2023_11_01 Insight Post- Rusty Coram
This week’s reading- Isaiah 9, Matthew 21, Isaiah 11, Mark 13
Let’s be real for a moment; sometimes when reading the Bible, we come across some stuff that is really hard to grasp, like the passage today in Mark. After describing what will happen in the time leading up to His return, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” Mark 13:30–31 (NLT) Before we get into this passage, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, when you hit on a difficult passage don’t just give up on reading your Bible. Let the difficulty drive you to dig deeper. Second, don’t just do a Google search for answers. Sure, you will get a lot of answers (28.4 million in .6 seconds) but the accuracy isn’t vetted, it’s just a ton of opinions. A better approach is to ask a teacher or leader in your church what they think, and what resources they have come to trust. One thing I have discovered over time is that the passages I have to wrestle with, end up playing a significant role in deepening my confidence in the Bible and growing my faith.
So, what do we do with Mark 13:30? Well, Jesus was talking about things to come that will precede His return at the end of history. He describes some of them and is clear that they are a ways off. Because of this, we know the “generation” He talks about isn’t His disciples. The word translated generation could mean people or race. If you take it as people then Jesus could mean the people (in the future) who are alive during the last days of the end times. This period will last a few years and be very difficult. An intriguing alternative is that by generation Jesus means the Jewish race – the people who God used to reveal Himself to the world. This generation was loyal to Him at times, and at others, rejected Him, to the point that they executed His son, the Messiah. This is a fascinating idea and is bolstered by the fact that soon after that, the Jews were without a home and stayed that way for hundreds of years. Then, in 1947, this dispersed collection of people was reunited in their homeland where they are now. God had promised to never abandon them, and he didn’t. Paul speaks about this in Romans to an audience of non-Jews:
“I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. 27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Romans 11:25–28 (NLT)
While we don’t know for sure what Jesus means by “this generation”, either interpretation would work. The second scenario fits into other teachings in the Bible and is fascinating for sure!
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor