The Coming Destruction of the Temple. Mark 13:1-4.
And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”
Dear Family,
During the time of Jesus, the temple was still under construction and had been for more than forty years. Herod the Great had begun the project to expand the temple but had died before completing the work. Those who came after him do not seem to have shared his enthusiasm, so the work had progressed slowly.
Impressive. The temple complex included the courts around the temple and the perimeter wall. The disciples were most probably referring to the whole complex and not just the temple, although that was imposing enough. Preoccupation with the temple was not just because it was a magnificent structure but also because it was the center of Jewish worship. While basic worship and teaching could be done in synagogues, offerings and sacrifices were done only in the temple.
Impending (v. 2). Jesus responded with a sobering prediction – the temple and its courts would be destroyed. Jesus had earlier told the Samaritan woman that there would be a shift in worship focus – from places of worship to the heart of the worshipper (John 4:23-24). As sad as it was, the destruction of the temple was a necessary prompt for that shift. It is necessary to point out that Jesus was using a figure of speech to convey the extent of the destruction of the temple, which needs to be understood in that light. Some people, ignorant of this fact, have pointed out that the Western perimeter wall, popularly known as the Wailing Wall, is still standing.
Interested (v. 3-4). The four disciples may not have been the only ones in Jesus’ company at the time, but they were the ones who were keen to know about the timing of the prediction. By now they knew Jesus well enough to believe that what he predicted would happen. Rather late, they had come to the point where they knew that they needed to be prepared. They most probably still did not believe that Jesus would be put to death, so unfortunately they were preparing for the distant future but were totally unprepared for the immediate future.
Do you sometimes find yourself preoccupied with the distant future, yet you are not paying attention to the crises that are looming shortly? The distant future is important – that is our destiny, but we must deal with the immediate issues of life, lest they derail us from the path to the future.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.