Mark 13:5-13 Birth pains
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 31, 2018, Mark 13:5-13
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 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.
(Understanding the Text) As I read Mark 13:5-13 aloud, it seemed logical that the sentence that says “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” should be the concluding sentence of one paragraph and the “deliver you over” sentence should be a new thought/paragraph. The disciples had asked “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:4). In other words, when will the temple be destroyed and what signs will tell us that it is about to happen? First, Jesus gives them signs that they should not see as signs. He said that other Messiahs, wars, rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes are not signs of the destruction. He does call them birth pains. I guess He means that these things will contribute toward the situation which will lead to the temple’s destruction. That would make sense. The false Messiahs would lead people to rebellion.
False Messiahs: “Thus about 44, Josephus reports, a certain impostor, Theudas, who claimed to be a prophet, appeared and urged the people to follow him with their belongings to the Jordan, which he would divide for them. According to Acts v. 36 (which seems to refer to a different date), he secured about 400 followers. Cuspius Fadus sent a troop of horsemen after him and his band, slew many of them, and took captive others, together with their leader, beheading the latter (“Ant.” xx. 5, § 1).
Another, an Egyptian, is said to have gathered together 30,000 adherents, whom he summoned to the Mount of Olives, opposite Jerusalem, promising that at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down, and that he and his followers would enter and possess themselves of the city. But Felix, the procurator (c. 55-60), met the throng with his soldiery. The prophet escaped, but those with him were killed or taken, and the multitude dispersed (ib. xx. 8, § 6; “B. J.” ii. 13, § 5; see also Acts xxi. 38). Another, whom Josephus styles an impostor, promised the people “deliverance and freedom from their miseries” if they would follow him to the wilderness. Both leader and followers were killed by the troops of Festus, the procurator (60-62; “Ant.” xx. 8, § 10). Even when Jerusalem was already in process of destruction by the Romans, a prophet, according to Josephus suborned by the defenders to keep the people from deserting announced that God commanded them to come to the Temple, there to receive miraculous signs of their deliverance. Those who came met death in the flames (“B. J.” vi. 5, § 3).From <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12416-pseudo-messiahs>
Famines: Acts tells of a famine in the Jerusalem area. “And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul” (Act 11:28-30).
Anyway, Jesus is telling the disciples that these things were not the signs that the destruction of the temple had arrived.
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 first be proclaimed to all nations.
Jesus tells James, John, Peter, and Andrew here that they will stand before governors and kings and bear witness before them. The book of Acts tells us that James, John, and Peter did these exact things. Andrew is not mentioned but I assume that he also was persecuted.
(Application) My application for myself is that Jesus has given me a commission. I am to represent Him before any people that He brings my way. I may stand before governors, or I may stand before a homeless child. Either way, I need to proclaim Jesus through my attitudes, actions, and words. I fail at this proclamation all the time because I get arrogant and start depending on my own skills and knowledge. I need to always look to Jesus to give me the ability and power to fulfill the commissions that He has given me.
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.
Here, Jesus promises His disciples and by extension us that when they speak before their persecutors the Holy Spirit will provide them with words. He warns them that His followers would be betrayed to death by family and hated. Then Jesus promises that if they endure to the end, they will be saved. Jesus had prayerfully picked these disciples and carefully trained them. Here He demonstrates that He knows their future. He sees that they are going to suffer and ultimately die for Him. He tells them this, but promises that it is worth it. Does He feel bittersweet when talking to them here? He is not asking them to do more than He will do Himself in a short time, but He loves them and knows that they will experience great pain.
(Revelation of God) God loves us and lets us experience pain. Does it hurt Him when we experience pain? I know He sees beyond the pain to the believers’ triumph, but He also sees beyond the pain to the final end of those who refuse to trust Him. Does He feel pain at that? How does He handle it and keep loving? I protect myself from pain. In fact, it is difficult to even try to imagine this as I write.
I have a hard time understanding the prophetic parts of this chapter. It is hard for me to know where the destruction of Jerusalem ends and the second coming begins. I have heard interpretations that act like all the prophecies here are for both. None of that makes sense to me. I need to study more to understand how it all fits together here.
(Prayer) I ask to see You more clearly and to love like You love. I know that I worry about the pain. Teach me how to give my worries to You. I want to always see You clearly and show You in all Your beauty to everyone around me.