Bible Passage: Mark 13:5-11
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: October 27, 2024

Bulletin October 27, 2024

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

It is said there are two things that are absolutely certain:  death and taxes.  While this is generally quite true, on the basis of our text today, this Reformation festival, we might want to add a third thing to that list.  And that is the preaching of the Gospel.  Jesus says in our text, The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. (v. 10)

He uses the word “must.”  “Must” is a word that implies necessity.  There are different ways in which “must” can mean “necessity.”  There is a necessity of politeness.  “You must keep your elbows off the table when eating.”  There is necessity of duty.  “Soldiers must defend our country.”  There is moral necessity.  “If you see someone who is hurt, you must help.”

The gospel must first be preached to all nations.  What kind of necessity is this?  Is it merely a politeness?  Is it duty?  Is it moral necessity?  Theologians and commentators have come up with a term to describe the necessity Jesus speaks of in this text.  It is called “divine necessity.”  That means that something is going to happen because God wants it to happen.  Nothing will stop the thing that God says “must” happen.

That is really what this festival is all about today.  The fact that God has ordered and ordained that the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection WILL be proclaimed to all the nations.  But even as Jesus says The Gospel Must be Preached,  he tells us (1) to beware of deception, and to (2) expect persecution.

Our text today is part of what has been called Jesus’ End Times discourse.  He is telling his followers what they can expect after his ascension into heaven.  That is why in this text he speaks of wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and famines.  Jesus says, “These are the beginning of birth pains.” (v. 8)  Birth pains signal something big is about to happen.  So do wars and earthquakes and famines.  Judgment Day is coming.

It is in this context that Jesus says, The gospel must first be preached to all nations. (v. 10)  This is going to happen.  It is “divine necessity”!  The news that God’s Son came into this world, loved God and his neighbor perfectly, died on the cross to pay for our sins, and rose again from the dead WILL be proclaimed throughout the world!  It must happen!

And this galls Satan!  He did not derail Jesus’ work when Jesus was here.  Oh, he tried!  He tempted God’s Son to sin, but Jesus never sinned!  So now Satan has focused his fiercest attacks on the proclamation of Jesus’ victory.  For when people hear that good news and believe it they are delivered from Satan’s kingdom.  So Satan has gone after the Gospel.  He seeks to enlist false preachers who will preach a twisted and perverted Gospel.

That is why Jesus warns in our text, Be careful that no one deceives you. (v. 5)  There is that word – “deceive.”  It’s Satan’s calling-card.  It’s what he does.  To deceive is to trick.  One deceit that Jesus mentions in our text is those who come in his name saying, I am (he). (v. 6)  There will be those bold deceivers who come and actually claim to be God.  We think of cults.

But often the deceit is much sneakier.  Such was the case at the time of Martin Luther in the 15th century.  Oh, a person could go into a church and see crosses and hear the name Jesus Christ.  Even sing the “Lamb of God.”  But it was deceptive.  People were told Jesus only did part of the work.  YOU must (necessity of duty) finish paying for your sins yourself by the kind of life you live.  For any bad stuff you have done, you must (necessity of duty) make up for it by doing good stuff.  Do you see what has become of the Good News of Jesus?  It’s no longer “good news!”  To tell anyone to try to pay their own debt of sin is to preach that person into hell.  Paul in Galatians called this a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. (Galatians 1:6-7)

There is other deception we must guard against.  There is the deception today that speaks much about Jesus and, again, still hangs a cross on the wall.  But the preaching that goes with this Jesus and cross goes like this, “Be like Jesus!  Do you see how loving he was?  Be willing to die for your cause!”  Friends, the message of the cross is not “Be like Jesus.”  The good news from the cross is “It is finished!”

We might speak of one more deception that is very prevalent today.  It even sounds like “good news.”  Preachers today will throw the gates of heaven wide open.  “It doesn’t matter what you believe!  We all finally go to a wonderful place!”  Doesn’t that sound like good news?  Except it’s not true.  This is called universalism.  It gives heaven away without the need of Jesus, or a cross, or repentance, or faith.  It really makes Jesus a useless, unnecessary accessory.  Think about that…and shudder.

As we live in these last days, we must (moral necessity) take Jesus’ words to heart.  The Gospel will be proclaimed, and Satan will work to deceive people away from Jesus.  And he will do something else.  Jesus warns his followers in our text, Be on your guard! (v. 9)  That almost has a military “feel” to it, doesn’t it?  It should.  You can expect to come under attack.  If Satan cannot deceive you away from Jesus he will try to persecute and scare you away from him!

But that is what today is all about!   It is about Good News that MUST go out into all the world.  It is about faithfulness to that gospel, vigilance against deception, and strength in the hour of persecution.  It is about asking God to give us, in this late day, the faithfulness, the vigilance, the steadfastness of the reformers who have gone before.

Amen.