Commotion, Change And Consummation In His Plan
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come … These are the beginning of birth pains.
Mark 13:7-8
Birth pangs are a bittersweet experience. On the one hand they signal a long-awaited event; on the other, the beginning of hours of intense labor.
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So it is with the signs of the times in Mark 13—signs that mark the urgency of the hour.
Though the tendency in every age has been to mistake the birth pangs for the actual moment of birth, J. A. Alexander offers this helpful insight. (And keep in mind that he penned these words more than a century ago!)
WALK WITH J. A. ALEXANDER
“Do not be troubled or filled with concern, as if these commotions necessarily imply some great catastrophe or the final consummation.
“The necessity of this caution—given not only to the first disciples but also to their successors—is abundantly apparent.
“Pious people in every age have concluded that national commotions and collisions were decisive proof that the world was near its end.
“There are no doubt true Christians at this moment drawing such conclusions from the mutiny in India and the war in China, in direct opposition to our Lord’s command. The meaning of his words is not that such changes may not be immediately followed by the greatest change of all, but only that they do not guarantee it.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
The disciples were asking for a sign. Jesus concentrated on the assignment.
Nations will rise and fall, wars will rage, earthquakes will rock, famines will ravage.
But in the midst of it all, there’s a job to be done: “The gospel must first be preached to all nations” (Mark 13:10).
Only the servant of God, with his task clearly in view, will be able to watch and pray—and faithfully engage in fruitful service—even as the birth pangs grow. Are you such a servant?
