Mark 13:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

NIV: As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately,

NASB: As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew were questioning Him privately,

CSB: While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

NLT: Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him,

KJV: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

NKJV: Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,

The Mount of Olives is a hill to the east of Jerusalem. On its eastern flank is the town of Bethany where Jesus' friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus live. Since Jesus and the disciples arrived in the area, they have spent nights on the Mount of Olives and days in the temple courtyard where Jesus has been teaching (Luke 21:37).

From the Mount of Olives, the disciples can look across the Kidron Valley, through the Eastern Gate, straight to the front wall of the temple. In AD 810, the gate was closed by Muslims, only to be reopened three hundred years later by the Crusaders. In 1541, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman bricked it in closed, either for defense or in an attempt to thwart the prophecy that Jesus will use it when He returns. In 2019, it remains closed.

The four disciples listed are the first four Jesus formally invited to follow Him (Mark 1:16–20). Peter, James, and John have been Jesus' closest friends since the beginning of His public ministry. They were the only three to watch Jesus raise Jairus' daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37–42) and witness the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2–13). Soon, Jesus will ask the three to pray in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32–42). In this case, Peter's brother Andrew has come as well.

Mark 13:3–13 occurs less than a week after a crowd celebrated their belief that Jesus is the Son of David, come to restore Israel from her Roman oppressors (Mark 11:10). The disciples think Jesus spent the last three years preparing them to rule in His royal court (Mark 10:35–45). Moments ago, Jesus prophesied it is the temple and Jerusalem that will be destroyed, not the Romans (Mark 13:1–2). The disciples were understandably confused, even as He continues His dire predictions. Jesus' warnings are also recorded in Matthew 24:4–14 and Luke 21:8–19.

Days before the crucifixion, the disciples praise the glory of the temple. When Jesus tells them the temple will be destroyed, they ask for signs of that coming destruction and of His return (Matthew 24:3). Jesus answers their second question with information crucial for believers in the end times, and any time. Tribulation Christians will face horrifying hardships and violence, as may believers of any era, but they must remember that the hardships will not last. Jesus will return so quickly, any attempt to live by the world's rules will be futile.

The prior chapter contained several parables and Jesus' answer to assorted questions. In this section, Jesus turns His teaching towards the disciples. He explains concepts related to the end times: the still-future period when God will complete His plan for judgment on sin. Those details include a prophecy about the impending destruction of the temple. The final chapters of Mark then describe events up to and after the crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of His enemies.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.