Take Heed
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Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Last week we looked at verse 1 where we saw that Jesus exit from the temple was the beginning of His death march and the establishing of the new covenant which was established by the shedding of His blood
I verse 2 Jesus asked the disciples “do you see all these things? The word all here is the word for the totality of the object. I our case the temple structure and it’s practices.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
We saw the tragic end because of the rejection of Christ and the temple destroyed just as Jesus predicted
Now the disciples shift the discussion to know when these things will come to pass and what will be the sign of His coming
The answer begins with a warning:
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
It wasn’t long before the parade of false messiahs would come marching through history!
132 AD Bar Khobar - General of the Israeli rebellion was to have claimed to be the Messiah establishing the Kingdom of Israel again fulfilling the Messiah’s role
In 1666 a man named Salatide led hundreds of Jews into the sea to meet the coming Messiah and many died
Each of them representing a false Messiah
Currently there are more than 20,000 cult groups worldwide with 5000 in the US alone sporting more than 10 million members
What leads people to a cult?
According to a recent study, the pursuit of a dream-world of perfection; A desire to be loved; Finding the answer to life’s problems; being in a meaningful relationship; a sense of urgency and purpose to life
I can’t think of a better answer to their problem than a relationship with Jesus Christ!
The word deceived here is the word mean “to lead astray” or “To make to wander” root word “to spread - Plea...” it’s end is the fire of Hell in Greek Mythology as Argos causes Io to wander -
To create a state of mind-confusing madness!
It represents the lack of goals affecting the inward man
It’s practice is to obscure the reality of a subject, to bring about a deception leading to an ethical failure in judgement or action!
It is an active force to convert many to their way!
Satan in the garden! It’s not a new matter!
So strong is this deception that even the elect might be deceived!
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
Interesting Plato speaks of a vacillation of the soul which comes about as a result of man being drawn into what is changing through the senses of the body!
knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
The deceived are walking according to their body desires
For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
We clearly see this today in the practice of hedonism -
Aristipis of Cyrene started the school of thought in 435 BC - He contended that man should not be a slave to his passions but one who found joy all circumstances of life - good and bad
Today Webster defines it as the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self- indulgence
Jesus warned the disciples of this::
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
You see the pattern? Living Godly vs living sensually but..
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Here we clearly see the answer to the problem is to seek answers from God!
Yet this will lead to an increase in persecution
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
Don’t be deceived about the truth of God’s Wrod
It is what it says it is…His power and revelation in our lives.
So sign one, many deceivers will go forth…check that on off!