"The Last Days According to Jesus" pt.1

Introduction:

Matthew 24 is one of those difficult text to understand. This is largely due to the immediate implications of it to the disciples and the implications of it to the last days. There is no other account of Scripture that records more exhaustively Jesus’s teaching on tribulation and how it pertains to the last days more so than Matthew 24. And along with it Mark 13 and Luke 21 which is very similar. Theologians often refer to this account as the Olivet discourse.

Jesus gives this information in context to His disciples calling His attention to the buildings of the temple.

Josephus tells us what a brilliant sight the temple in Jerusalem was prior to it’s destruction. He describes it as, “being covered on all sides with massive plates of gold, the sun was no sooner up that it radiated so fiery a flash that persons straining to look at it were compelled to avert their eyes, as from the solar rays. To approaching strangers it appeared from a distance like a snow-clad mountain; for all that was not overlaid with gold was of purist white” (War 5.222-23; pg. 707-708 Whiston).

Herod the Great had done the restoration and it was the quintessential symbol of Judaism and the Jewish state of Israel. It was this building that Jesus prophesied about in verses 1-2*

I. The Prophecy (1-2)

English Standard Version Chapter 24

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

The Prophecy that Jesus gives in verse 2 is in relation to the Temple building itself. His disciples had called His attention to it. And this sets the context for Him to speak of future events when not one stone will be left upon another of the Temple’s structure.

This as we know was fulfilled about 37 years later in 70 AD when the Roman army under the leadership of Titus overthrew Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. The Arch of Titus that commemorates his victory still stands in Rome to this day. It depicts the Roman soldiers carrying out the temple furnishings.

Parts of it were burned and the temple was destroyed. And even in our day you can still see some of the large stone blocks piled in rubble that were cast down by the Romans in fulfillment of Jesus prophecy.

This prophetic declaration prompts His disciples to eventually get around to asking some questions regarding the fulfillment. Look back at your text to verse 3*

II. The Questions (3)

English Standard Version Chapter 24

3 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?”

There are two basic questions that we see that they ask.

The destruction of the Temple is what they are inquiring about in the first question.

They had heard the prophecy of verse 2 so they wanted to know when it will take place.

The second question they had was in relation to His coming and the end of the age.

They were inquisitive probably due to the prominence of the Temple in Jewish religious life and it’s destruction would have been considered to be a cataclysmic event for the Jewish people.

Jesus answers their questions by giving them insight to future events and how those events contextualize gospel ministry in the Kingdom.

First we see he warns them of coming events

III. The Instruction (4-14).

A. The coming of future events (4-12).

English Standard Version Chapter 24

4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Our Lord warns His disciples against being led astray in verse 4. His desire is for them to stay focused on Him and the ministry of the gospel that would be entrusted to them.

It is because the Lord Jesus knew that there would be things that they would encounter in their lives that could be seen as opposition to their ministry.

And there would be events that would take place in the future that would put gospel ministry into a very difficult context for them.

Things like wars. Where nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and famine would take place and natural disasters like earthquakes would happen.

Notice that Jesus describes tribulation as “birth pains” and it appears He is describing the destruction of the Temple as being the beginning of those birth pains.

The Jewish rebellion against Rome took place around 66 AD and a Judean provisional government was established. The Romans retaliated with the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD in the first Jewish-Roman war. Josephus estimates before it was all done over a million people died. It was an incredible slaughter. Most of the number were non-combatants the city had those in it who were there for festival reasons.

There were two other wars that followed. And all of this was going on during the first century while the New Testament church was taking off.

False Christ went hand in hand with any Jewish revolt against the Romans. They would arise and lead followers into battle against Rome to establish Jewish sovereignty and to overthrow Rome.

Theudas is one that Josephus mentions by name. Who led a revolt in around 45 AD.

Acts 21:38 makes reference to “The Egyptian” who led a revolt. Josephus also makes reference to him also.

Another man named Menahem Ben Judah is also mentioned by Josephus.

There were several false liberators of Israel in the first century. And there have been many throughout history from the first century forward how have claimed to be liberators of God’s people.

Famines and earthquakes and persecutions are documented as well in antiquity in various places around the world in the first century and beyond. So we know that these things happened but these events in the first century are just the beginning of birth pains.

All of the Apostles died of persecution except the Apostle John who is thought to have died of natural causes. But if this is true he certainly was persecuted time and again.

So what Jesus warns of takes place in the first century during the lives of the Apostles as the beginning of birth pains and continues until the return of Christ. The nature of birth pains is that they intensify the closer you get to the birth.

He also warns of a spiritual apostasy to come. Where false prophets will lead people astray. People will fall away and lawlessness will increase while the love of many will grow cold.

Christian don’t be alarmed at this. Our Lord has already told us that this would happen. Such events should not surprise us as Christians. As a matter of fact these events set the context of gospel ministry for us. Look at your text in verses 13-14.

B. The contextualization of gospel ministry (13-14).

English Standard Version Chapter 24

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Endurance or Perseverance is critical to our salvation. Like a runner running for the finish line, we are living the Christian life with the goal of endurance and persevering until the end.

This means that when we go through tribulation in this life it is endurance in the faith that we not only pursue but that we should challenge and encourage one another in as well.

So these times of tribulation that Jesus refers to in association with 70 AD contextualizes gospel ministry for His disciples.

And the tribulation doesn’t stop with them. It will continue on in the world with greater intensity as we draw nearer to Christ return. Our Lord tells us in John 16:33 -  “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

It would appear that persecution and tribulation is promised for followers of Christ but the great comfort that we should relish in is that Jesus Christ has overcome the world.

As a believer we are set in a context where we have our victory over the world through the victory of Christ. Our primary preoccupation should be the peace we have in Christ because of the triumph that He has over the world through the Cross.

Jesus did not expect that tribulation should be something that would negate the mission that we have in the world. The gospel of the Kingdom is still in need of being proclaimed in all the world.

We are not simply spreading a religion but more importantly we are advancing the Kingdom of God through gospel proclamation. Tribulation to one degree or another has always contextualized the ministry of the gospel and we should expect it.

This is why it is so easy for the Church to avoid doing evangelism and discipleship ministry in the world. The nature of the gospel’s offense upon sinful men and women will probably stir up some tribulation if there is none there at the moment.

You see the tribulation and tension associated with 70 AD dealt with who has the sovereign right to rule over the Nation of Israel. Who has the authority and divine right over the Kingdom of God on earth in Israel?

God moved the Kingdom from being a physical dynamic in the world to being a spiritual dynamic at a cosmic level. Jesus told this to Pilot when He said in John 18:36- “ My kingdom is not of this world.”

This Kingdom is existing in the hearts of men. This is where the world wages the battle now as we preach and fight to claim ground by seeing regeneration take place in the hearts of men and women.

Numbers that I just heard out of Iran say that they estimate that about 1 million believers are now in Iran. That is a church that understands something about tribulation.

The back to Jerusalem movement is a ministry of the Church in China that is sending Chinese evangelist to preach the gospel through the Islamic nations all the way back to Jerusalem.

The Christian Church in China birthed in tribulation sanctified in persecution sending missionaries through some of the most hostile nations against the gospel in the world.

Christian God is on the move in the world and the gospel of the Kingdom is being proclaimed among the nations.

Our mission is still an ongoing mission and you are either engaged in it to one degree or another or you are in need of it.

Conclusion

What about you? Are you an unbeliever? You need the gospel.

Tribulation is rising in the world but take heart, Christ has overcome the world.

This is not the time for surrender, this is the time for faithful courage to proclaim fearlessly the gospel to a lost and dying world.

I would imagine that when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD those Jewish believers recalled the Lords’s words that foretold it.

The physical temple was gone because the spiritual temple is here. God has taken up residence in Christian believers.

The Kingdom is the Spiritual Reality that we live in now. God’s provision to us as we live in relationship to Him in light of the gospel. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is with His people and His Kingdom is coming upon the earth.

And this Kingdom has a feast that we eat together before our King that reminds us of the gospel of the Kingdom. In preparation we are to examine ourselves. I Cor. 11:27-31*

Lets examine our heart in preparation. Let us pray.