Preaching the Gospel Comes With Suffering - Mark 13-14

Mark 13:5-10 (ESV)

And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.

Jesus has just predicted that the Temple in Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. He didn’t say when.   We know by history it will be about 35 years later, in 70 A.D. that the Temple was destroyed.  We don’t know if this is the time He is referring to, or if He was referring to a Temple in the end times.  What we do know is some signs that He said would take place in prior to the Temple being destroyed.  But, again, we don’t know what end He is referring to.  There are great arguments for many interpretations.   What we do know is that before this all takes place several things are going to take place.  In the above verses we have some of those things:

1. False teachers will come to lead them astray. 
2. False christs will come claiming to be Jesus. 
3. These false teachers and false christs will lead believers astray. 
4. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Nations will rise up against nations. 
5. Earthquakes will be increased.  
6. Famines will take place. 
7. Believers will be delivered over to legal courts.   
8. Believers will be beaten.
9. Believers will bear witness of Christ before authorities.
10. The Gospel will be preached. 

Jesus calls all the above, simply the beginning before the end, birth pains.   God intends to use trauma and tragedy to bring forth the proclamation of the gospel.   Note the last verse:

And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.

That is the key to the timing of all this.  The question is, was that what happened at Pentecost ... 

Acts 2:5

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

... and therefore the Temple falling at 70 A.D. was the time He was referring to?  Or, will there be another time, after all nations hear the gospel, in the end times? 

Whenever it takes place there is going to be devastation and trauma.  But for the purpose of furthering the Gospel.   God uses suffering to spread the Gospel.  That is our take-a-way from these verses.   In order for the Gospel to be heard, suffering must be had.