Read 307.) Mark chapters 13 and 14. Chapter 13 corresponds to Matthew 24 and Luke 21. The time of the end will be characterized by a number of things. None of them seem to be good and desirable. Things that would precede it would be the destruction of the temple, v.2. False christs, v.6. Wars, earthquakes and famines, v.7+8. Then, there will be persecutions, v.9-13. The, "…stands firm to the end will be saved," is not speaking of the salvation of one's soul. A person does not and cannot save themselves. It is speaking of that physical deliverance that will come at the very end, when Jesus returns in v.26. If a believer survives their persecution, and is still alive at the moment Jesus returns, their life will be saved from martyrdom. The expression has confused many, leading them to believe they must keep themselves saved, which is no more possible than saving oneself to begin with, as Jesus said in 10:26+27! It is verses 14 thru 20 that are pivotal. This speaks to that very time when the Beast, or Anti-Christ, causes a statue of himself to be erected in the temple to come, and demands that he be acknowledged and worshiped as God on pains of death. You see, 'anti' does not only mean 'against,' it also means 'in-the-place of;' and so this one will be! He will exalt himself into the place of Christ, who is God! Verses 24 and following then tell of His Second Coming in the very end. Some see a contradiction from verse 30 with the words, 'this generation.' He may have been referring to the generation that first sees the sign of v.14, or, the word can be translated as 'race,' and mean that the Jewish race of people will not be wiped out before He returns. Both of those ideas are true. He closes by admonishing His own to keep watch and be ready at all times!
Chapter 14 is better understood, if you read v.1+2, and then go to v.10+11, as v.3 thru 9 actually took place on the Friday evening before, where John puts it in chapter 12 of his Gospel account. This is not an error or contradiction, as Matthew and Mark both say that this took place while Jesus was in Bethany. It just wasn't on that Tuesday evening of Passion Week is all, but the Friday evening before. But it was Tuesday evening when Judas betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders of Israel. With verses 12 thru 52 we come to Wednesday. It is the evening of the Last Supper and Jesus' prayer in the olive grove of Gethsemane, where He was arrested. It is believed that the Upper Room was actually in John Mark's home. He may even have been the one carrying the water jar in v.13. Note that v.21 makes another reference both to punishment and its severity. Many deny this, but no one spoke more of it than Jesus, who created the very place of punishment! It was during the Last Supper that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, of which we have greater detail in I Corinthians 11:23 thru 32. Jesus predicted Peter's denial, then they go to the grove for the night where Jesus prays for the necessary grace to endure what is about to fall upon Him. Judas led a band to that very place and Jesus was arrested and taken away to be tried by the ruling council of the Sanhedrin. The young man of verses 51 and 52 was likely John Mark, the writer of this account.
From verse 53 to the end, we are in Thursday. Jesus is tried and condemned for blasphemy. Had anyone else said what He did, that would have been a truth. But Jesus was indeed, the very Christ, the Messiah of God! Our reading ends with Peter denying Jesus. He was frightened and feared for his life. Would we have fared any better? I suppose not. I need Jesus in order to be that strong. It's what the Book is all about!
ForeverKingdom,
Harold F Crowell
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