After Jesus healed the blind man, for a fleeting moment, the eyes of Peter were opened to “see” just who he was – Mark 8:27-38.
Jesus queried his disciples while he was “on the way” to Jerusalem: Who do men say that I am? At least nine times Mark declares that Jesus is “on the way.” His march to Jerusalem and his inevitable death was in fulfillment of Joh’s proclamation from the words of Isaiah: “I send my messenger before your face who shall prepare your way.”
Continue readingThe parable of the budding fig tree pointed to the imminent destruction of the Temple that Jesus had predicted – Mark 13:28-29.
The parable of the “budding fig tree” provides a graphic illustration of Christ’s answer to the question – “When will these things come to pass?” The image of a fig tree sprouting foliage is the clue for the “when” of the events predicted by him. Its foliage signals the arrival of “summer,” the time when “all these things” will be fulfilled.
Continue readingThe whole earth will observe the “Son of Man” arriving on the clouds to gather his “elect” to himself –Mark 13:21-27.
The ‘Olivet Discourse’ now takes us beyond the destruction of the Temple to the return of the “Son of Man” to gather his saints. How much time will pass between the demise of the Temple and Christ’s arrival in glory is not provided, but during the interim, the church must beware of deceivers that disseminate false information about his coming.
Continue readingA brief introduction to, and outline of, the gospel of Mark, its history, contents, and literary structure.
The New Testament includes four gospel accounts, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The first three are categorized as ‘synoptic’ gospels, meaning “to see together.” The term is a compound of the Greek preposition sun (“together”) and optikos (“to see”), hence – “to see together.”
Continue readingThe generation contemporary with Jesus witnessed the events that he predicted that culminated in the destruction of the Temple – Mark 13:28-31.
Next, Jesus provided the chronological key – the disciples would know the time of the Temple’s demise when they saw all “these things” coming to pass, and before “this generation” reached its inevitable end. That was his definitive answer to the question, “when will these things come to pass?” – within one generation.
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