Jesus Preserves His Members

ME (A hook):

For my senior trip in high school,

We went to Ocean City, MD.

We stayed right on the boardwalk.

So, when me and my friends got the chance,

We walked up and down the boardwalk to see what all they had.

Naturally, we got some junk food,

I got a henna tattoo,

And took a picture to send to my parents,

Hoping they would think it was a real tattoo,

But they didn’t fall for it.

We played mini golf,

And one of the more weird things we tried,

Was a palm reader.

This old lady had a little hut-like stand right on the boardwalk,

Offering palm readings.

Supposedly, she was able to look at the lines on our hands,

And know what our future might hold.

Now, my friends and I didn’t take her seriously,

Then walked away laughing,

Teasing one another about our supposed futures.

But some people,

Desperately want to know their future,

So, they will go to palm readers, fortune-tellers, or buy some tarot cards,

This seems to be growing increasingly prominent in our culture.

But you know,

As members of Christ’s body,

We could tell people their future.

Perhaps, we should setup a stand up on Main St.

We could do it free of charge,

Invite people to step right up and show us their hand.

We would take one look and say,

“Hmmm, yup, you are a human.

I can tell right away,

Your future doesn’t look good.”

We know that,

Because the real future for all humankind does not look good.

But!

Jesus Christ can change that future,

Based on who He is and what He has done.

Now, the reality is,

This is not what most people are hoping to hear when they go visit a palm reader.

They want the details.

They want to know about “who will I marry?”

“How many kids will I have?”

“How much money am I going to make?”

“Will any bad things happen to me?”

“Where am I going to live?”

“When will I get to retire?”

These are the type of specific questions people want answers to when a stranger on the side of the road looks at their palm.

They are not really interested in hearing about their eternal future.

Which matters way more than these questions about their temporary future.

But you know,

It is not just the people who visit palm readers that miss what matters most,

It can also be true of members of Christ’s body.

This morning, we are starting one of the most controversial chapters in the NT.

It is a chapter,

Where Jesus does His best fortune teller act,

As He tells His disciples the future.

But unlike a fortune teller,

Jesus’ prediction is not fake,

It is a promise.

And the danger for us as members,

Is that we will miss the eternal truths of His promise,

Because we are so caught up with the details.

This passage is the beginning of what is called the Olivet Discourse.

It continues through the rest of ch. 24 and all of 25.

It is Jesus’ last major teaching in Matthew.

It is known as the Olivet Discourse,

Because Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives as He gives this teaching privately to His disciples,

In response to their request to know when is the sign of His arrival,

And of the end of the age.

The Mount of Olives is a significant setting throughout the gospels.

It is just east of Jerusalem,

And adjacent to the temple mount,

Serving as a border between the city and the wilderness.

Dr. Porter says,

“The ‘mount’ is so intimately connected with the private, the devotional life of the Saviour, that we read of it and look at it with feelings of deep interest and affection.”

It is where the Garden of Gethsemane is located,

Where Jesus prays one of the most vulnerable prayers ever spoken,

Just before getting arrested.

And it also is the location where He eventually returns to heaven.

So, as Jesus teaches about the future at this important setting,

He uses a lot of symbolic language.

As a result,

Many have used this teaching to predict the exact date of Jesus’ return.

Only for those dates to come and pass,

Leaving them looking ridiculous.

But it is not just loonie people arguing over the interpretation of this passage.

There are a lot of solid, Bible-believing members,

And people way smarter than me,

Who argue over the various details of this chapter.

A few years back,

We did two series through the Daniel and Revelation.

If you are interested in hearing more about these various details,

I would encourage you to go back to these series,

Or David Jeremiah has written and preached on these topics a lot.

These details are helpful and interesting,

But in the grand scheme of things,

These differing opinions are secondary.

Slide

The primary question this passage raises is simply,

Are you ready?

Not only for Christ’s return.

But for whatever may happen in your life next week or next year,

Are you ready?

Are you ready for what may happen in the next ten years?

And are you absolutely certain of where you will be spending eternity?

This question is much more important than those secondary details.

This question is Jesus’ focus in this passage.

He is not giving every single detail of His return.

Rather, He is readying us for whatever the future holds:

Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, the next ten years, and forever.

Because Jesus Preserves His Members.

Slide

So, as we approach this controversial,

And sometimes confusing passage,

We are going to approach it from three clear and encouraging realities:

Trust in Christ’s Character

Preserved by Christ’s Love

Long for Christ’s Return

Jesus preserves us to persevere to proclaim His gospel.

So, as we approach Jesus’ teaching,

WE Trust in Christ’s Character (Why does this matter to us?):

Slide

Let us first approach it with Trust in Christ’s Character.

Because we see how Jesus has sovereign control over the future.

In this lesson,

Jesus prophesies about two significant events,

The destruction of Jerusalem,

And His second coming.

While it is difficult to understand every time Jesus explicitly refers to one of these events.

He at least initially addresses the destruction of Jerusalem.

As He leaves the temple in vs. 1,

He points to all the temple buildings,

And says,

“You see all these?”

“Not a single stone from any of these buildings will remain.”

This remarkable prophecy must have left the disciples stunned.

The temple was constructed of these huge blocks of white limestone.

They were 37.5 feet long,

12 feet high,

And 18 feet wide.

Each one of these stones easily weighed more than a ton!

Yet, in about 40 years,

This happened,

Just as Jesus prophesied.

General Titus led Rome to destroy Jerusalem and burn the temple to the ground.

To this day,

The arch of Titus stands in Rome commemorating this victory.

Slide

So, in vs. 3,

The disciples ask Jesus in private,

When this destruction will happen.

Then, Jesus seems to pivot to His Second Coming in vs. 4-14,

Slide

It is interesting,

After the disciples ask Jesus when the destruction of Jerusalem will happen.

He first replies by clarifying the signs that do not point to that,

But point to His return.

I do want to briefly highlight,

How in vs. 14,

He does not conclude this prophecy about His return by giving them a time,

Rather, He tells them He returns when a specific action happens.

And that specific action is the gospel being proclaimed to all nations.

The assumption is that if He had given the specific time,

It would lead to laziness or complacency,

Rather than readiness and action.

So, by telling us that He will come when the gospel is proclaimed to all nations,

He is giving us the hope we need to ready us for the adversity He warns about.

Because even the greatest tribulation the world will ever know,

Cannot stop the gospel!

Slide

But going back to the disciples question,

Jesus seems to return to the destruction of the temple in vs. 15,

Referring to the abomination of desolation.

We know this is addressing the destruction of the temple,

Because the parallel account in Luke 21 explicitly mentions Jerusalem.

But once again,

This shows how these two events are intrinsically woven together.

The destruction of Jerusalem was a foretaste of Christ’s final judgment,

Which will happen at His Second Coming.

But when Jesus says the abomination of desolation,

Most literally,

He is saying it is an abomination that causes desolation.

So, this abomination is a sign that Jerusalem is on the verge of destruction.

As Jesus notes,

This abomination was first prophesied by Daniel.

Multiple times Daniel references this.

He talks about a foreign ruler coming into the temple and profaning it.

Most Jews saw the fulfillment of this already happening in 168 BC.

According to the Jewish historian, Josephus,

Antiochus Epiphanes built a pagan altar in the temple,

And sacrificed pigs on it.

It was an abomination,

Because this foreigner and his idolatrous object desecrated the temple.

Now, fast forward to Jesus’ time,

And He seems to be telling His disciples,

How this blasphemous and detestable event was only a foretaste of what will happen to Jerusalem.

As I mentioned earlier,

In AD 70,

Jewish Zealots are waging war against Rome in Jerusalem.

Rome overran the Zealots in the temple,

And brought in elements of their Roman gods,

Took away the sacred vessels and lampstands,

And began sacrificing to their emperors and false gods.

But after desecrating the temple this way,

They destroyed it by burning it to the ground.

They caused extensive destruction, devastation, and utter ruin in Jerusalem.

Historical records indicate that this was a horrifying and ghastly time for the Jews.

It was a bloodbath,

The Jews were just obliterated by the Romans,

Many were taken into slavery,

The death toll is estimated to be somewhere in the millions.

It was an abomination of desolation.

So, it is this future event,

Jesus is advising the readers of Daniel to understand.

Slide

And that is why He says in vs. 16 to flee to the mountains.

He says don’t even go to your homes,

Or turn back for your cloak.

We can understand why Jesus basically says it will be terrible for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

And why He says to pray it is not in winter or on the Sabbath,

Because these times would make it much more difficult to escape the desolation.

Another historian, Eusebius,

Wrote how the Christians,

Who trusted in Jesus,

Remembered and obeyed these words,

And fled from Jerusalem during the Jewish war against Rome.

This was Jesus’ first prophecy.

And just as He said at the start,

The temple was obliterated,

And not one stone was left.

But the destruction of the temple figures into Jesus’ second prophecy.

Slide

The prophecy that is described in vs. 29-31,

The prophecy of Jesus’ second coming.

After a great tribulation,

Unlike anything the world has ever seen,

Jesus says,

The sun and moon will go dark,

The stars will fall from the sky,

And the powers of heaven will be shaken.

This alludes to Isaiah 13:10,

Which describes the fall of Babylon,

And Isaiah 34:4,

Which describes the judgment of Edom.

Clearly this is about more than just the destruction of Jerusalem.

It is a symbolic portrayal of judgment and destruction for all who oppose Jesus.

Slide

Now, most people agree,

Up to this point,

It has been relatively easy to interpret what Jesus is teaching.

Most of the interpretative challenges really come from vs. 32 on.

So, instead of getting caught in the weeds,

I want to pause briefly,

And share the two agreeable truths we can focus on,

And two important realities we must remember.

The first truth,

Jerusalem was going to be,

And was destroyed.

But second,

And more relevant to us today,

Jesus is coming back!

These two truths were absolutely shocking to these disciples.

But they are still critical for us today.

As we seek to apply this passage by trusting in Christ’s character,

There are a couple of important realities for us to grasp.

First,

This world and everything in it is passing away.

Despite the splendor of the temple,

With its massively large stones,

Including some marble stone,

And its gold roof,

Jesus points at this first century marvel,

And says,

Not a stone will remain.

You could imagine how shocking this would be to the disciples.

The same is true today for the things of the world.

No matter how big, significant, advanced, or incredible something is,

It is all passing away.

Slide

As Jesus says in vs. 35.

The second reality also comes from vs. 35.

Although the earth and everything in it is passing away,

God’s Word and everything in it is never fading.

Jesus’s Words have the same reliability as the OT Scripture itself.

Because His Words are God’s Words.

Because He is God.

So, regardless of how we interpret the details of this passage,

None of us can deny that Jesus accurately predicted the destruction of Jerusalem.

So, He is not some sort of phony palm reader offering fake predictions.

He is Lord of the past, present, and future.

And He speaks about all of it with authority.

Not only does He know what the future holds,

He is in charge of it.

Just as He spoke about the destruction of Jerusalem and it happened,

He has spoken about His return one day,

So, we can be certain that it is going to happen.

Why?

Because we can trust in His character.

Therefore, the question is,

Will we be ready?

Will we be ready for the day when He returns?

But what does it mean to be ready?

GOD (Teach the text):

Well, it means not only do we trust in Christ’s character,

Slide

But we are then Preserved By Christ’s Love.

Jesus gives this teaching privately to His disciples.

He was preparing them.

Not just for the destruction of Jerusalem,

But also for His second coming.

This second preparation was not only for His disciples,

But for all of His members throughout history.

As His members face different challenges all throughout history,

Jesus preserves us all by His love.

This emphasis is one of the key reasons it is so misguided to use this teaching to calculate the date of His return.

Peaking ahead to vs. 36,

Jesus says that no one knows the day and hour of His return.

That is a pretty remarkable thing for the Son of God to say.

So, if our primary response to this teaching is to speculate the day and hour,

Then we have missed the point entirely.

Jesus intends for us to walk away from this lesson ready for what is certain to come before He returns.

Slide

One of those things we will face is deception.

Look again at vs. 4-5,

Jesus says,

“See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

This was important enough,

Slide

That Jesus essentially repeats Himself with added details in vs. 23-26.

People will say,

“Here is the Messiah!”

Or, “There He is!”

This is what Christ’s members are to expect.

But they are false prophets.

And that is what they do,

Deceive and lead others astray.

So, when we hear and see such things,

Jesus’ instructions are clear,

Do not believe it.

We have seen people like this.

Jim Jones or David Koresh,

Are some well known examples of blatantly false teachers that come to mind when we hear this warning from Jesus.

But there are others whose deception is much more subtle.

Many others will paint a picture of Jesus that is not found in the Bible.

They are, as the Bible says,

Tickling itching ears.

Making up a plastic Jesus that appeals to our wicked and deceitful hearts,

To deceive many,

Including,

Jesus says,

If it were possible,

Even the elect,

Even God’s chosen members of Christ’s body.

But this is not possible,

At least, not in a permanent sense.

Because Jesus promises to keep His elect secure in His love.

He protects and preserves the faith of His chosen elect,

Through a combination of His Word, His Spirit, and His other members.

Therefore, all who trust in Christ’s character as Lord and Savior will persevere to the end.

Slide

Romans 8:30 guarantees,

Romans 8:30 ESV

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

The theological term we use to describe this idea is Perseverance of the Saints.

It means members of Christ’s body have eternal security,

By God’s grace.

So, it is more accurately understood as preservation of the saints.

Because the definition of perseverance is:

Continued adherence to a belief despite discouragement or opposition.

So, although members do persevere in faith and obedience to Christ,

This does not happen by our own strength or commitment,

Rather, it is Jesus through the Spirit that preserves us to persevere.

This is part of Christ’s ministry that we trust in.

He intercedes to the Father on our behalf.

He did it here on earth.

For example,

Slide

In John 17:24, Jesus prays,

John 17:24 ESV

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

But even after His death, resurrection, and return to heaven,

Slide

Jesus still intercedes for His members to this day.

Romans 8:34 ESV

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Slide

And Heb. 7:25,

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

And it is not as if Jesus’ prays empty prayers.

His prayers are certain to be granted.

So, throughout the NT,

Both the present and future security of Christ’s members in the almighty love of God is celebrated.

In Phil. 1:6, the Apostle Paul rejoices over the certainty that when Christ returns,

God will complete the good work He has begun in us.

Slide

The Westminster Confession explains it this way:

“They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.”

So, once members of Christ’s body are truly saved by trusting in Christ’s character,

We are always saved,

Preserved by Christ’s love to persevere in faith to the end.

Slide

As Heb. 10:35-39 teaches us,

Hebrews 10:35–39 ESV

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

One important disclaimer,

This is not saying everyone who claims to be a Christian will be saved.

Anyone who tries to live like a Christian in their own abilities are certain to fall away.

This was the soil on the rocky ground Jesus taught about earlier in Matt. 13.

Slide

And as He warned in Matt. 7:21,

Matthew 7:21 ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

So, if you truly trust in Christ’s character as your Lord and Savior,

Then you have the assurance of Christ’s security,

And you are certain to be preserved by Christ’s love.

This does not mean you live recklessly and calloused to consequences,

Boasting that you are secure.

But it does mean,

You can find hope and comfort,

Even if you backslide,

Even when you fall into sin.

Even when you oppose this new nature.

Because you have the Holy Spirit in you.

And the Bible says the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin.

And that conviction from the Spirit compels you back to Jesus,

To confess that sin,

As He is actively interceding on your behalf,

Guaranteeing you forgiveness and restoration to God.

This cultivates a humble and grateful desire to please God.

Because you understand He is the One Who has saved you,

He is the One Who preserves you by His love,

And the realization of His eternal security multiplies that desire to please Him.

Slide

But not only does Jesus warn us that we will face deception as we wait for His return.

He also says we will face tribulation.

Jesus warns us that life in this world will not be easy.

In vs. 6-8,

He says the great tribulation will be like the beginning of birth pains.

It will include wars and rumors of wars,

Famines and earthquakes.

These were familiar experiences in the first century.

And they are familiar today.

There is this constant military tension in the middle east,

Nuclear threats from North Korea,

The Russian invasion of Ukraine,

There is famine all around the world,

Hundreds of thousands of people are starving,

We consistently hear of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, and wildfires.

And just because we are members of Christ’s body,

We are not immune to any of this tribulation.

In fact, Jesus says to expect them.

Not so you can pinpoint His return based on any particular events.

Rather, so you can be reminded how to live,

And how to be ready in this fallen world until He returns.

In the midst of this,

Jesus says in vs. 6 to see that you are not alarmed by these things.

How?

Because as a member of Christ’s body,

Your hope is not based on world politics or what is happening in nature.

The Bible teaches that members are not saved from trials,

Rather, you are saved through trials.

Jesus is telling you that He will preserve you by His love.

Because even when everything seems out of control,

He is in control.

Therefore, you can persevere through any tribulation.

Slide

Jesus also warns that we will face temptation as wait for His return.

In vs. 10-12,

Jesus says many will fall away,

Betray and hate one another,

And all this lawlessness will cause love to grow cold.

Even those who say they are Christians will be tempted not to trust God,

But rather, to trust in themselves.

So, what Jesus is saying here,

Is that people you might think are members of Christ’s body,

Will turn away,

And you may be tempted to do the same.

Slide

Lastly, Jesus warns that we will face persecution in vs. 9.

You will experience suffering,

Because you bear the Name of Christ.

So, Jesus says don’t be surprised when you face opposition,

But instead, persevere.

Because, He promises in vs. 13,

The one who endures to the end will be saved.

We persevere in the presence of Christ and the power of His love.

As He promises at the very end of this Gospel,

He is with us always,

Even to the end of the age.

Slide

So, as we persevere,

We proclaim this gospel Jesus talks about in vs. 14.

Jesus has just given a long list of things that are not necessarily signs of the end,

But are the birth pains leading to the end.

The end,

Jesus says,

Comes when the gospel is proclaimed to all nations.

This sets the stage for Jesus’ foundational command at the end of Matthew,

To go and make disciples of all nations.

It is a glorious task!

But it is not an easy one.

As we proclaim the gospel to all nations,

Persecution inevitably comes.

So, if you give your life to proclaiming this gospel,

Jesus says life will get harder, not easier.

Slide

However, David Platt says,

“If you want to live a nice, comfortable, safe Christian life, then don’t share the gospel. Of course, that’s not an option if we love Jesus and want to be faithful to Him! We make Him known, regardless of the cost, because His reward is worth it.”

We should rejoice in this work of gospel proclamation.

Because it is what results in Christ’s second coming.

Jesus says that this mission is accomplished,

When every nation,

Every people group in this world,

Is reached with the gospel.

That is why we must give our lives and our resources to this mission.

And how will we know when this happens?

George Ladd says,

“God alone knows the definition of terms. I cannot precisely define who all the nations are, but I do not need to know. I know only one thing: Christ has not yet returned; therefore, the task is not yet done. When it is done, Christ will come. Our responsibility is to complete the task. So long as Christ does not return, our work is undone. Let us get busy and complete our mission.”

This is fundamental to why we are preserved by Christ’s love.

We are preserved to persevere to proclaim the gospel!

YOU Long for Christ’s Return (Response):

We have seen how we Trust in Christ’s Character,

And are Preserved By Christ’s Love.

But this chapter also shows us why we Long For Christ’s Return.

Slide

The reality of all the tribulation and deception and temptation and persecution should create anticipation.

The more we live in this world,

The more we will long for Christ’s return.

And Jesus leaves no doubt that His return will be evident to all.

When He comes,

It won’t be a secret.

An angel will let out a loud trumpet blast,

And everyone will see the Son of Man in splendor and glory.

It cannot be more different then His first coming.

When He was born in a tiny, obscure town,

And went largely unnoticed.

But just as Jesus came the first time in humility to provide salvation,

He will come the second time in glory to bring judgment.

Jesus riding on a cloud illustrates this glory.

Because all throughout the OT,

God would reveal His glory through clouds.

When He led His people from Egypt in Exodus,

They followed a pillar of cloud.

At the end of Exodus,

God revealed His glory in a cloud that covered the tabernacle.

The Psalms say God makes the clouds His chariot,

And Isaiah says the Lord rides on a swift cloud.

So, this is the picture Jesus is giving us.

That the glory of God is revealed in the Son,

When He returns on the clouds,

To bring about God’s judgment.

And when He does,

All the tribes of the earth will mourn.

There is a backward looking and forward looking reality to this statement.

First, looking back,

It alludes to the prophecy of Zech. 12:10-14,

Where the Jews mourn over the one they pierced.

It is a mourning over the realization that they crucified the Son of Man.

But looking forward,

All the tribes of the earth will mourn because it is judgment day,

And they were not ready.

Those who refuse to turn from their sin,

And trust in Jesus Christ,

Are found guilty as those who crucified Jesus Himself.

This is why I said at the start,

The primary question from this passage is,

Are you ready?

If you heard the trumpet shout today,

Would you be ready?

If not,

Trust in Christ’s character as your Lord and Savior today!

And if you already do trust in Christ,

Are there things in your life you still need to repent of?

Are there any sins you are holding on to?

Is there anything that you are doing that would cause you to feel ashamed if Jesus were to show up at this moment?

If so,

Trust in Christ’s character,

Confess these things to Him,

Find grace and love and mercy in your Savior,

He will preserve you,

And you will be ready for His coming.

As Jesus says in vs. 31,

He will gather His elect members,

Both those who have already passed from this world,

And those who are alive.

When He returns,

He will call all members to Himself,

As the eternal Lord who finally and fully asserts His rule and reign over all the earth,

Deserving of all praise!

WE (Paint a picture of the future):

Slide

As we close this morning,

I’d like to invite the music team up for a closing song.

As they make there way up,

The reality is today is one day closer to Christ’s return than yesterday.

And when that day does finally come.

It will blow our minds.

I am certain we have all excitedly waited in anticipation for something to come,

Eagerly waiting to experience whatever it was we were waiting for,

Only to be disappointed when it didn’t meet our expectations.

Well that is not what His return will be like.

There are not enough words to properly describe how glorious that day will be,

As well as every day of eternity that comes after it.

But CS Lewis gives a rich picture for us to imagine in the final book of the Chronicles of Narnia,

“As Aslan spoke, he no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

For members of Christ’s body,

The end of this world,

Is the beginning of the new heaven and new earth.

But as we long for Christ’s return,

We persevere by Christ’s love,

Through deception and temptation and tribulation and persecution,

So, we can proclaim Christ’s gospel.

And we do this by trusting in Christ’s character.

Because Jesus preserves us to persevere to proclaim His gospel.

Let us give our lives to this.

Pray.