Mark 13:1-2 Not one stone
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 29, 2018, Mark 13:1-2
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.”
(Understanding the Text) The Jews also felt a sense of national exclusive pride and at the center of that pride was Jerusalem and at the center of the pride in Jerusalem was the temple. They looked at the temple and felt reassured that they were still a special people. They thought of the temple with a touch of arrogance, not only because it was beautiful but also because they knew that they had had another temple before it (Solomon’s temple) that was even more beautiful. Thus, Herod’s temple was a symbol of present status and their past glorious history. They then transferred that focus from their past glory to their desired future where they would have a kingdom again with Messiah reigning over them.
Some people say that the Jews of Jesus’ day were mistaken in their understanding of the prophecies in the scripture. Pastor Gary Venden says that they were not mistaken about the prophecies, but they were mistaken about the Messiah. He says that there were two possible futures. The prophecies of the OT pointed to a future where the Jewish leaders accepted their Messiah king and lived under His spiritual leadership humbling themselves and forming a loving relationship to Him. Satan had read those prophesies and set up a situation where the Jewish leaders and many of the people (even some who later accepted Him) rejected their Messiah. A point arrived when the rejection of the Messiah was inevitable. At that point, Venden says the sealed prophecies were unsealed and made clear. At that point, Jesus began prophesying about His death, resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Venden says that the original intent was for Jesus to reign on earth in Jerusalem after His resurrection, but that when the Jewish leaders condemned Jesus to death, they sealed their doom and opened a new future where Jesus returned to heaven until the end of time. I’m not sure if Venden is right. He could be, but something about his scenario is incomplete or a little off. One of my problems with the way Venden explains the prophesies is that from the beginning, the Bible made clear that the temple on earth was patterned after the temple in heaven. It is also stated unambiguously, that Jesus was always supposed to be our High Priest serving before the Father’s throne. It does not make sense that He would be serving as High Priest here on earth in a faulty temple when the real one was waiting for the real High Priest. However, I am not an expert, so I might be wrong. I will continue to withhold judgment for now.
At this point in time the Jewish leaders had hardened their hearts so much that it was inevitable that they would order Jesus’ death. He was still trying to reach the few whose hearts were open to Him. We know that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were among those who were listening. There were surely others. We know that there were priests listening also. Jesus was trying to reach the last few that He could before they condemned themselves. However, it was already inevitable that the leaders would take a path that would lead to Jesus’ death at their instigation. Jesus was leaving the temple for the last time. In Matthew it says right before the group left the temple, and the disciples commented on its beauty, Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Mat 23:37-39). Without Jesus, there was no temple. Thus, God withdrew His protection from His house and showed His rejection of the Jewish nation (not the people) by allowing the total destruction of the temple. Later, He allowed the Muslims to gain control and build their mosque on it so that no one would rebuild the temple with its empty worship.
(Revelation of God) Jesus knew through the Holy Spirit what would happen to the temple in 70 A.D. Did He have visions like the Bible describes that Peter and John had? Or did He somehow just know? When He was in prayer all night, was the length of time partly because of visions? I’ve wondered how it was possible to spend so much time in prayer. I run out of things to say and start repeating myself and start going through details that really don’t matter to me and start thinking that I have to beg or put more effort into my pleas because they are just not sincere enough, but if Jesus was in vision during that time, the length of time would make sense. Was Jesus crying on the donkey a few days before because He was having a vision or because He was remembering a vision of the destruction of Jerusalem that came back clearly to His memory as He saw the people around Him, and looking at them, He could not help but mourn for them?
(Understanding the Text / Application) The Jews were despised by the rest of the world because of their belief in only one God, but they handled that by despising the rest of the world in return. They rejected the rest of the world as inferior and looked down upon them. I think we as Christians may sometimes indulge ourselves in the same feeling of superiority towards others because they are worse sinners than us. We think that at least know there is only one God and how to behave. We know that even the best behavior we have is filthy rags compared to the kingdom of heaven, but we still think that our behavior is less filthy than the unbelievers around us. Instead of looking at behavior, we should pity those who are not Christian because they have not experienced the intimate relationship that God wants to have with all of us. They cannot see the blessings that God gives us, and most of all, they have never experienced the transforming love of Jesus.
(Prayer) I pray to always look to Your love and blessings rather than my own behavior or someone else’s. Help me to look with sympathy on those who are far from You, and find ways to point them to Your care for them. Teach me not to value this world’s glory, but instead, to value the glory found in Your kingdom.