Jesus,
answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray.”
Mark 13:5-6
Mark 13 [3.] As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?”
Mark 13 [5.] Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray.
Mark 13 [7.] “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, 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 and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains. But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. The Good News must first be preached to all the nations. When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Meaning:
The disciples had asked Jesus when the temple would be destroyed and what sign would show it was near (Mark 13:3-4). His first words do not give a date or a sign. They give a warning. Before anything else, his followers must guard against deception. The same warning comes back later in the chapter (Mark 13:21-23), so it frames the whole discourse.
- “Be careful that no one leads you astray”
The word translated “be careful” means to look, to keep your eyes open. Jesus knew that times of crisis make people easy to mislead. When wars break out, when the familiar world is shaken, people look for someone who claims to have the answers. Anxious curiosity about the future can make believers easy prey for anyone who offers certainty.
Scripture often gives this warning. Through Jeremiah God said, “Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart” (Jeremiah 23:16). Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
- “For many will come in my name”
To come “in my name” here means to claim the identity or authority that belongs to Jesus. Matthew’s account makes it plain: “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray” (Matthew 24:5).
The decades before AD 70 saw just such men. Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes several leaders who gathered followers in the wilderness, promised miraculous signs and deliverance, and led them to their deaths at the hands of Roman soldiers. Some claimed to be prophets, others acted as would-be kings. Each promised freedom; each led people astray. Their kind has appeared in every generation since.
- “Saying, ‘I am he!’”
The PIB footnote notes that the words can also be read “I AM!” This is significant. When God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush he said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus himself used these words of himself: “before Abraham came into existence, I AM” (John 8:58). When he walked on the sea he told his frightened disciples, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid” (Mark 6:50), and before the high priest he would answer, “I am” (Mark 14:62).
False messiahs would claim for themselves what belongs only to Christ. That is why the warning is so serious: the issue is not only bad advice but a rival saviour.
- “And will lead many astray”
Jesus says “many” twice. Deception is not a rare danger for a few gullible people; it will be widespread. John urged the early church, “don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Paul wrote to believers who had been told that the day of the Lord had already come, “Let no one deceive you in any way” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
The protection Jesus gives is knowing his voice. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Those who know the real Jesus from his word are not easily taken in by imitations.
The Significance of Mark 13:5-6
- Test every claim
Leaders, prophecies and teachings that claim to speak for Christ must be tested against Scripture. Sincerity and signs are not enough.
- Do not be led by fear
Uncertain times make people look for quick answers. Believers can stay calm, trusting Jesus, who told them these things in advance.
- Stay close to the true Shepherd
The best defence against counterfeits is to know the real Christ well, through reading his word and following him daily.
Cross-References:
Matthew 24:4-5: "Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray." The parallel in Matthew.
1 John 4:1: "don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God" The call to test what we hear.
Matthew 7:15: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves." Deceivers in disguise.
John 8:58: "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM." The name that belongs to Christ alone.
Conclusion: Jesus began his answer about the future with a warning: be careful that no one leads you astray. Many would come claiming his name and his identity, saying “I am he”, and many would follow them. History has proved him right. His followers are kept safe not by knowing dates or chasing signs but by knowing the true Christ, testing every claim by his word, and listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible