Mark 13:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.

NIV: Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.

NASB: Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and they will mislead many.

CSB: Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and they will deceive many.

NLT: for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.

KJV: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

NKJV: For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

Days before the crucifixion, the disciples still don't understand that Jesus will die and be raised. Nor do they know that forty days later He will ascend into heaven (Acts 1:9–11), not to return until after the tribulation. In this special teaching to Peter, James, John, and Andrew, Jesus teaches them about what to expect in the future. That includes their own immediate future and the end times of the world. Jesus' most pressing concern is that they—and we—understand the truth as it is written in the Bible and not be led astray by false teachers.

Whether literally or in essence, people have claimed to be Jesus since shortly after the ascension. Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers, said she was Christ-incarnate in the female form. Baha'u'llah claimed to fulfill not only Christianity but also two other religions. The followers of Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church believed he was Jesus. Jim Jones claimed to be Jesus, Buddha, and Lenin reincarnated. Others include Marshall Applewhite, Charles Manson, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, and David Koresh.

Not all those false teachers can be written off as bizarre loonies; many had great influence over numbers of people. It's unclear how many have joined the Unification Church, but records vary from 250,000 and 3 million. The World Mission Society claims it has had 1.7 million members. Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda said that he had 2 million. This leads to a sad truth: millions of people understand Jesus is coming back—but don't realize how conmen will lead them to hell in Jesus' name.

Beyond drawing their followers away from Christ, many false Christs lead their followers to physical death. Marshall Applewhite convinced 39 members of his Heaven's Gate cult to kill themselves. Almost 80 Branch Davidians died in David Koresh's fight with federal agents. And Jim Jones had 920 of his followers drink poison.

The Bible thoroughly denounces false teachers (Matthew 12:33–37; 16:15–16; Galatians 1:7–9; 1 John 2:22; 2 John 1:9; Jude 1:11). Although it can be difficult to identify a false teacher (2 Corinthians 11:14–15), at first, God promises to give us wisdom if we ask (James 1:5). Although the generation of believers that lives in the end times will not be deceived, they will need to pay close attention to Scripture (Mark 13:22).

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.