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"And as He [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!' And Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.' And as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?' 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. ... You will be hated by all for My Name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.'" (Mark 13:1-9a, 13 ESV)
Birth pains are a strange thing. I don't think any woman enjoys being in labor. And yet, at the end of a pregnancy, we wait anxiously—eagerly!—for the first contractions to start. Some of us even try gimmicks we've been told will start our labor pains. Not because we enjoy pain, but because in God's mercy, we hope to end our labor with a new baby born into the world—one more person to love in our families.
Now when Jesus talks about the suffering that comes before the end of the world, He compares it to labor. He says, "These are but the beginning of the birth pains." That suffering won't be any fun for us, either; but at the end of it, what will we have? Our dear Lord Jesus, returned to us visibly, never to be separated from us again. A new heaven and new earth, full of goodness and life. Our own bodies raised from the dead, but transformed from the way they used to be—glorious, deathless, full of power and joy. And all of our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, reunited, to live together in love forever. When we look at it that way, it's worth it, isn't it?
Jesus certainly thinks so. Because His own sufferings are also like birth pains. It was Jesus' death on the cross that gave all of us new birth as God's own children; and Jesus' resurrection that gives us life in Him forever, full of joy and love. Christ suffered to give us life and to bring us into God's kingdom; and so now we can willingly share in suffering for the sake of His mission to the world, so that as many people as possible may come to believe in Him.
We Pray: Lord, You suffered to give us life. Thank You for giving us the honor of suffering, however much or little it may be, to serve You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on November 14, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. What bothers you most about the idea of the end of the world? Why?
2. Does thinking about the good gifts that lie just beyond it change your attitude? Why or why not?
3. What are the results of Jesus' own suffering? Do you think He is happy with those results?
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