Sermon Tone Analysis

When will these things be?

At various times in our lives, most of us want a specific time line for future events.

For that reason we double check our calendars and ask questions:

Are we there yet?

When does school end?

When does vacation begin?

How many weeks until Labour Day?

How long do I have before…?

Those whom Jesus discipled had similar questions.

Having been reminded multiple times that Jesus would soon die and rise again, some of their questions might have emanated from their misconception that Christ’s rising from the dead, the Messianic kingdom and the end of things as they were then, were immediate and closely linked time wise.

Their lack of understanding gave rise to questions, “When will these things be?” and “What is the sign that all of these things are about to be accomplished?”

Those questions are still be asked.

With regard to the first question, Jesus explained that when these things would be, there would be:

Deception -

Context

Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem - - coming kingdom of our father David

Mk 11:

Jesus cursed the fig tree/lessons from the withered fig tree - , - have faith in God

Mk 11:

Cleansing of the Temple - - My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations

Mk 11:

Chief priests, scribes and elders challenged Jesus’ authority - - was His authority from man or from heaven - comparable question - was the baptism of John the Baptist from heaven or from man?

Parable of the Tenants & question from the Pharisees and Herodians - do we pay taxes to Caesar? - Jesus turned that around with the question - what do we owe the Son of God and God?

Mk 12:

The Sadducees asked about the resurrection - whose wife will she be in the resurrection?

Mk 12:

Scribes’ question - what it the greatest commandment?

- Jesus comment to the one scribe - you are not far from the kingdom of God

Mk

Whose son is Jesus, the Christ?

Mk 12:

Beware of the Scribes - they will receive the greater condemnation

Mk

In the wake of that context of encounters and teaching, all of which could have, should have prompted some heart felt discipleship questions from the disciples.

Instead, we read Mark’s record of the question from an unnamed disciple.

Teacher, what wonderful stones and what a wonderful building!

Matthew’s parallel account of these same events partially explain the comment with regard to the temple and the subsequent questions.

Matthew’s account - your house will be left desolate, you will not see me again until… quoted Ps 118:26

Matt

Jesus withdrew and they would not see Him again until they recognized Him as Messiah!

Matt 23:

Some commentators suggest that when Jesus left, God’s glory departed from the temple.

Those commentators refer to Ezekiel.

Ezek

The time sequence in Ezekiel’s does not so clearly support that - where was God’s glory from the time that Jesus left the temple in Jerusalem until His second coming?

- ; ; , 2-12

God’s gathering of a scattered Israel as people to the land that God had promised them.

Remove the heart of stone - give them a heart of flesh

Deal with those whose hearts continue to go after detestable things

The glory of the Lord was over them - where was the glory of the Lord - - had left the Temple

The glory of the Lord went from the city to the east side of the city - the Mount of Olives where the Son of God will return in all of His glory - ; .

SO, I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO THE SHEKINA GLORY BEING PRESENT IN THE TEMPLE REBUILD UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EZRA OR IN HEROD’S TEMPLE, THE VISIBLE PRESENCE LEFT WHEN THE ISRAELITES WERE TAKEN INTO CAPTIVITY.

SINCE, PENTECOST AS THE REFORMERS HAVE REMINDED, THE GLORY OF GOD THAT HAD IN CHRIST, IS NOW IN THE IMPACT OF THE GOSPEL:

Sola Scriptura

Solus Christus

Sola Gracia

Sola Gloria

Sola Fide

Sola Gracia

Soli Deo Gloria

Jesus’ answer - temple would be totally destroyed.

Matt

A complete destruction of such a magnificent building must have been incomprehensible to the disciples - why & how?

“This temple was begun by Herod the Great in 20 B.C. and was still under construction when the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. At the time of Jesus’ ministry, the temple was one of the most impressive structures in the world, made of massive blocks of stone bedecked with gold ornamentation.

Some of the stones in the temple complex measured 40x12x12 ft or 10mx4mx4m and were expertly quarried to fit perfectly perfectly against each other.

The temple buildings were made of gleaming white marble and the whole eastern wall of the large main structure was covered with gold plates that reflected the morning sun, making a spectacle that was visible for miles.

The entire temple mound had been enlarged by Herod’s engineers, by means of large retaining walls and vaulted chambers on the south side and southeast corner.

By this means the large courtyard area atop the temple mound was effectively doubled.

The whole temple complex was magnificent beyond any standard.”

(MacArthur Study Bible - Matt 24:1)

Questions - private - Peter and James, John and Andrew

They

When will these things be? - DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

You

What will be sign of your coming?

- recorded by Matthew

Mk 13:26

What will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?

-

“Let the reader understand” - to a future generation

They asked these questions not only because of what Jesus said about the destruction of the Temple for at least 2 reasons:

The destruction of the Temple did not fit into what they envisioned with regard the Messianic Kingdom

They wrongly understood that the Messianic Kingdom would be immediate.

Jesus was aware of that and for reason told the disciples the parable of the minas/pounds - a variation of what Matthew recorded as the parable of the talents..

In Luke’s account he recorded.

Luke

Beware/look from

Be on guard not to be lead astray

An imperative - meaning more than see - blepo - blepo apo - look away - don’t focus on

Followers of Jesus are to watch out for false teachers/false teaching so as not to be mislead.

The number of false prophets and messiahs will increase.

Jesus made NO reference here to the ultimate false teacher, the “Antichrist”.

Dan

Dan 11:

2 Thess

Deceptions:

Many will come in Christ’s name claiming to be messiahs, offering solutions to the world’s pressing problem.

Some will claim to be Christ.

Will lead many astray

Wars and rumors of wars

Do not be alarmed

This must take place, but it is not the end