Birth Pains

“As He was going out of the temple complex, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings! ” Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down! ” While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple complex, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to take place? ” Then Jesus began by telling them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and they will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” (Mark 13:1-8 HCSB)

“Sign, sign everywhere a sign… Blockin out the scenery, breakin my mind. Do this, don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign?” Les Emmerson wrote those lyrics and Five Man Electrical Band recorded the song and released it on January 1, 1971. This 70’s song is all about rebelling against signs and the messages they convey. But, more specifically, rebellion against established authority that tells us what to do and what not to do. Very typical of that era of rebellion in America. I know, I grew up in it. But many signs don’t tell us what to do or how to do it but actually point us towards a goal or destination. In fact, I’ll be following a few of these signs this afternoon as my wife and I take a quick trip to Texas to visit our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

The signs we are going to be seeing in this week’s focal passage are a bit of both – signs that tell us what to do or how to react and signs that point us towards a destination or expected/anticipated outcome. Many folks are fascinated by the idea of prophetic signs or predictions of the end times and they latch onto them as a means of anticipating and planning for the future. In fact, we will see this same idea emerge from the disciple’s question in this text. But Jesus response doesn’t quite give them what they wanted or expected. In fact, I think they probably found Jesus’ words to be a bit disturbing.

As you know, we’ve spent quite a bit of time over the past five or six weeks dealing with this series of conflicts between Jesus and the Jewish religious leadership. All of these confrontations have occurred within the Temple area of Jerusalem. But as Jesus leaves the Temple for the last time, an unnamed disciple decides to point out the size, beauty and magnificence of the Temple complex: “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”

There’s no doubt, Herod’s Temple was a sight to behold. It was constructed of massive blocks of white marble with copious amounts of gold adornments. Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, noted that you would have to avert your eyes when looking directly at the Temple because the brightness was like looking directly at the sun. It was said that the massive white marble Temple structure made the Jerusalem mount look like a snow-capped peak from a distance. It was a source of great national and personal pride, as the disciple’s statement seems to convey.

Ah, therein lies a core issue. They take pride in the glory the Temple brings to them and their nation while ignoring the God it is intended to honor and worship. Their national pride and sense of God’s presence and corporate blessing is more about them than it is about Him. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had been standing in their midst, in the very Temple that was supposedly built to honor Him, and they were completely blind to His presence. He came into His house and was rejected by those who claimed to love and seek Him. “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”

Are we more impressed with Jesus than we are with what we claim we’re building in His honor? What wows us? Do we marvel at His glory, majesty and power or at our attempts at building an edifice, ministry or name for ourselves? When we cry out “God bless America”, are we more interested in God’s glory or our own? I know many who want to return to a time when we believe the church in America was the center of family life and community. But I can’t help but hear the same words, “Teacher, look! What impressive buildings and programs we’ve built!” Was He standing in our midst while we were blind to His presence? Was He desiring to transform our programs even as we rejected His plan to redeem all mankind?

I’m going to leave those questions hanging there, for now.

I want you to notice how Jesus responded to this anonymous disciple’s question: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!” Just as He was rejected by them, what they’ve built will be rejected and utterly destroyed by Him. Not one stone left on top of another. Absolute and total rejection. Absolute and total destruction.

Let this sink in a moment. Israel believed that God would rescue them from the tyranny of Rome as the Messiah would come and lead them out of bondage and into political peace and victory. Yet, Jesus tells us that God did NOT plan to give Israel what they desired and expected. Instead, He would give them what they least desired and expected – judgment and destruction through the very enemy they despised. If we reject God’s purpose and plan then we can expect nothing less for our plans and enterprises.

Has the modern church lost sight of our purpose? Are we more interested in building a kingdom for ourselves than we are in building the kingdom of God? Do we only seek bigger budgets, bigger buildings and personal glory or do we seek Him, His kingdom and His righteousness? Are we hoping someone will say, “Hey, look! What massive churches! What impressive programs!” Or are we more interested in hearing them say, “Everyone, look! What an incredible Savior! What a powerful God!”

Mark then tells us that as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across from the Temple complex, the four brothers (Peter and Andrew, James and John) asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign when all these things are about to take place?” They were seeking clarification but, more specifically, they were seeking a timeline. They had pulled out their calendars as they focused their question on WHEN these things will happen. But listen to Jesus’ response…

Watch out! This phrase will be repeated time after time in the verses that follow. Watch out, be on guard! So, Jesus’ response is less about their “when” question and more about being watchful and prepared when these things do happen. We are more interested in when, too. But we need to hear His response! Confession time. I’m a procrastinator. My motto is “why do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” But seriously, if we knew the “when” these things would happen we would just procrastinate. Wouldn’t we? I know I would. I suspect you would, too. So, let’s take a look at what Jesus warns us about without giving us a direct answer to the when these things would happen.

First, we need to be watchful because there will be those who try to deceive us by claiming to be Jesus or to come in His name, His power and His authority. Over the last two millennia, there have been many who have claimed to have been sent by or to speak in the power and authority of Jesus’ name. There have even been many who claim to be the second coming of Jesus, Himself. As Jesus said, “they will deceive many.” If many have been and will be deceived by these imposters, how can we be watchful and guarded in our response? Let me state this clearly, Jesus second coming will not be like His first. When He came the first time, He came as a humble servant who was seen only by those who truly sought Him. When He comes the second time, He will come as the conquering King for all to see!

Next, Jesus says that we shouldn’t be alarmed when we hear of wars and rumors of wars. These things MUST take place but the end is not yet. I think it is important to note, in the predictions that Jesus makes He is referencing events that will occur soon and those that will occur much later. Then the next logical question is, which is which and how can we know the difference? I think much of this knowledge and understanding can only come through prayer, diligent study of His Word and humbly seeking God.

Well, that’s not very helpful. Just give me a list, preferably with dates and times. Sorry, not going to happen. But listen to His admonition, “don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” Don’t be alarmed! That’s our natural reaction, isn’t it? But we aren’t called to react to circumstances, we’re called to trust His promises and believe His Word.

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: We ask you, brothers, not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come… Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, either by our message or by our letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-15 HCSB)

How often do we panic and react negatively when things go badly? When the world seems to be falling apart, do we fall apart? We’re told that these things are going to happen, but we shouldn’t be alarmed. These things must take place and God is at work in them and through them for they are the “beginning of birth pains.” Just the beginning of birth pains. Oh, wow…

When our daughter was born, our first child, I was young, stupid and very naive. I accompanied my young wife to the doctor for her regular checkup as the birth date was drawing near. As the doctor examined her, he accidentally broke her water because she was already in labor and partially dilated. As I stood in the hall waiting for the doctor to complete his examination, the door opened and out came my wife wrapped in the examination sheet as she made her way to the office restroom. The doctor followed her out of the examination room and told me, “You’re going to be a daddy in a little while. When you leave here, I want you to take her straight to the hospital. She’s already in labor. It won’t be long.” I nearly fell to the floor.

A few hours later, as I stood next to the hospital bed, my wife gripped my hand as she suffered through an intense, agonizing labor pain. I was terrified as the labor progressed. Then the moment came as the labor quickly intensified and then culminated, our daughter was born. Wow! What a blessed moment. What a relief! It was finally over and we marveled at what God had done. A beautiful little girl.

Jesus tells us, these things are the beginning of birth pains. The pain will come, it will grow more and more intense. It will seem unbearable. But don’t be alarmed. Stand firm. Trust Him! These things must take place for God is giving birth to a new world order, a new kingdom. His Kingdom! And He’s just getting started!

We don’t often stop to consider the outcome of pain and suffering, we just want it gone, over, finished! Yet, we know that pain often precedes times of growth and discovery. The struggle is what strengthens us and equips us to prevail. The pain of childbirth gives way to the joy of parenthood and the blessing of love. Jesus needs His disciples to understand and recognize that the times of struggle they face will have a beginning, but they also will have an end, an outcome, a purpose, a birth. It will be worth it!

These birth pains will be worth it, in the end. Our faith struggle is not without design, it is not without purpose. These things we face are hard, but don’t be alarmed. They don’t signal the end of life, they signal the beginning of life. The beginning of the life God intended we should have and enjoy. Life in Him. Life as He meant for it to be. Just hang on, the birth pains are about to culminate… culminate in new life.