The Olivet Discourse Part 1 - Mark 13:1-4

Jesus is going to leave Jerusalem, and gives a lengthy discourse, the Olivet Discourse, on Mt. Olivet.

"Now, not yet"... future destruction of the temple... Disciples want to know when! Matthew says the disciples came to him privately to ask when it will be destroyed and when He will come in power. And the end of the age... When will the Kingdom of heaven come in fullness?

Mt Olivet is where Jesus will return to strike down the nations and establish his Kingdom.

Vindication... Of all of Jesus' teachings, why do we need so much info about the destruction of the temple? Because though the resurrection is the sign for the believer (it's the key to the Gospel message), the destruction of the temple is the sign for the unbeliever. The destruction of the temple is the vindication of Jesus as true prophet and Savior. 

v1... The Jewish leadership is horribly corrupt, and the disciples comment on how beautiful the stones of the temple are!

If God's name isn't lifted up, it's all for nothing. 

1Sam16:6... Samuel gets fooled in the same way. Don't look on appearance... The Lord looks at the heart! God sees not as man sees. He's not tricked.

...Make sure you get your heart right before the Lord. Lose your pride, hypocrisy, lovelessness, jealousy, indifference. This is why we pause before communion! We lay ourselves bare before God. Confess our hidden things, things only he sees. 

v2-v4... It's coming down. The disciples ask, when?

God's presence resides in the temple in the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 10, God says he will leave the temple. 

The leadership wants to kill God (Jesus) when he visits the temple. This is why it must come down.  

Without God in the temple, there is only chaos. 

Today in our country, we've been so blessed by God. And our country responded by kicking him out in 1963. A country without God can only descend into chaos! With God out, Satan and Baal have moved in. The sexual revolution, abortion.

A country's laws are simply legislated morality. Our laws have largely been godly in the past, but that's been changing. And without God, there is only chaos. Things are ripe for destruction. We need the presence of the Lord!

If the teachings of Christ were considered inarguable, how different would our laws and our society be? Our political campaigns and speeches?

Kicking God out of the temple can only bring chaos... And the temple will be burned to the ground. Kick God out of church? It's happened in a lot of places. Nothing but destruction and chaos. It's a theme throughout all of Scripture. 

Bring the Lord of glory into your life. Seek him while he may still be found! He brings order to chaos, always. Share Jesus with people! Why would we kick him out? He's the Prince of Peace! Bring him into your marriage, your family!