Mark 13:31 (ESV) — Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Jesus was God in the flesh. He is the Word from the beginning that came from Heaven to earth (John 1:1, 14). This means that the words Jesus spoke are the words of God. He is revealing the truths about God, the Kingdom, mankind, salvation, and the world to come. His words have authority and power because they are the words of the same one who spoke all things into being from the beginning (Genesis 1:3). 

Our passage today not only assumes this reality, but confirms this reality. Jesus himself tells us about the power of his words. His words endure. They hold. They transform. 

How solid and unmovable are the words of Christ? He tells us. In Mark 13:31 he says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” These are eye-opening words. Heaven and earth will pass away. He doesn’t mean they are going to die, but they will change. Heaven as it is will give way to the New Heavens. Earth as it is will give way to a New Earth. So even the current state of Heaven and earth will pass away. But not Jesus’ words. His words will endure. They will not change. 

This is true of all of Scripture. Jesus’ words are one form of Holy Word. But all Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). This means that all Scripture endures. God’s Word doesn’t expire, change, or morph over time. 

This means we can read it with confidence. Its truths are absolute, eternal, and unchanging. We can bank our lives on the promises contained within God’s Word. We can know the God who reveals Himself through the Word of God. Stake your life on Scripture. Listen to and obey His words. They never pass away. They endure forever, and so do the people who follow them.

Reflection & Journal:

- What does it mean that Heaven and earth will pass away?

- Why is it significant that Jesus’ words (or any of God’s Word) don’t pass away? What does that mean?

- How should our approach to Scripture and Bible-reading be in light of its enduring nature and quality?  

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