Mark 13 Devotional

Words That Outlast Everything

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”Mark 13:31 (BSB)

One disciple points out the temple's massive stones, and Jesus answers that every one will be thrown down (13:1-2). What follows is sobering. He warns of deceivers using his name, wars, earthquakes and famines, betrayal within families, and a time of distress unlike anything since creation (13:5-19). He does not soften any of it.

But he does not leave his people alone in it either. When they are handed over to councils and kings, the Holy Spirit will give them their words (13:11). For the sake of the people he has chosen, the Lord cuts those days short (13:20). The Son of Man will come with great power and glory and gather his own from the ends of the earth (13:26-27). Buildings that look permanent will fall, and the sky and earth themselves will one day end, but what Jesus says will stand (13:31). That is why his command is to stay awake, not to panic (13:33-37). You can face an uncertain future by resting on what will remain when everything else is gone.

To think about: What are you leaning on for security that will not last, and how can the words of Jesus become firmer ground today?