Birth Pains (Mark 13:3-8)

I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been told that labor would be painful. I was in my ninth month of pregnancy and I was terribly uncomfortable. Was what I was feeling birth pains? I’d never given birth before so how could I know? I did the only thing that I knew to do, I went to the hospital. I was terribly embarrassed when I was sent home and told that I had experienced false labor. A couple of weeks passed before I again went to the hospital. I was excited this time that they didn’t send me home. I heard the nurse outside my door saying, “The poor thing doesn’t realize that she’s on a runaway roller coaster that she can’t get off!”

Jesus spoke about birth pains. The disciples had asked Him how they would know when the end was coming and Jesus’ response was sobering. He spoke of wars and rumors of war, earthquakes and famine. He added, “This must take place, but the end is not yet”(Mark 13:7). The discomfort that I had felt when I went to the hospital with false labor didn’t mean that I wasn’t pregnant it simply meant that the labor pains would increase before the birth took place.

When I read about wars and rumors of war I see in my mind the vision given to John in Revelation when he saw the scroll that was sealed with seven seals. When the Lamb took the scroll a new song was sung in heaven, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the
earth”(Revolution 5:9). When the Lamb who had been slain opened the first seal there was a white horse. It’s rider had a bow, and a crown was was given him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

When the second seal was opened a bright red horse appeared. “It’s rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword”(Revolution 6:3). In Mark Jesus had begun His prophecy about the end of time by telling His disciples that they needed to be on their guard. I believe that we need to heed that warning today. Will Durant a historical philosopher wrote, “In the last 3,421 years of recorded history  only 268 years have seen no war.”

Jesus not only spoke of international disruption He also spoke of physical destruction. Jesus spoke of earthquakes and famines. In Revaluation when the third seal was broken a black horse appeared bringing with him famine. One out of eight in our world today live in chronic undernourishment. So this is what Jesus called the beginning of birth pains. He told us to pay attention so that we would know what to expect. But birth pains will bring with them a birth. The kingdom of God will come, but first there will be birth pains.

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