Someday Jesus will return. His second coming is different than the rapture. The Rapture is when we as Christians are caught up with Him in the air. He will preserve us during the great tribulation and then we will return with Him at the second coming to defeat Satan and begin His millennial kingdom. This is the pre-millennial dispensational view. And of course, as was mentioned not the only view! In keeping with the PMD view we outlined Mark 13 this way:

As was mentioned last week, there are a plethora of Biblical theories about eschatology. The view we are expounding is called, “pre-millennial dispensationalism. It basically outlines Mark 13 like this:

1. Destruction of the Jewish City and Temple (13:1-2)

2. The Church Age – what we are living in now (13:3-12)

3. The Rapture of the church (13:13)

4. The 7 Year Tribulation (13:14-24)

5. The 2nd Coming of Jesus (13:25-27)

6. No one knows the exact time so keep watch (13:28-37)

In the very dumb movie, “The Three Amigo’s,” the outlaw used a word that has become popular to describe a large or excessive amount of something. The line… “Do you think I have a plethora of piñata’s?” The word PLETHORA surely applies to Mark 13, as there are a large or excessive amount

of theories as to what the passage means!

Jesus is the central figure in human history and the resurrection is histories main event (after creation).

The four Gospel writers all record the resurrection

from their own perspective with Mark’s Gospel

being the shortest. All of them, however, report the

same events.

Last week’s message titled, “While God Watched” signifies inaction. But actually, while God watched, He was very active in working out all the details of the crucifixion of His Son. How?

Since Easter is in 2 weeks, I decided to look ahead in Mark to Friday of the Passion Week. Good Friday is the day Jesus died by crucifixion. In our text this morning Mark records only 3 times the word “crucifixion” with really no detail. But Mark records paragraphs concerning the blasphemy and mockery of Jesus by several groups. Why did God the Father allow God the Son such insult? We will answer that question at the end of the message.

Mark 12 is one long day! Jesus, after fielding many questions and teaching the people, finally sits down near the temple treasury. Here we witness the abuse mentioned in verses 38-41. In Matthew 23 we see the extended version of this event. The application practically centers around what’s inside comes outside!

Mark writes his Gospel to share with us the “good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). He then goes on to show the validity of that statement with reporting all the things Jesus said and did. Jesus concludes His conversations with the religious leaders with a final invitation, because, at least one of them is “not far from the Kingdom of God.”

When we aren’t where we are supposed to be, we are in danger of doing what we ought not to do.  Though there are consequences for disobedience, grace and forgiveness await the broken hearted.