COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 140
“ Mark 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
(Mark 13:12-13; Matt 24:10-13; Lk 21:16-19)
INTRODUCTION
In His inimitable way, Jesus is instructing His disciples concerning future events. Here is the Master Teacher, who has a firm grasp on reality, knows all things, and is operating in strict accord with God’s eternal purpose. He does not speak as a mere motivator. He gives no obvious credence to the concept of positive speaking, or carefully speaking to avoid saying anything negative. He does not speak to avoid causing something bad to happen because of His words – a wholly erroneous concept that is being taught by many of our day. In order for the Lord to speak in such a manner, there can be no question about the certainty of the things He is saying. The events and circumstances of which He is speaking are not mere possibilities. This being the case, either Jesus is speaking as a prognosticator – One who sees into the future – or as the One who is managing the future. Either He foresees the wicked one running rampant and uncontrolled in the earth, or He is opening up certain Divine appointments that will involve the display and seeming triumph of the powers of darkness. The various Gospel accounts of this discourse will confirm that Jesus is speaking of a set of circumstances that are under strict control. If that was not the case, any admonition to be faithful, steadfast, or persevering would be pointless, for all of that presumes an environment that is being managed, and an outcome that is sure. Those who are familiar with Scripture will recognize at once that this is the a characteristic of all admonitions – they presume an appointed outcome. The enemy has been appointed to wrath, and his efforts will be suddenly terminated. The righteous have not been appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation, and therefore their faith and faithfulness will triumph. Notwithstanding the certainty of these things, and the clarity with which they are consistently proclaimed, it requires considerable effort for men to arrive at the point where godliness makes sense, and iniquity in all of its varied forms becomes totally unreasonable. It is the very nature of “the good fight of faith” to mature faith in the crucible of conflict. In this way the nature of the flesh and the wickedness of the world are lifted from the context of philosophy, and are actually perceived.
BLOOD WILL NOT BE THICKER THAN WATER
“ Mark 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.”
At the time Jesus is speaking these things, it does not appear as though any enemy can possibly triumph over Him or his disciples. For three years the disciples have witnessed the Lord’s total domination of the circumstances. Not a single one of the many plots to kill Him have come to any degree of fruition. Not long before this very discourse His enemies “sought to lay hold on Him, but feared the people” (Mk 12:12). At the threshold of His ministry it is written, “therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him.” And again, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him” (John 5:17-18). Another time, Jesus did not walk in Judea because “the Jews sought to kill Him” (John 7:1). Again it is written, “Then they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come” (John 7:30). All of their malicious plans fell to the ground as all of their attempts were utterly frustrated. His enemies even “sought to stone Him,” but never lifted so much as a single stone to do so (John 11:8). Time and time again His foes were frustrated in their attempts to touch Him. The disciples themselves were never in danger. There was never an initiative launched against them. The worst thing they faced was a discussion with scribes about why they could not cast a demon out of an oppressed young boy (Mk 9:16-19).
Keep in mind, that the disciples were all keenly aware of the safety they had been enjoying – for over three consecutive and uninterrupted years! Jesus has begun telling them He was going to be betrayed, delivered, killed, and rise the third day (Mk 8:31; 9:31). However, they have not yet grasped what He had said. About half way through His ministry, Jesus had even told them they would be “hated” and “persecuted” (Matt 10:22-23). He had said this when He sent them out to preach, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons (Matt 10:7-8). At that time, they took nothing with them, but were supplied all of their needs as they went about preaching (Matt 10:9-10). They did not experience opposition, but appeared triumphant in every circumstance.
Now, Jesus unveils circumstances that will require an adjustment in their thinking. They would not be insulated from opposition – even aggressive and seemingly successful opposition. The kingdom of darkness would not be discouraged by the spread of the Gospel.
BETRAYAL AMONG BRETHREN. Perhaps you have heard it said that “blood is thicker than water” – that is, family relationships are thought to be the closest of all, and dominate over all others. Jesus now explodes that myth, showing that there is a superior relationship that, in some circumstances, is not honored in the family setting. Luke points out that Jesus is not just speaking about other families: “And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends” (Luke 21:16a). This should not be surprising. Such oppositions have occurred throughout the history of God’s people: Cain and Abel (Gen 4:8), Ishmael and Isaac (Gen 21:9), Jacob and Esau (Gen 27:41), and Joseph and his brethren (Gen 37:5).
Micah spoke of a man’s enemies being members of his own house (Mic 7:4), and Jesus verified that this condition occurs among His disciples (Matt 10:36). The change that occurs in identity with God, and especially in regeneration, is so significant that it often destroys even natural ties. While we do not desire this for anyone, these are the facts in the case.
CHILDREN AGGRESSIVE AGAINST PARENTS. Again, this is a departure from “natural affection,” and it is forced because of the contrariness of the flesh to the Spirit. Jesus said a father would be against his son, the son against his father, a mother against her daughter, a daughter against her mother, a mother in law against her daughter in law, and a daughter in law against her mother in law (Luke 12:53). This is not something we seek, nor is it something that we culture. It is, however, a stark reality of spiritual life to which some are subjected. It ought to be noted that those in Christ are not aggressive in the matter of being “against.” The actual opposition comes from the unbeliever, for God has “called us to peace” (1 Cor 7:15). At no point does the person in Jesus wrestle “against flesh and blood” (Eph 6:12). However, that is not true of those who live under the dominion of the devil.
MANY WILL BE OFFENDED. Matthew accounts for this oppression by saying, “then shall many be offended.” That is what will provoke them to “betray one another” and “hate one another” (Matt 24:10). Here, the word “offended” does not mean the people are hurt by the conduct of the believer, or caused to have hurt feelings – although that does occur. In this case, the word “offended” has to do with the individual’s attitude toward Christ, and speaks of a consequent falling away from Him. Hence, other versions read, “will fall away,” NASB “will turn away from the faith,” NIV and “lose faith.” GWN In other words, the most fierce opposition will come from those who were themselves once followers of the truth. That condition is what causes such times to be “perilous times” (2 Tim 3:1). This does not exclude the opposition of the world in general, but rather accents some of the effects of spiritual life within the religious community.
HATED FOR THE SAKE OF JESUS
“ 13a And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake . . .”
YOU! Jesus is careful to point out that He is not speaking only of the future. His own disciples will undergo what He is speaking about – even though until that time they had no such experience. This is an aspect of spiritual life of which the saints must be apprised.
HATED OF ALL MEN. The hatred of the saints of God would transcend all other detestation. Times would degenerate to such a condition that the best of all people would be despised the most. This condition would confirm the nature of sin and the fallenness of the human race. Jesus once told His disciples, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). In His intercessory prayer for His disciples, Jesus said to the Father, “I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). And what was “the world” that had hated them? Neither Jesus nor His disciples had traveled outside the confines of the land of the Jews. The hatred they had faced came largely from the Jewish community – from those who claimed to be the children of Abraham and the followers of Moses. Such people had more of a hatred for Jesus than for Pilate, who had killed some of them (Lk 13;1), and Herod, who corrupted them with his views, all the while representing himself as their friend (Mk 8:15).
The point to be seen here is that religious hatred is the worst and most dangerous of all. While there are many who fall into gross sin and immorality, there are far more who exchange their souls for a watered down and compromising form of religion. Actually, the experience of the hatred of wicked people is a confirmation of one’s acceptance by God. It is in that sense that such hatred becomes a blessing (Matt 5:11-12).
FOR MY NAME’S SAKE. Other versions read, “on account of My name,” NASB “because of Me,” NIV and “because you are committed to Me.” GWN That is, they will not be hated simply because of their oddity, or even ascetic form of life – i.e., because they abstain from this or that. Men may very well “think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Pet 4:4). But the root of the matter is one’s association with the Lord Jesus Christ. There are all kinds of people who are of the world, yet do not indulge excessively in dissipation, drunkenness, and the likes. The world can easily tolerate them, as long as they have a fundamental affinity with this present evil world. However, a confessed preference for Jesus changes the whole matter, inducing hatred from the world.
THE ENVIRONMENT OF HATRED. Matthew provides the environment of this hatred, accenting that it is coming primarily from religious people. In His Gospel He states that Jesus added, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matt 24:11). There will, then, be competitive forms of Christianity that will set the stage for this environment of hatred. Additionally, because of the abounding nature of iniquity, particularly in the religious community, “the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt 24:12).
Those two conditions – 1 corrupt preaching and teaching, and 2 the deterioration of a love for Christ and the truth – will spark the hatred and opposition of which Jesus is speaking. They will set the stage for the outbreak of unparalleled opposition.
In view of this circumstance, what can be said of those who, in the name of Jesus, cater to the world, seeking their favor? What of those who actually adopt the manners of the world, dressing, talking, and acting in a way that courts the favor of the world? Even under the Law, the Lord forbade the people to adopt the appearances of the ungodly (Lev 19:27-28; 21:5). Whatever may be said concerning fashions and fads, the child of God must determine whether or not the message is being delivered that they are of this world. At some point, the believer must decide whether he blends with the enemy or with the saints. It is an intensely personal thing, but it is something that must be confronted and resolved. Ever person blends with the environment that opposes the saints, or the one that respects them.
SOME WILL BE KILLED. In Luke’s account, Jesus adds that some of them will even be put to death: “And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death” (Luke 21:16). One of the very people to whom Jesus was speaking, would be the first one of the apostles to be martyred. James, himself a member of the inner circle of disciples, would be killed with the sword by Herod – and it would actually please the Jews (Acts 12:2-3). Eventually, all of them would be martyred for their faith, with the exception of John. Remember, these were among the premier men of all time. Their very names are inscribed in the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, which is the glorified church (Rev 21:14). Yet, in this world, they were among those who were “hated above all men.” Paul says the apostles were set forth “last,” and “appointed unto death” (1 Cor 4:9).
NOT A HAIR WILL PERISH. Yet, in Luke’s narrative Jesus adds, “But there shall not an hair of your head perish” (Luke 21:18). That is, they will never be out from under Divine control. No hair will fall out at random, or owing to their enemies. They will finish their work.
HE THAT SHALL ENDURE TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED
“ 11 . . . but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
I was raised in a religious heritage that emphasized this verse. Yet, by looking at the group to which I belonged, no one would ever have suspected this was actually the truth. It was a movement noted for its degeneration, unfaithfulness, compromise, and division. And, indeed, it did not stand alone in this regard. I say this only to emphasize that this word is not a mere platitude or cliche to be spouted as a slogan or an official position. Jesus is speaking of being saved or not being saved. I hardly see how anything can be of greater importance.
HE THAT SHALL ENDURE. And what is it that is to be endured? Is Jesus saying that if we just maintain our religious identity we will be saved? Is He speaking of avoiding the temptation to leave the church, or lapse into immorality, or avoiding publically denying Christ? Indeed, that is not the case at all! He is rather speaking of enduring the hatred, and the betrayal, the opposition of our enemies, and even being subjected to death – all for the name of Christ, or because of Him. The person who does not “endure” is the one who caves in to the pressure. It is the one who does not maintain a clear identify with Christ, but becomes lukewarm, and finally cold in his affection for the Lord.
The one who “endures” is the one who stands “against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11). It is the one who fights “the good fight of faith” and lays “hold on eternal life” (1 Tim 6:12). This is the person who consistently resists the devil (James 4:7), and denies “ungodliness and worldly lusts” while living “soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Tit 2:12). Enduring people are those who run with patience the race that is set before them (Heb 12:2). They are the ones who “endure all things” (1 Cor 13:7), “endure hardness as a good soldier” (2 Tim 2:3), and “endure afflictions” brought on because of their spiritual stance (2 Tim 4:5). They even “endure chastening,” not fainting when the Lord rebukes them (Heb 12:5-7). They pass the test by enduring temptation (James 1:12; 5:11). They go into the furnace of affliction, and they come out of it. They walk through the desert, and enter the promised land. They go up the mountain of trial, and come down from it in faith. They enter the ark of safety and they remain in it. They keep wrestling, fighting, running, and looking. They do not run from opposition, but quit themselves like men (1 Cor 16:13). They continue to “abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul” (1 Pet 2:11). They continue to press toward the mark for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). Such people are the enduring ones.
UNTO THE END. And how long do these people endure? It is “unto the end!” Ultimately, that is the time of the harvest – “the end of the world” (Matt 13:39). It is when the angels will come and “sever the wicked from among the just” (Matt 13:49). It is “the end of the world” (Matt 24:3). It is when the exalted Christ will “deliver up the kingdom to the Father” (1 Cor 15:24). Until that time – “the end” – enduring, or perseverance, includes the following. 1– Holding fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope (Heb 3:6). 2– Holding the beginning of our confidence steadfast (Heb 3:14). 3– Showing the same diligence to the full assurance of hope (Heb 6:11).
Because of the absolute requirement of enduring unto the end, it seems to me that this should be regularly declared to the church. This is not to be done from Sinai, as though it was a heartless requirement of an austere God. Rather, it serves to alert to the saints to the true nature of spiritual warfare. Satan, the world, and the flesh are relentless in their attacks, and that requires vigilance and perseverance on the part of the targets of their initiative.
Technically speaking, “the end” refers to the testing the individual, as stated in James 1:12: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
SHALL BE SAVED. And what shall be the experience of those who “endure unto the end”? Our blessed Lord removes all doubt about the importance of enduring, persevering, and continuing in the faith. Salvation is the issue here – they “shall be saved.” Not from tribulation, for that is the very thing through which they endure. This is not speaking of temporary deliverance, for some of them will be “killed.” Being “saved” is receiving “the crown of life” that is promised to overcomers (Rev 2:10). That “crown,” or being “saved,” is never disassociated from the trying of one’s faith. In this text, Jesus speaks of some extraordinary trials, and yet salvation is still associated with those challenges. This should promote great sobriety.
POSSESSING YOUR SOUL. Luke states the matter in different words, yet with the same import. “In your patience possess ye your souls” (Luke 21:19). Those who do not endure have, in fact, exchanged their souls for ease and convenience. The “patience” of Luke 21:19 is the endurance of Mark 13:13. It is preferring the salvation of God over ease in this world. It is valuing a crown of life more than the acceptance of men.
Those who live by faith and walk in the Spirit will become increasingly aware of the hostility that exists between the flesh and the Spirit, the world and heaven, and the children of the wicked one and the children of the God. The crown of life is worthy every effort to obtain it.