thinks about you, not the world. 

There are no happy selfish people. 

Living for the Lord is a good life! You can never give too much to the King of kings, the Lord of lords!

Footnote... public manipulation 101: find the perfect victim to further your cause. In this case, the poor are supposedly suffering because of this woman's crazy act of worship. She's hurting the poor! Jesus says be quiet...

V7-8... You'll always have to poor. Yes, minister to the poor. But they'll always be there for you to help. Jesus is leaving soon! He's with them only for a little while.

V9... He tells them what she's done will always be told in memory of her! So is the disciples' own foolishness. 

V10... Judas betrays Jesus, telling the leaders where they can find him in the night. A calculated betrayal, resulting in a payout for Judas. 30 pieces of silver, or 120 denarii. He values Jesus the same as the leftover oil that feel on the floor. 

Be like Mary. Hold nothing back!

That's today's text. 

1 thought...

Verse 8! The best verse :-) She has done what she could! The Greek: "What she had, she did!" What better than to hear that from Jesus!

From those to whom much has been given, much is required. 

The widow giving her mite (Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4)... What she had, she gave. Give it all to God, and hold nothing back! Give back to Him what He's given you... to His glory! Pour it all out with nothing left over.

Closing...

Nard is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament. Song of Solomon... a woman and man are in love. The woman is the Church, the man is the Lord. 

We give to the Lord and serve Him because we love Jesus!

Mary anoints Jesus like this because He is worthy! Surrender all to Him.

Revelation shows there'll be a lot of singing in Heaven! Revelation 5:12... Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! 

Nard was heavy, thick, not much needed normally. It was enough to prepare Jesus body for burial. He probably smelled like it on the cross. It smelled of the love of the Church. And the was whipped and beaten and hung on the cross. 

We are to love Him with everything we have! And remember what he's done for us. 

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Here's what your kids were taught today:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qCgBTh5-uog63ZJ1oxWVGCZLEX8v4naF?usp=sharing

Mark 13:32-37 is also a chiasm! And it's the conclusion to the Olivet Discourse. The whole section seems to be a different timeline than the fig tree section earlier; it's about the Master returning to the house.

The heart of the Olivet Discourse is to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. While the Master is gone from our home, we are doorkeepers who each have our own work to do for the kingdom... our work is to, in various ways, proclaim the Gospel to all nations!

v32...

Only the Father knows the time and day. Hebrews 4:15... Jesus is truly God, and also truly human. As the Son, He fully relinquished His life into the hands of the Father. In His deity, He knows all things, but in His humanity, he was limited to not know. So as someone who has experienced limited knowledge, He understands our worries!

v33...

Be on guard, stay awake, for we don't know when He's coming! Be vigilant, but not at the expense of enjoying life, enjoying the Lord! Lay down your life for the glory of God, but enjoy what you have while you have it: the conclusion of Ecclesiastes. It all belongs to God. Be very serious about your faith, your walk with God, your witness, and seriously enjoy God! Phillippians 4:4: be joyful! 

Jesus is coming at a time when we don't expect it. Just be ready, be found spreading the Gospel with our lives! The return of the Lord is a source of joy. We celebrate because we'll spend eternity with Him!

v34... Jesus will go on a journey (ascend to the Father)... we will be left to do His work in the meantime. In the Bible, there is no such thing as an undercover Christian: you are either a faithful priest or a wicked priest! You must be all in for God, not living in sin. Walk in repentance. Be good and faithful servants!

v35... Stay awake, so He doesn't find you sleeping! 1 Thessalonians: the day will come like a thief in the night. Be on alert. We just need to be ready!

v37... Stay awake!

Conclusion...

Question: Does the thought of Jesus returning terrify you, or bring you hope?

If you're unaffected, you should be terrified. Luke gives an example of the wicked servant who paid no mind to the return of the master, and got chopped to pieces.

If it terrifies you, either you're in sin, or you're struggling with assurance.

 - Regarding sin, you need to deal with it NOW. Bring people in if you must, accountability partners. 

 - Regarding assurance, talk to your pastor. And remember: it's not about your performance or failures, but His sufficiency, who He is! To see if you're a genuine believer, read through 1 John. Are you living it day to day, trusting in Him, gathering with the Church? If so, cross it off. You're good! You don't need a lightning-bolt moment to know you're saved, and your failures don't dictate whether you're saved. Stop worrying and accept that He has done the work!

If the thought of His return brings you hope, you can live in the joy of knowing that you belong to Him, and simply live in a state of being ready for His return!

If you're indifferent, you're like the wicked priests... a servant in the Church who is mistreating the Church.

Final thought:

Check the Study Guide! Some Church history...

The earliest sources show that Jesus is coming back. So we spend a lot of time thinking about when and how. 

The early Church overcame Rome and Christianized it. Augustine settled into amillennialism. It looked from the perspective of their time that all the things spoken about the return of Jesus were in the past.

Luther and the reformers changed back to a more Biblical perspective in general, but kept Augustine's a millennial perspective, because Luther didn't like certain books of the Bible.

In the 1830s, Darby came up with dispensationalism, wherein the rapture is a separate event from the second coming. The Lord returns, gathers His elect in the air, leaves, the 7 years of great tribulation happen, then He comes back to judge the living and the dead.

D.L. Moody and Billy Graham both believed whole-heartedly in the dispensationalist view, and used it as a tool to pressure people toward repentance.

Today there's a huge resurgence of post-millennialism: that the Lord will return at the end of all things, and the Church will usher in a golden age. In this view, all the events of Revelation happened in 70 AD.

So the Church historically believed in a post-tribulational return, before the millennium. The Augustine kicked off a 1400-year period of the main belief being there would be no millennium. The Puritans became post-millennials. Then in the 1800s through now, dispensationalism. Today, post-millennialism and preterism (which overlap) are popular. Preterism is the belief that the millennium began with Jesus' first coming and continues until He returns, eventually blossoming into the golden age of the Church. 

So lots of historical moving parts to this aspect of theology!

The disciples want precise timelines... Jesus declines to give them any, but says that when it comes, it will come quickly. In the meantime, we are to remain on guard!

Why has He waited so long? To allow as many souls as possible to enter His Kingdom! He waits because every day, more and more are being added to the Church! An act of mercy to the unsaved. We preach the Gospel to people so they would receive the Gospel, and as soon as the last person God wants to save is saved, He will come back. God knows who will be in Heaven. He's been preparing it for us, and He will gather His people! In the meantime, we wait and proclaim His Gospel. 

Mark 13: the center of the Mark 13 chiasm is to proclaim the Gospel! 

Today's text: Mark 13:32-37

In v32, we're talking armor "that day": we believe this is referring to the day of His return. There will be no warning, even He won't know until the moment! Nobody will know the date of His return.

v33... Be on guard, nobody knows the time. Keep watching for Him! Don't spiritually slumber. Be in guard against sin and rebellion in your life.

v34-35... Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake! 

The disciples will fail in each of the night watch periods (evening, midnight, before dawn, and dawn).

v36... Don't let Him find you asleep! When the time comes, it'll come suddenly. When He comes, there's no more time. The window has closed. 

v37... Stay awake! No details, just how to prepare: stay awake. 

That's today's text.

Our only warning is to be ready! 

The return of the Lord...

Pastor Josh's perspective: when will He return? We don't know. Should we avoid building charts showing the order? Not necessarily. But don't be dogmatic about it. 

There are many different ideas held by many people who love the Lord a lot. 

It's ok to pick a position on these things, but hold it with open hands, open to people with different perspectives. 

The order of the Olivet Discourse: all these things will happen, then the return of the Lord. Jesus comes last.

In Revelation, he comes, then the people endure through trials. But the post-tribulation perspective diminishes the surprise of the return of the Lord. His return is described as a thief in the night. An hour we the Church won't expect! No warning, no sign. If he's coming back after the tribulation, there's no reason for us to live in a state of preparedness until the tribulation has happened. 

"Didache": an early Church document saying how the Church is to conduct itself. It says to be ready! We know not the day nor the hour! 

Spurgeon: can't tell if the millennium will come first, but the indistinctness in Scripture seems intentional, so that we may be ready!

Illustration about Josh's kids being told to get ready to leave the house: they have no idea what it takes to leave the house (cleaning, prepping the babies, etc). They just have to be ready!

Is he comes right now: how will you be found? Drunk? Harboring anger towards someone? In an affair? Be faithful! Be ready! You cannot be found wicked!

Be righteous! 5 minutes into eternity, you'll never regret praying too much, spending too much time in the Word. Do it now! We know not the time! Be ready! 

That said, my faithfulness doesn't lead to my salvation. That would be legalism, a works-based righteousness.

You'll never be in Heaven because of your works. We're all only ever saved by grace. It's only because we came to Jesus in faith, and he washed away our sins. Only the grace of our God.

Faithful believers have the assurance of things hoped for! Our behavior follows our beliefs. "We are what we love." The saved are those who believe what Jesus said is true. The faithful servant simply truly believes the words of the master! 

You will know a tree by its fruit. If you believe in him, you'll stand at the door and wait! We must be men and women of conviction!

Two things...

1. If you're a believer, live for Christ! Study the Word to live the Word to share the Word. We have direct access to the Father! Ask Him anything! Ask Him to fix you! He'll slowly turn you into something more like Him. 

If there's ever a question whether you'll be in church Sunday morning, you're doing something wrong. Be with the Lord on His day! Be found awake! 

You won't be perfect. Romans 7. We're all imperfect. 

2. If you're a non-believer, come to Jesus! The return of the Lord is the best day for the believer, but the worst day for the non-believer. God's hand of friendship will be withdrawn on that day. They're will be no more opportunity to repent. Make your peace with the Lord, ask him into your life, and follow him from here on out. You're life will follow what you love!

v24-25...

There's good reason to believe the things Jesus speaks of after the tribulation are future events, but he's also using Old Testament apocalyptic language which Peter quotes as starting at Pentecost.

The balance... we can God will indeed begin to de-create the universe in the end times. And he's also speaking of church leaders being brought down in Jerusalem (in the way Revelation's "stars" refer to church leaders, human messengers, pastors). All the imagery applies to both scenarios; the universe must be destroyed, and the temple must be brought down.

Daniel 8:9-10... a horn is a mighty person... the stars are also people, rulers, authorities. These things will happen in the end times, but they are also fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem.

v26... the Son of Man coming in clouds is from Daniel... he'll return the way he left, in the clouds, in great power and glory; no one will be able to stand before Him. We who can stand in His presence on that day are covered by the blood of the Lamb; everyone else is crushed.

v27... the preterist view: it's all fulfilled at 70 AD, but this seems to be referring to the final gathering of the elect, not just the Great Commission. People will be gathered from everywhere! 

v28-29... the fig tree. Mark 11's fig tree parable applies here. Here he points at what the tree does before summer... the leaves start to sprout. The leaves are the signs, the false Christs, the rumors of wars... signs that summer is coming; get out of Jerusalem! Amos 8:1-2 predicts this as well.

v30... all these things have been fulfilled already, in the generation in which they were written. And there's a greater fulfillment coming. 

v31... His word will not pass away! The center of the Mark 13 chiasm: preach the Gospel to all nations! All the surrounding verses talk about things that happened around the destruction of Israel. "The stones will fall" <--> "The heavens and earth will pass away" - Jesus and His words will never pass away!

All earthly kingdoms must fall (as the temple), but His Word, His people will never pass away! We are now the temple of God.

The Olivet Discourse is a teaching on Jesus's return. Mankind tends to try and come up with theories that conclude what Jesus meant in terms of timing. American teachers tend to take sides rather enthusiastically, as if they're very certain of their view.

Jesus Himself says no one knows the day or the hour! Lots of pastors and leaders have died on the hill of the date they set for Jesus's return. We should tread lightly in regard to any predictions like this. 

Don't set dates... just be ready!

v24-25: this could be right after the fall of Jerusalem, or the end of all things. The Bible was written in genres: the Law, history, poetry, the Gospels, Apocalyptic literature... Jesus is speaking in apocalyptic language; He's describing rulers and authorities being replaced.

God designed Jerusalem to be where God and man meet. But the temple became a den of robbers! So the leaders of the temple needed to be replaced.

Every image Jesus uses here draws from the Old Testament, depicting the fall of a religious order. The Father will rip the temple veil in half.

v26: Daniel 7 describes Jesus coming to the Father, as in Revelation 5, "Who is worthy to take the scroll?" Jesus is the only one worthy. Jesus's dominion is never-ending! His Kingdom shall not be destroyed. This passage describes Jesus ascending into Heaven. 

When Jesus returns, the nations will see the King of the universe coming in the clouds, with great power! He will liberate His people, and crush the wicked. Do not be found asleep; stay awake!

v27: When He returns, He'll gather His people from everywhere, Jews and Gentiles, to Himself! 

Some big churches will do an "At the Movies" series, claiming they're doing the same as Jesus did, using pictures (parables)... but parables weren't meant to make concepts more accessible to the masses! He used them to obscure truths to the unregenerate and the immature. If you don't understand a parable, don't fret; sit with it for a while and ask God to show you what it means.

Parable of the fIg tree... like the one that didn't produce fruit, the temple had the appearance of fruit, but it was fruitless. Learn its lesson: when the leaves are budding, the time is at hand. When the temple did fall, there was not a single Christian in Jerusalem; they'd heeded Jesus' warning. 

v31: His words will never pass away!

That's today's text.

The big picture... 2 thoughts:

1. whether you believe Jesus will return before or after the Great Tribulation, you must acknowledge that the Church has been through great tribulation already, and will again: Nazi invasion of Poland, Communism in Russia... Jesus could come back whenever He wants.

Why does He wait? Life will be difficult for the believer. Peter asks this question. Scoffers make fun of him and the early Church...

Peter says in 2 Peter 3:9... God is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you! His timing is very different from our timing. He allows trials and makes us wait because every day, people are being saved! We should want his perfect timing! Suffering produces endurance , which produces character. The longer He waits, the more we grow to be like His Son!

In 2 Peter 3:10-14... upon His return, let Him not find you living in sin! Just be prepared. Will we be found ready? Will we be at peace, or falling for alarmism? 

He is patient for the sake of His Church.

2. (in v31:) His Word will never pass away! All through the Old Testament, God had to meet with man at a distance. But Jesus is making all things new! All the old things had to come crashing down, but His Word will never pass away. 

Jesus warned and pleaded, and they didn't listen, and eventually murdered Him. Then the Romans came, and the temple came down.

But all was not lost! Jesus came to give us something even better: Himself, and his Word. That will never come down. Whatever happens, all you have to do is go to the Book, and read what is.

There's no sin you can't overcome, if the Word of the Lord says you can. And that Word will never expire, never pass away!

Malachi 1...

Things were not going well in Judah (Jerusalem and surrounding areas). It was hard work, living among rubble, enemies inside and out. 

"Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated." Esau had no covenant with God, and he was gone. Jacob did have a covenant with God. When God makes a covenant, he carries it to completion!

When we get discouraged, we start giving back to God halfheartedly. But we must purpose in our hearts to love him completely! He has not failed us. The anger of man doesn't bring about the righteousness of God! 

God builds a foundation of love with us. How he works in our lives is based on how we respond to him. 

Malachi 2... 

Give honor to his name! Circumcise your heart! Levi had a covenant with God. A good teacher wants desperately to give you the truth of God's Word. He wrestles with it to makes sure he gets it right.

Teachers today wrestle with the Word because we are at the threshold of the terrible day of the Lord. It's a heavy calling.

The center of the main Malachi chiasm is Malachi 2:10-16. 

Malachi is calling Judah out for profaning the sanctuary of God. He's a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah. They're divorcing their wives, bringing young Moabite women into the temple, favoring foreign gods. And they're blaming God! 

The center of the chiasm is: when we said I do to our Lord and Savior, we entered into a covenant sealed with his blood. We must greatly consider our walk with him, and our interactions with the world!

In the early 20th century, we began compromising, promoting "progressive" values, little by little. Now we are dealing with the consequences of these compromises.

The people are asking, "Where is God's justice?" We get mad that God isn't nuking the evildoers. It's just like Jonah wanting Nineveh destroyed, or people today wanting Iran nuked. But God is patient! He is saving people in the midst of the evil (the fastest growing movement in Christianity right now is actually in Iran!)

Malachi 3...

The Jews needed to be ready for the coming of the Messiah.

Malachi 4...

We have to be ready for the Messiah's second coming!

We're going to dance on the ashes of God's enemies. We have light trouble now. We're going to be dancing in front of our Master in heaven! 

The Torah would condemn us, but Jesus has fulfilled the Torah!

God sent Elijah to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming Messiah.

We have the totality of God living in us. We need to be ready for whatever comes. Fathers, prepare your children!

The first thing to happen is the fall of the temple. 

v5-13... Getting a running start. "See that no one leads you astray..." Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, birth pains. Gospel proclaimed to all nations. Hated for His name's sake.

v14... "Abomination of desolation". To be brutally honest: this is a theological, eschatological, and historical minefield! Must understand: multiple timelines in view here! 1) Destruction of the temple, 2) Return of Jesus, 3) End of all things.

Primary context is the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Jesus told the disciples they will see and hear these things. This generation will not pass away! First stop: the destruction of the temple.

Where does "Abomination of desolation" come from? Three references in Daniel (9:27, 11:31, 12:11). The "abomination that causes desolation" is a scandal that will defile and profane the temple in Israel. When it happens, it's time to get out! Fast!

According to 1 Maccabees (a non-canonical historical book), 167 BC, Syrian general Antiochus IV erected an altar to Zeus and offered sacrifice in the temple. Sparked Maccabean Revolt!

Flee to the mountains! Reminiscent of Lot fleeing Sodom. Imminent destruction, don't look back! Greek/Aramaic meaning = something sacrilegious, an abomination to God that brings destruction.

What was the 1st Century abomination the disciples would see? Pastor Josh's vote: Jesus crucified on Mt. Moriah! The very place God provided substitute for Isaac (threshing floor of 2 Chronicles). What greater sacrilege/abomination than killing the Son of God on the holy mountain?! This brought the desolation of 70 AD.

Foreshadows a future abomination! 2 Thess 2:3-4 (Man of lawlessness taking his seat in the temple).

Rev 13:11-15: False prophet makes the earth worship the beast, gives breath to the image of the beast. Final fulfillment! Like Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel 3. If you don't bow to 666, you are slain. Run!

V15-18... Whenever the abomination is standing, run far away, fast. 

God's people listened! There's no historical record of any Christians in Jerusalem when the temple fell. Listen to God! It'll save your life.

V19-20... He shortened this time to allow the elect to survive. 

V21... False shepherds are coming!

V22... Without the Holy Spirit to preserve us, even the elect would not make it. Being led astray in this verse is a shepherding term. 

V23... Be on guard! Vigilant. Watch for liars seeking to be shepherds.

That's today's text. 

Warning: be on guard! What and who are our influences? Whom do we let influence us? Are we being subtly led astray? 

Be careful and on guard regarding...

- The "Prophecy Watch" mentality. It's ok to look forward to the return of the Lord! But there's a trend... Anytime anything happens in the Middle East, "Gog and Magog are on the move!" The battle of Armageddon is lining up... Be careful of this stuff. Sloppy scholarship, speculative, manipulative. Jesus said nobody knows the day or the hour! 

- Faith healers... How to pray with the full power of God... Prosperity teachers... God wants to open heaven for you, but there's a blockage, give God money!

Be like the Bereans! Check teachers against Scripture!

Legalism: ignore. You'll never be good enough for Heaven! Jesus died and rose again, and that's the only basis on which we can enter Heaven! 

Watch for the dilution of the Gospel. Watering down God's Word as not to cause offense, etc. God must have... changed over time? No.

Be on guard! Don't get led astray by false shepherds. Know The Book so well we won't fall for it. And even still, be on guard! 

Jesus tells us to prepare for the future by looking back at what he's told us, and done for us! Study the Word, and hold it as infallible and sacred! To spot the false shepherds... know the Good Shepherd!

We read the Word to know God! 

Study to know what God has prepared for us beforehand. We need to know God! And know His Word. 

v14...

"But when you see the abomination of desolation..." Matthew's account specifically links this to the prophet Daniel.

Daniel connections: Dan 9:27 (covenant for one week, half the week sacrifices end, desolator comes), Dan 11:31 (profaning the temple, setting up the abomination), Dan 12:11 (sacrifices taken away, abomination set up = 1,290 days). The point: whatever this abominable thing is, it brings desolation/destruction. So when it's set up, RUN!

Historical context: During the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew (intertestamental period), 1 Maccabees 1 records a "desolating sacrilege." People were put to death for circumcising babies or keeping the law; they hung infants from their mothers' necks. Many Jews chose to die rather than be defiled. This history foreshadows what Jesus is saying. There will also be a final abomination in Revelation.

v15-16...

Don't go down to get anything from your house or the field. Like Lot's family, go immediately. Just run. Don't look back.

v17-18...

Alas for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray it doesn't happen in winter. It's going to be an incredibly difficult time.

Fascinating connection: What if the "abominable thing" that happens is Christ crucified? If that is the abomination that brings the desolation (the final destruction of Jerusalem)... Matthew 24:28 makes perfect sense: "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

The Greek word for vulture is actually Eagle. The Roman legionary standard was an Eagle! Jesus was killed (God slaughtered outside the city)—this abominable act brings God's judgment. In 70 AD, Rome (the Eagle) gathered and destroyed the temple and city.

Luke 21:20-24 makes this plain: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know its desolation has come near." This is clearly connected to 70 AD. Jerusalem is trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Note: You can't fit this exclusively to the return of the Lord to a faithful Jewish people; the timeline in Luke points to the Gentile conquering).

v19...

"Tribulation as has not been from the beginning..." (Matthew calls it "great tribulation").

This phrase only occurs twice in the NT: here and Revelation 7:14.

The emphasis isn't just on the Jewish people inside Jerusalem; it's pointing to the severe persecution of the church around 70 AD (under Nero) and ultimately pointing to the great tribulation in Revelation. The slaughter of the church will be brutal and unrivaled.

v20...

The Lord will cut the days short. If He didn't, no human would be saved.

He shortens the days for the sake of the "elect." This word is only used here in Mark's gospel, implying God is calling a future people to Himself.

v21-23...

Don't believe people pointing to false christs!

False christs and prophets will do signs and wonders to try and lead astray the elect (if it were possible).

Jesus says: Be on guard. I've warned you beforehand!

v14...

"But when you see the abomination of desolation..." Matthew's account specifically links this to the prophet Daniel.

Daniel connections: Dan 9:27 (covenant for one week, half the week sacrifices end, desolator comes), Dan 11:31 (profaning the temple, setting up the abomination), Dan 12:11 (sacrifices taken away, abomination set up = 1,290 days). The point: whatever this abominable thing is, it brings desolation/destruction. So when it's set up, RUN!

Historical context: During the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew (intertestamental period), 1 Maccabees 1 records a "desolating sacrilege." People were put to death for circumcising babies or keeping the law; they hung infants from their mothers' necks. Many Jews chose to die rather than be defiled. This history foreshadows what Jesus is saying. There will also be a final abomination in Revelation.

v15-16...

Don't go down to get anything from your house or the field. Like Lot's family, go immediately. Just run. Don't look back.

v17-18...

Alas for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray it doesn't happen in winter. It's going to be an incredibly difficult time.

Fascinating connection: What if the "abominable thing" that happens is Christ crucified? If that is the abomination that brings the desolation (the final destruction of Jerusalem)... Matthew 24:28 makes perfect sense: "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

The Greek word for vulture is actually Eagle. The Roman legionary standard was an Eagle! Jesus was killed (God slaughtered outside the city)—this abominable act brings God's judgment. In 70 AD, Rome (the Eagle) gathered and destroyed the temple and city.

Luke 21:20-24 makes this plain: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know its desolation has come near." This is clearly connected to 70 AD. Jerusalem is trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Note: You can't fit this exclusively to the return of the Lord to a faithful Jewish people; the timeline in Luke points to the Gentile conquering).

v19...

"Tribulation as has not been from the beginning..." (Matthew calls it "great tribulation").

This phrase only occurs twice in the NT: here and Revelation 7:14.

The emphasis isn't just on the Jewish people inside Jerusalem; it's pointing to the severe persecution of the church around 70 AD (under Nero) and ultimately pointing to the great tribulation in Revelation. The slaughter of the church will be brutal and unrivaled.

v20...

The Lord will cut the days short. If He didn't, no human would be saved.

He shortens the days for the sake of the "elect." This word is only used here in Mark's gospel, implying God is calling a future people to Himself.

v21-23...

Don't believe people pointing to false christs!

False christs and prophets will do signs and wonders to try and lead astray the elect (if it were possible).

Jesus says: Be on guard. I've warned you beforehand!