{"id":4512,"date":"2024-03-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/reading-plan\/march-3\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:42:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T14:42:45","slug":"march-3","status":"publish","type":"reading-plan","link":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/reading-plan\/march-3\/","title":{"rendered":"March 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Insight from Mark 13:<\/span><\/p>\n

This chapter begins with the Apostles drawing attention to the temple buildings. Based on the previous chapters, it is likely that the Apostles want some reassurance from Jesus that the physical temple in Jerusalem (and Jerusalem itself ) still has a significant place in God\u2019s plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is important to understand that the Jews (and, thus, the Apostles at this time) considered the temple to be the most important place in the world. For them, it was a place of incredible glory\u2014the center of the world. They could not imagine it ever being destroyed. Images of fruit appeared all over the temple and temple grounds because the temple was supposed to be, in a sense, the garden of Eden. The temple was the place where God had said that he would dwell. It was the place where he was to be worshiped. It was the place where forgiveness was to be poured out. It was the place where good fruit was to be produced. The Gentiles were to come to the temple to encounter the presence of God and to marvel at the good fruit produced by God\u2019s people.<\/span><\/p>\n

As they look at the beautiful temple, the Apostles simply cannot imagine the temple in Jerusalem ever being destroyed. Jesus\u2019 words and actions (particularly in the last two chapters), however, have greatly troubled the Apostles. They have, for some time, seen him do things that suggest that he is a replacement for the temple (for example, he pronounces people forgiven and he pronounces people clean\u2014these are things that were to happen at the temple). The Apostles, however, still do not understand this. They do understand, however, that he has examined the temple and has found it to be fruitless. But, by their statement about the temple\u2019s beauty in verse one, it is clear that they hope he will reassure them with some kind words about the temple. Jesus offers no reassurance about the temple. Instead, he says that the temple in Jerusalem will be torn apart (this literally happens in AD 70). Jesus\u2019 words about the destruction of the temple shouldn\u2019t have completely surprised the Apostles. He had already hinted at it in his teaching (see John 4:20\u201326). Beyond this, the Apostles should have remembered that God had, in the past, allowed the temple to be destroyed and\/or relocated (see Jeremiah 7:1\u201314). It is not until after the death and resurrection of Jesus that the Apostles truly understand that Jesus is the new temple (see John 2:18\u201322)\u2014the \u201cplace\u201d where people come to meet God, to find forgiveness, and to worship him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_crdt_document":""},"class_list":["post-4512","reading-plan","type-reading-plan","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan\/4512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reading-plan"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}