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Gospel of Mark
Part 74: Olivet Discourse I
By Rev. Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
- Introduction
- John the Baptist
- The Baptism of Jesus
- Temptation of Jesus
- The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I
- The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II
- The First Disciples
- A Teacher with Authority
- At the Home of Simon and Andrew
12. Jesus and the Tax Collector
13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting
15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025
16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts
18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles
24. Parable of the Growing Seed
25. Parable of the Mustard Seed
26. Benefits of Private Teaching
30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt
32. Weakness in the Seat of Power
34. Feeding 5000
38. The Source of True Defilement
39. Gentile Blessed for Her Faith
40. He Has Done All Things Well
41. Jesus Feeds 4000
42. Jesus Sighs
43. Beware of Leaven
44. The Blind Man at Bethsaida
45. Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?
46. Mindful of the Things of God
49. Ashamed of Jesus and His Word
51. The Disciples ask Questions
54. Principles of Discipleship
58. The Cost and Reward of Discipleship
59. A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday
61. Greatness in the Kingdom Comes from Serving
62. Blind Bartimaeus
63. Triumphal Entry
66. Is it from Heaven or from Men?
67. Parable of the Wicked Vine Grower
68. Our Duty to God and Country
69. The Resurrection of the Dead
71. David’s Son and David’s Lord
72. Beware the Pretentious Scribes
74. Olivet Discourse
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Mark 13:1-23 “And as He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
3 And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”
5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
9 “But see to yourselves; for they will deliver you to the Sanhedrin, and you will be beaten in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to them.
10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. 11 And when they lead you away, delivering you up, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.
12 And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation and the Tribulation
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
15 And the one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his garment.
17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19 For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will.
20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22 for false christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
23 But as for you, see! I have told you everything in advance.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus has spent the entirety of Tuesday on the week of the Passover, His time before the cross, teaching in the temple. Now He leaves the temple in the evening.
Jesus just finished commending the widow for giving her two mites and how her faith and devotion were greater than those giving more from their wealth.
As they leave the temple, they come upon the Mount of Olives, where Scripture has recorded the famous Olivet Discourse. Jesus speaking privately with His disciples is recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
Today we will focus on Mark’s account. The reason the Olivet discourse is sometimes difficult is that, like Revelation, there are a few schools of thought on its interpretation.
Some believe it is entirely about events preceding the Lord’s second and final coming. Others believe it is only about the destruction of the temple which takes place in 70 A.D. But I, like many biblical scholars, believe it is about both.
I believe that the Olivet discourse in Mark 13 depicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple which occurred in 70 A.D., and it also foreshadows the Second Coming of Jesus.
I. THE SETTING OF THE OLIVET DISCOURSE
a. The words of Jesus in the temple
i. His parables depicting Israel’s rejection of Him, and the consequence
1. Remember the wicked vine growers (Mark 12:1-12; Matthew 21:33-46)
ii. His condemnation of the scribes and the Pharisees
1. He warned against the pretentious scribes Mark 12:38-40
2. Matthew 23:1-28 reveals a more detailed condemnation.
a. They would fill up the measure of their father’s guilt Matthew 23:29-32
b. They would kill, crucify, scourge, and persecute the prophets, wise men, and scribes He would send to them Matthew 23:33-34
c. Upon whom the blood of all the righteous would come, upon that very generation Matthew 23:35-36
3. And Jesus’ lamentation over Jerusalem recorded in Matthew 23:37-39
a. The city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her
b. The city unwilling to accept the love shown to her
c. Whose house would be left desolate
b. The prophecy from Jesus about the temple
i. After His disciples showed Jesus the beauty and splendor of the great temple building in Mark 13:1, Jesus declares to them, not one stone will be left standing upon another in the following verse.
c. The disciples immediately question Jesus about His remark
i. In Mark 13, Luke 21:7, and Matthew 24:3, two questions are asked.
1. When will these things be?
2. What will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?
ii. Observations
1. Matthew, who wrote his gospel for the Jewish reader, refers to a “coming” and “end of age”
a. The Jewish reader, hearing of the destruction of the temple, would see it as a judgment against Jerusalem and a complete end of the Jewish age.
b. The end of a Jewish age began with the death of Jesus, making the Old Testament covenant obsolete.
Hebrews 9:15-16 “And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the trespasses that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant [testament] is, there must of necessity be brought the death of the one who made it.”
c. So, the Old Testament ended in the full destruction of the temple and cessation (ceasing) of the Old Testament covenantal sacrifices.
Hebrews 8:13 “When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”
2. Mark and Luke wrote their gospels to the Gentiles
a. To avoid misunderstandings by non-Jewish readers, the language was worded to reflect what the Olivet Discourse was about. The destruction of the temple (these things), and the sign when its destruction would be imminent.
When we consider the setting of the Olivet Discourse carefully, the subject is clear. The destruction of the temple and not the Second Coming of Christ is the topic.
II. THE OLIVET DISCOURSE
a. Things that are NOT a sign, but we must be careful of
i. Mark 13:5-6 states, be careful that no one deceives you.
ii. Do not be troubled by wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence
1. Such things will come, but the end (destruction of the temple and Old Testament system) is not yet.
2. They are only the beginning of sorrows (not the sign of the end)
iii. Anticipate persecution and hard times (Mark 13:9-13)
1. You will be killed and hated for the name of Jesus
2. Many will be offended, betray one another, and hate one another. False prophets, teachers, and teachings will deceive many. The love of many will grow cold because of lawlessness.
3. HOWEVER, he who endures to “the end” will be saved.
a. The end does not mean you must endure until Christ’s Second Coming.
b. Nor is this in reference to enduring until the destruction of the temple, which took place in 70 A.D.
c. The end is referring to the end of one's life. Your life.
Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful [prove yourself faithful] until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
How does one “prove themselves faithful?”
Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”
Obedience does not purchase salvation; rather, it is evidence of it.
Revelation 2:10 says to remain faithful until death.
Perseverance doesn’t mean believers never struggle. It means they never abandon Christ during their struggles.
James 2:18 says we show our faith by demonstrating works.
Works do not replace faith, but make our faith visible to others through caring for others, resisting sin, speaking truth, forgiving, serving, and practicing righteousness.
The Lord also measures what you have been entrusted with. Are you being a good steward with what God has blessed you with?
1 Corinthians 4:2 says “In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found faithful.”
Luke 16:10 says, “He who is faithful in a very little thing, is also faithful in much”
This is not sinless perfection. Faithful Christians still fail and need continual confession and grace. The distinguishing mark is that they keep returning to Christ, repenting of sin, and continuing in obedience.
THIS is how we prove ourselves faithful until the end. This is how we hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)
d. Ten days refers to limited tribulation, or the Lord is still in control. 10 represents a complete tribulation and testing, but limited so it IS POSSIBLE to remain faithful.
e. The phrase echoes Daniel and his companions being tested for ten days in Babylon: “Please test your servants for ten days” (Daniel 1:12). Revelation applies similar language to Christians being tested for their refusal to compromise with an idolatrous empire.
f. So, it means a complete, severe, but divinely measured and temporary period of suffering.
iv. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all nations (Mark 13:10)
1. Matthew 24:14 says, as a witness to all nations
2. Then the end (the destruction of the temple) will come
a. This is the end of the Jewish priesthood (Jesus is our High Priest, Hebrews 4:14)
b. This is an end to Old Testament sacrifices (Jesus is the perfect sacrifice Hebrews 10:12-14)
c. And an end to all other remnants of Old Testament worship
b. What will be the sign?
i. The abomination of desolation
1. Standing where it ought not be (the holy city Jerusalem)
2. Just as foretold by Daniel in Daniel 9:26-27
ii. When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies Luke 21:20
1. In 70 A.D., Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem before destroying it and the temple
iii. This was the answer Jesus gave the disciples when they asked “When will the temple be destroyed, and what will be the signs?”
c. Jesus also tells them what to do when they see the signs
i. Those in Judea are to flee to the mountains
1. Don’t go back home to get your things
2. It will be very difficult for women who are pregnant, and those who are nursing.
3. Pray that your flight will not be in winter, or on the Sabbath when the city gates are closed.
4. The great tribulation will be shortened for the elect’s sake
a. Luke 21:23-24 specifies the nature of the tribulation
b. A Jewish general taken captive by the Romans just before the destruction in 70 A.D. wrote this summary.
i. All calamities which had befallen any nation from the beginning of the world were small in comparison with those of the Jews.
ii. In the siege of Jerusalem, more than 1 million perished. It was during the time of Passover; more than 3 million were present at the time.
iii. Another 250,000 were killed in surrounding provinces
iv. Nearly 100,000 were taken captive, some killed by beasts in Roman theaters for entertainment, some sent to work in Egypt, and others sold as slaves.
1. Josephus recorded this in The Jewish Wars.
v. The “elect” were Christians, spared by the shortened siege
1. Titus, the Roman general, was called to return to Rome, ending the siege (Barnes commentary on Matthew)
ii. Do not be misled by false teachers, prophets, and christs.
1. Even those who show great signs and wonders to deceive!
a. Remember, scripture states again and again that signs and wonders are not the power of God, but Salvation!
b. The Gospel that saves!
c. If we learned anything from Exodus and Revelation, signs and wonders can be imitated and deceive even the elect; therefore, we do not follow them!
d. But following Christ, the gospel and salvation, which is the true power of God that cannot be imitated!
2. For the coming (judgment) of the Son of Man will be like lightning across the sky!
a. Do not expect to find Him in the desert or in inner rooms
b. When He comes in judgment, it will be swift! Luke 17:22-24
CONCLUSION
This, being part one of our look at the discourse as recorded in Mark 13, depicts a local, escapable judgment. Jesus warns those in Judea, in Mark 13:23, of what is to come.
In Mark 13:14, Jesus says they are given a sign to let them know when to flee.
This does not fit with a worldwide, inescapable judgment, as we know will take place with the Second Coming of Christ. (2 Peter 3:10-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
Next week we will examine part two of the Olivet Discourse, starting in verse 24.
FINAL THOUGHT
We must remember the words of Jesus, His warning, do not be misled by false prophets, false teachings, false saviors, and do not be troubled by wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, or even persecution, for these things must come.
Our salvation is promised if we endure to the end by remaining faithful to Him. Let us look forward to His final coming at the last day!
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