AUGUST 24-26, 2009 TUESDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 24
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=24
MESSAGE
“Cut Down”
After lamenting over the people of Jerusalem for misunderstanding Scripture, rejecting the Son of God, and turning the keys to the kingdom into a house of cards, Jesus responds to his disciples’ admiration of the temple buildings the same way he did to the religious leader’s self-admiration – with condemnation, saying the stones, like the building’s leaders, will be cut down.
“Signs”
Moving from the temple buildings to the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked Jesus when the buildings will be destroyed and what signs will indicate his return for Judgment Day. Jesus warns his disciples not to be alarmed by the coming of false Christ’s who mislead many people, nor about the coming wars, famines, or natural disasters that are part of the sufferings that will precede His return.
“Endurance”
Jesus tells his disciples that a sign of his return will include them (and all who believe in him) suffering hatred, persecution, betrayal, and even death at the hands of other nations, as well as those whose hearts grow cold as a result of becoming deceived by false prophets. He tells his disciples that those whose faith endures such suffering will be saved and that the gospel will be proclaimed as a testimony throughout the earth before he returns in Judgment.
“Abomination”
Referring to “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel (Daniel 9:27) - a prophecy thought fulfilled in 167 b.c. when Antiochus IV sacrificed a pig on a pagan altar to Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple - Jesus warns of a new abomination involving the Temple that will involve greater suffering than ever before seen - either referring to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 a.d. or the great tribulation associated with the end of times - that if not cut short for the sake of believers would destroy everyone present in Jerusalem or on earth at the end times. Jesus says not to be confused by either the claims or locations of false Christs or prophets because this will happen so suddenly there will be no time to prepare because it will be over and done with in the time it take a bolt of lightening to flash across the sky and at that point it will be as obvious as a gathering of vultures that He has returned.
“Cosmic Coming”
Jesus tells them that immediately following this suffering, cosmic events will occur to signal his arrival, causing those on earth responsible for persecuting his disciples to mourn. He tells them he will arrive with great power and glory on the clouds of heaven so it is unmistakable to the world he has returned from his resurrection and ascension to consummate his kingdom by calling his believers out from the world’s mourners by an angelic trumpet blast.
“Story 1: Fig Tree”
Jesus then tells four stories to illustrate how his return will be at the end of times. The first is a story of analogy between being able to tell summer is near based on the tender branches and budding leaves of the fig tree and being able to see that his return is imminent based on signs he has just spoken of. He tells them their generation will not pass away before these signs begin happening and that his words have the authority and validity of God.
“Story 2: Unprepared”
Jesus’ second story had to do with the importance of being ready for his return at all times unlike the people during Noah’s time who were living life as usual when the flood came and washed them away while Noah was safe inside the arc and unlike two men in a field or two women grinding grain where one was taken and the other left behind.
“Story 3: Nighttime Thief”
Jesus’ third story about being ready for his return came with a warning to be alert because he will come unexpectedly like a thief during the night – stating that if the owner of a house knew when a thief was coming he would take precautions and be ready for him, but this never happens.
“Story 4: Faithful Slave”
In Jesus’ final story about being ready for his return he asks who the faithful and wise slave is – the one who takes care of his master’s household by being kind and caring for others in the household when left in charge by his master or the one who doesn’t take care of his master’s household and is cruel and doesn’t care for others in the household because he doesn’t expect his master to return for a long time? The faithful slave is put in charge of all the master’s possessions while the unfaithful slave is cut in two and assigned a place with the hypocrites – the place of eternal suffering.
TEACHING
Jesus has to change emotional gears - from compassionately lamenting over the fate of the people of Jerusalem who have rejected him and are planning his crucifixion – to condemn the temple buildings his disciples were admiring because the seven condemnations he has just pronounced against the building’s leaders for their self-admiration hadn’t been processed yet by the disciples.
Asking when his condemnation of the buildings would be result in their destruction and what the sign of his return for Judgment Day would be, Jesus told the disciples there would not only be the suffering everyone will experience related to wars, famines, and natural disasters, but the hatred, persecution, betrayal, and death his believers will suffer and need to endure in order for the gospel to be proclaimed throughout the world prior to his return.
Jesus tells them of a sign greater than the abominable prophetic sign of Daniel fulfilled in 167 b.c when Antiochus IV sacrificed an unclean pig on a pagan altar he made to Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple. He tells them that the greater abomination serving as a prophetic sign and giving indication that the end days have begun will be when Rome comes to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 a.d – a precursor to the great tribulation that will occur at the end of times - in both situations if the destruction was not stopped for the sake of those who believe, total destruction would otherwise occur. Jesus says that false Christs and prophets won’t be able to create confusion when he returns and at that point it will be too late to prepare because he will come as fast as a blot of lightening which will leave no question he is back.
Jesus tells them his return will be a cosmic event in which his return in power and glory on the clouds will be unmistakable and accompanied by angelic trumpet blasts that will call out his believers from those responsible for persecuting them on earth who will be in mourning.
Jesus illustrates his answer to his disciple’s question about the signs of his return with four brief stories. In one, he tells them how the tender branches and budding leaves of a fig tree serve as signs summer is near just like the authoritative words of God he has spoken serve as signs this disciples will not die before what he has said start to happen. In another, he tells them of those who were washed away in the flood during Noah’s day because they weren’t prepared when it started raining and how therefore in the same way when he returns it will be too late to prepare. In yet another, he tells them in the same way a thief doesn’t announce when he is coming so that precautions can be taken against him, he will come unannounced and without warning so the only thing to do is to be ready at all times - something his final story is about, a servant, who despite not knowing when his master will be returning, takes good care of the household and is kind and caring to others in the household and as a result is put in charge of all his master’s possessions vs an unfaithful servant who does the exact opposite and because of this is cut in two (like the building stones) and is given a place like the hypocrites (like the religious leaders) – the place outside kingdom of heaven where the man without wedding clothes was thrown, the place of total darkness and eternal suffering.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, We adore You above all things - not stones, not buildings, not ourselves.
Our Father in Heaven, Forgive us when we do not praise You above all. Cut us down to size. Reduce our egos to rubble like the stones of the Jerusalem Temple and the religious leader’s pride when we need to be humbled. Show us our false pride and remove it. Comfort us through this painful process so we change and Adore You alone.
Our Father in Heaven, Help us to understand the suffering in our lives and the lives of others. Help us to understand how suffering is a sign that Your Son’s return has begun and how hatred, persecution, betrayal, and death for Your Son’s Name sake are to be endured to the End of Time as the Gospel is spread to the Ends of the Earth.
Our Father in Heaven, We pray for the power of Your Spirit to help us endure to the End and to be able to live the life of a faithful servant, managing Your household with kindness, caring for others by taking the Gospel to all nations through obedience to Your Son’s Commission to us.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
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