Reading: Mark 13
“Good News for All Time” by Jeff Christian
One day, Jesus and a handful of his disciples sat on a hill just outside the city gates of Jerusalem. That hill just happened to be the Mount of Olives, a place where Jesus would pray, and then go to the cross not long thereafter. But Jesus remained true to the mission, the most important reason he came to live among us, a mission stated multiple times in the Gospel of Mark, not the least of which in Mark 13.
This is the hardest chapter in Mark to understand, mainly because it switches to an ancient form of Jewish storytelling called “Apocalyptic.” Simply put, such storytelling concerned itself with big things, eternal things, things that never end no matter what. Alongside all the talk of glory and the Son of Man riding on the clouds… alongside all the warnings to keep alert and to stay awake during dark and confusing times… alongside all of that is the statement of all statements that drives the story in Mark: “And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations.” (Mark 13:10)
The good news.
This is everything to us. Despite all of our confusion and the uncertainty we face every day, we can be sure in Jesus that our work is as clear today as it has ever been. We tell the story of the good news of Jesus Christ. We live that story. We live every day as citizens of the good kingdom of Jesus.
That kingdom will never end.