Mark 13 — Keep Watch

This sermon is from Mark chapter 13 and is entitled, Keep Watch.

Mark 13 · chapter mention

It was delivered to Ecclesia Churches on Sunday, December 7th, 2025.

As we step into chapter 13 in Mark's gospel and really the final lengthy teaching that

Jesus has with his disciples, we basically have the temple conflicts behind him and his

crucifixion directly ahead.

and Jesus takes this chance to speak to his disciples about some things to come.

It's really easy to get sidetracked by the topic that Jesus is speaking about and miss

what he's actually communicating to his disciples and to us.

Because while Jesus has a lot to say about both the coming fall of Jerusalem and about

the future end of the world, the overwhelming focus of Jesus is how we should live in the

present. And so I want you to know that this is probably one of the more challenging chapters

to understand in Mark's otherwise pretty straightforward and to-the-point gospel,

but that doesn't mean that we can't understand it or that it isn't for us to understand.

So I want to remind us what 2 Timothy 3.16 says, that all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful

to us, which absolutely includes this chapter. So at first glance, this chapter feels kind of like

walking up on a group of people in deep discussion about a book series that you're unfamiliar with.

And they're talking about the final book in the series and are simultaneously quoting events and

passages from the earlier books in the series. And the problem for you as the listener is that

they're kind of bouncing back and forth in the timeline without stopping to tell you

when they've changed books. The second problem is that some of the quotes and terms are

laden with context that there's an assumption that you understand. So it would be kind of like

a Lord of the Rings fan talking about Gandalf the Grey and then Gandalf the White and then

mentioning Mithrandir. And a fan of Lord of the Rings knows those are all the same person,

just at different parts of the story. Or worse, it would be like talking about the character of

Skywalker in Star Wars, and then talking about Vader, and then the voice acting of James Earl

Jones, and it all just kind of becomes a confusing mash of pieces. So before we dive into this

passage, here are a few navigational notes as we kind of walk through it together. And I'm just

going to kind of walk through the whole passage here for a moment, zooming out. First, there are

two end-of-the-world events being talked about in chapter 13. There's the destruction of the

temple and of Jerusalem, which happens about 40 years after Jesus. And then there's the end of

the world and the return of Jesus, which as of this recording hasn't happened yet. And Jesus is

going to switch back and forth between these events twice, kind of like going from a view

through binoculars to a telescope and then back again and again. Second, Jesus is going to talk

about all of this almost exclusively with quotes and allusions to existing Old Testament prophecies.

And I will call out a few of these throughout, but there are too many to go through in detail.

So when you know that, this chapter kind of stops being about Jesus giving his disciples

new information about the end? And instead is really Jesus reminding them of what God has

already said about it. And it kind of helps them to put it more clearly.

Just like the disciples, we're going to want more specifics than this passage gives us.

We're going to want signs and timelines and explanations. It's just how we are.

We want to ask God, are we there yet? Over and over. But what Jesus calls us to do instead

is to focus on the present and keeping our eyes fixed on him and our minds made up about him and

our feet set on the path following him. So with that in mind, let's go ahead and read these first

13 verses together of chapter 13.

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? And Jesus began to say to them, See that no one leads

you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, I am he, and they will lead many astray. And when

you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not

yet, for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes

in various places. There will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

But be on your guard, for they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in

synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.

And the gospel must be first proclaimed to all nations.

And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what

you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour.

For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will

rise against parents and have them put to death.

and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Our introduction to the topic comes by way of a passing comment that one of the disciples says

to Jesus. And we don't know who it is that asked this question, but it really wasn't that odd of a

thing to say, though it is a pretty materialistic thing to say to Jesus. The temple that they're

referring to, these temple buildings that are part of the Temple Mount, was larger in scale

and expense than any other ancient temple that we have found. It was unparalleled in the ancient

world. And it had been constructed over a period of about 50 years by the time Jesus comes along,

and still wasn't totally finished in his day. Yet, Jesus is not impressed because the whole

thing is rotten to the core, and he states rather matter-of-factly that it will all be torn down.

Anyway, this comment leads Jesus' disciples to later ask him privately, which has traditionally

been that condition under which Jesus answers their questions and explains things plainly

and makes sense of the parable that he just told to the people.

And so these four men that come to him are the first four disciples called.

They have been with Jesus the longest.

They have come to Jesus wanting to know really two specific things.

They want to know when it's going to happen and what the sign will be that shows them that

the time has come.

They want to know when it's going to happen, and they want a heads up about when it's going

to take place.

They want to know the circumstances and the timing of this coming destruction of the temple.

And I want to note at the outset that Jesus does not answer either of those questions

directly in everything that follows.

So if you were hoping for an end times roadmap with accompanying calendar, you're going to

be really disappointed, probably like the disciples kind of were.

This part of the passage is, however, specifically talking about the destruction of the temple.

And I want to call your attention to the phrase in verse 4, where he says, these things.

So Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives, and the Mount of Olives is right across from the

Temple Mount.

And when Jesus responds initially to their question about these things, and when that

phrase, these things, comes up again, he is talking about the destruction of the temple.

And the destruction of the temple, we know, takes place in about 70 AD, because after an uprising of

the Jews who try to take control back from Rome, the Jews are defeated. And Caesar, in response to

that, orders that it be torn down to the foundation so that no one will marvel at it again.

And to this day, all we have is the foundation, which is basically an enormous retaining wall

made of enormous multi-ton limestone bricks that we call the Temple Mount.

We have the place where the temple stood, but we don't have the temple any longer.

So the kind of cataclysm or disaster that Jesus is about to address in this section is not

the end of the world, but it is going to be the end of their world as they know it. And so all of

the things that Jesus talks about in this section are local and they are natural and personal kinds

of disaster. When I say natural, I mean man-made. These are not Armageddon, the end of times things.

These are my world and my life may be over, or at least will never be the same after this

takes place.

I think in the past week I have seen, and you may have also, various articles about all

of the ways in which the world could change overnight.

Economic disasters, nuclear disasters, none of these things changing the world for the

better.

So with that in mind, I want us to lean in and listen to what Jesus has to tell us so that we would be ready for those things.

And the first instruction that he gives in verse 5 is,

Why is that the first instruction?

Well, in the middle of uncertainty and chaos, no matter what it was from,

it seems like new leaders and prophets and saviors just come out of the woodwork.

and they come offering a new deal, a new answer, a new way to get peace, a new solution.

And Jesus knows that this will actually be just as true within the church.

Jesus is actually echoing the prophet Jeremiah here, who warned not against foreign enemies,

but against prophets among you who will prophesy lies in my name.

The most dangerous kind of heretics are the ones who know how to gain your trust by masquerading

as somebody like a pastor or a teacher.

And the most dangerous kind of false prophet or prophetess are the ones who know just enough

scripture to twist it just a little bit and make it say what they want it to say.

So Jesus begins by warning against those first.

Before he tells us, don't be alarmed by all the things happening in the outside world,

he says there will be wars and earthquakes and famines and all of that is just the beginning.

And actually, within just the first few decades after Jesus, there is a massive war over Jerusalem.

There are multiple famines in the Roman Empire.

There's a little place called Pompeii that is wiped off the map by an earthquake and

a volcanic eruption.

And Jesus said, don't be alarmed.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be led astray.

Because Jesus is the one who offers us true peace in the midst of the chaos.

Because we know that while we walk with him, our eternity is secure.

And so as we get to verse 9, Jesus starts to address a little bit different kind of threat.

And I'd like to propose a more literal translation than the ESV uses for this verse.

The ESV says, be on your guard.

But the more literal translation is something like, stand your ground.

Or have your mind made up to make a stand.

Have your decision made is what that means there.

And as Jesus shifts from threats that come from within by way of false prophets, he again

warns the disciples about the reality of coming persecution, a threat from the outside.

He tells them that they will be delivered to councils and beaten and mistreated for their

faith in him, but it's not all for nothing.

It's leading somewhere.

Even this evil of persecution is being used that the gospel would be proclaimed to all

nations.

And Jesus preempts or kind of heads off their next question, which is naturally, what am

I supposed to say?

You say the gospel is going to be proclaimed.

I don't know what to say.

How do you even prepare for being beaten and then interrogated when you know it's for the

sake of the gospel?

The most important message ever.

And Jesus says, don't worry, because you won't be alone.

The Holy Spirit will give you the words to speak.

And I want to clarify that Jesus does not say, don't prepare.

He doesn't say, don't consider.

Remember, this instruction began with, have your mind made up in the first place.

But what he does say is, don't be anxious.

Part of having your mind made up is ruthlessly going after the idols in your life and dethroning

them.

And idols come in every size and shape and can be anything that distracts us from having

the pursuit of Christ be our highest priority.

Activities can be an idol.

Material things can be an idol.

Certain relationships can be an idol.

So one way that we make up our minds, and the reason that Jesus brings this up, is so

we can consider, is there anything that commands my attention and my affection more than Jesus?

Jesus quotes a prophecy from Micah 7 here about how even within families there will

be betrayal and broken relationships over the decision to follow Christ.

And I know some of the people in our church have already experienced this to some extent.

But our final instruction in this section is in verse 13.

It says, the one who endures to the end will be saved.

There's a place in Daniel 12 where God says to the prophet Daniel,

blessed is he who waits.

And then he tells Daniel to go on the way until the end.

So when it seems like our world is falling apart, which is what this section is really addressing,

when we face inevitable persecution, when we face brokenness in our families that we

didn't see coming, we are reminded to wait on the Lord, to stay firmly planted on the way

that follows at the feet of Jesus.

Make up your mind to stay on the way to pursue Jesus at any and all cost, because only by clinging to Jesus until the end do we find salvation.

And through the Holy Spirit, he is with us every step of the way.

Jesus doesn't reveal here to his disciples or to us when that end will be or what the exit sign looks like, but we're reminded to endure because he is with us.

So let's go ahead and read the next part of our passage, and I'll give you a heads up that Jesus

is shifting here from the binoculars to the telescope, moving from a discussion about the

end of Jerusalem, which from our perspective has already happened, to a discussion about the end

of time itself. So let's read verses 14 through 27 together.

But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be, let the reader understand,

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let the one who is on the housetop not go down nor enter his house to take anything out.

And let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.

And alas, for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days,

Pray that it may not happen in winter.

For in those days there will be such tribulation, as has not been from the beginning of creation

that God created until now, and never will be.

And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved.

But for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he shortened the days.

And then if anyone says to you, look, here's the Christ, or look, there he is, do not believe it.

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray,

if possible, the elect.

But be on guard.

I have told you all things beforehand.

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not

give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens

will be shaken.

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends

of the earth to the ends of heaven.

So we've shifted now from something that to the modern reader has already happened to

something that is yet to come.

A great and awesome day in which Christ returns and everything that leads up to that.

Our first clue that the scene has shifted is actually the mention of the abomination of

desolation.

So that is a term that comes from the prophet Daniel and is a vague reference to the figure

of the Antichrist.

And we aren't going to do an in-depth study of the Antichrist here because Jesus leaves

it vague, and so does Mark. And other than this kind of editorial comment, let the reader understand,

is something that Mark says, Mark very rarely says anything directly to the reader, but here he does,

and likely to make sure we understand that Jesus is referencing this end times prophecy from Daniel.

So the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple was a kind of picture of the end times,

but it was not the end itself, which is obvious to us now, but not so for them.

One other key that helps is that Jesus uses the phrase in verse 19,

in those days, meaning we're not talking about the these things, which was earlier,

the destruction of the temple. We're talking about those days. That's a reference to end times.

So we've shifted our view.

And even the word tribulation is a kind of like a Jewish theological word that usually

was used only in reference to the end of the world.

So what are the days leading up to this end going to look like?

Well, Jesus says, worse than anything the world has seen before, nor will see again.

People will flee Judea and run to the mountains, leaving everything behind in their house.

He says, pray that it's not in winter, because in that area of the world, winter means rain

and flooded valleys, which they call wadis, which makes it very hard to escape the area.

It's so bad that only by directly intervening and limiting it does any human being survive

on the earth during this period of time.

Add to that the false saviors that are showing up all the time.

And in addition to people following them, they seem to have some supernatural power.

They're doing signs and wonders, and people believe that that makes them the Savior.

And Jesus says they're even trying to deceive those who know better, the elect.

Echoing Deuteronomy 13, Jesus says, don't believe them.

In Deuteronomy 13, God instructed the Israelites that even if a prophet came with signs and

wonders and tells you, go follow another God, do not listen to them. And by verse 23, Jesus says

clearly why he's telling them any of this. And it's not. So they can start one of those clue

charts with like the newspaper clippings and the red thread running from one clue to the next in

the back room. He says, be on guard. I told you all these things beforehand. What I love about this

is that the disciples will not see this happen to the extent that Jesus describes. Meaning,

this instruction is for the future church, maybe even for us. Be on your guard is the instruction.

Don't fall for false prophets and teachers who would lead you subtly away from Christ

and his sure word that we have in scripture. You can't claim ignorance because Jesus warned us the

ways in which things were going to go off the rails. In verse 24 through 27, Jesus starts to

kind of list all of these celestial events, these supernatural signs that would point to his return

being close at hand. And what's interesting is that none of this was new information to the

disciples. This might be the first time some of us have heard this, but for the disciples,

Everything from the sun being darkened to the moon falling, the stars falling from the sky.

It's like a running list of things already spoken by the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Daniel.

It's like a running list of the prophets.

And Jesus isn't really giving them fresh revelation here so much as he is contextualizing it

and reminding them that all of this points to the one final event, which is the return of Jesus.

And what's so important here is that while any one of these signs would be utterly terrifying to

witness, followers of Jesus do not need to be afraid. Because for us, these signs point forward

to only one thing, the return of Christ. You know, there's so much eschatological material,

which is the theological word for the study of the end times.

And there's so much of that material that's just left out of Jesus' teaching here.

It's so tempting to try to follow every footnote to places like Revelation and chase down every

detail, but I think Jesus is intentionally leaving those details out here because he wants

the people he's addressing, people like you and me, to not get so caught up by the prediction

and the signs of the end that we neglect obedience and endurance in the present.

We stay awake.

We pay attention.

We live like we expect Jesus to return at any moment because that is how Jesus intends for

us to live every day.

And nothing, not tribulation, not persecution, not even stars falling from the sky can distract

us from living for Christ and waiting with hope. So as we come to the close of this chapter,

Jesus pivots once more to the coming end of Jerusalem, and then once more to the end of time.

And it's for the purpose of showing his disciples just one thing through both circumstances,

whether it is the actual end of the world or it just feels like it, we have the greatest hope

in Christ alone. So let's read and notice how Jesus goes from 28 to 31, talking about these

things again, that is the near future of Jerusalem, and then 32, he pivots once more to that day at the

end of time. This is beginning with verse 28. From the fig tree, learn its lesson. As soon as its

branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see

these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gates. Truly, I say to you,

this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the

angels in heaven, nor the sun, but only the Father. Be on guard. Keep awake, for you do not know when

the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants

in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.

Therefore, stay awake.

For you do not know when the master of the house will come in the evening or at midnight

or when the rooster crows or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake.

The fig tree is used, again, as a symbol for Israel, as Jesus reminds his disciples that even

as they watch the temple and the city of Jerusalem pass away, Jesus and his words are eternal.

Verse 31 is another place in which Jesus makes one of those big claims that we've been watching

him do all the way through Mark by saying that his words will never pass away.

And it's a big claim because in Psalm 119, it says that God's word is firmly fixed in

the heavens and therefore it won't pass away like everything else.

Isaiah 40 says that the word of the Lord stands forever.

So Jesus here is clearly claiming he is God because his word will stand for eternity.

And just like the fig tree shows you that the season is near with those springtime signs of life,

this crumbling world gives us indications that the new creation is coming nearer every day.

Then we have this curious statement by Jesus about the moment the world is to end.

And he says, only the Father knows this date, not even the Son.

Now, hold on a minute.

Isn't Jesus omniscient? Doesn't he know all things? Isn't he God? The answer, of course, is yes, but Jesus also willingly accepted limits on himself, submitting himself to the plan of God the Father. The limitless God stepped down into time, into human form, coming as a baby.

Philippians 2, verses 6 and 7 says this the clearest, I think.

Philippians 2:6

It says,

Jesus displays so much trust in the plan of God the Father.

He demonstrates for us so much submission to his Father's will that he doesn't even need to know when.

In answer to his disciples' request for a time and a sign, Jesus calls them to trust God and have faith,

enough faith to patiently and faithfully wait for the hour that God splits the sky and sends the Son.

Jesus says that we are to be like servants left behind to do the work that we've been left with,

and that the servant we are called to be most like is the doorkeeper. Have you ever thought

about yourself as a doorkeeper before as a Christian? I wonder if that might change the

way we perceive both the present and the future. Do you hear the call of Jesus in this passage?

The call of Jesus is a call for the church to joyfully await his return with our eyes fixed

on the horizon. It is a call for the believer to wait on the threshold, waiting for any who might

come along wanting to know who our master is, that we might tell them and they would enter in

and wait with us. It is a call to be busy about our master's business because at any moment he

might return and find us busy in the waiting. Jesus mentions the watches of the night,

and I can't help but wonder if the disciples thought back on this after the crucifixion.

When Jesus said to stay awake, and they realized that they had all slept through the first two

watches in Gethsemane while Jesus prayed. And then when Jesus told Peter he would deny him by the time

the cock crowed the third watch. And I kind of wonder if anyone feels like me. And you look back

on your life, and what you see feels like you've been sleeping through the first three watches

right along with the disciples. Maybe you two look out at that horizon, and what you see is disaster.

And it's so close on many fronts, and you are filled with questions and the anxiety Jesus warned

us not to have. And maybe, like me, you need to hear the words of Jesus throughout Mark 13.

And so I want to read a few of them again as we get ready to close.

When it looks like the world is falling apart, do not be alarmed, because it means his return

is closer than ever. When you don't have the words for the brokenness around you,

Do not be anxious, for the Holy Spirit of God is with you.

The truth of his word is better than any false comfort that the world can offer you.

When you have been betrayed and you don't know what to hold on to,

hold on to Jesus because the one who endures to the end will be saved.

And finally, stay awake.

Have your mind made up.

Get your priorities straight.

Step out in faith, because one day, He will come to gather us up, and we will see the Son.

Ekklesia is a church of house churches gathering weekly in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and in homes throughout the week.

We are a Bible-centered church focused on preaching from Scripture and making disciples of Jesus.

You can learn more about our statement of faith and contact a pastor by visiting ekklesiachurches.org.