The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 33

Awake Us Now

This teaching is from Matthew 23:29 - 24:8.

Pastor Dodge finishes up looking at the seven woes today with an exploration of the 7th. Jesus continues in this 7th woe to convict the teachers and phrases of being hypocrites. Jesus speaks this woe about acting like they were so much better than previous generations in their treatment of prophets. However Jesus tells them they are not different and that He sees their hypocrisy.

Verses 29-32 are Jesus’ prophetic words of judgement over them. Jesus knows what the next days are going to bring - His betrayal into the hands of the religious establishment, turned over to the Romans, crucified. Their ancestors murdered prophets, but those He is talking to will murder the very Son of God.

Jesus tells them that He will send them teachers and prophets and sages and that some they will kill, others they will crucify, and others they will flog and expel from town. He tells how they are no better than their ancestors and tells the judgement they will face for this.

Jesus tells of His deep anguish in verse 37 as He expresses His deep desire to bring them back to Himself, His longing to draw them under His wing. In verses 38-39 He shares the desolation of the temple.

Moving into chapter 24 we delve into the topics of The Temple and The Last Days. As this chapter opens Jesus is with the disciples and they are looking down from the mount towards the temple and Jesus tells them that not one stone of the temple will be left on another, that the temple will be destroyed.

Today we know the truth of Jesus’ prophetic word about the temple as about 40 years after Jesus spoke these very words the temple was destroyed by the Roman army during the jewish revolt against Rome.

The disciples go on to ask Jesus when the destruction of the temple will happen and what will be the sign of the end of the age.

Jesus answers their two-part question with one answer “Watch out that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name claiming to be the Messiah and will deceive many.” The sign of the destruction of the temple and of the end of time is deception. Deception is one of the clear sign of the end of days.

Jesus goes on telling of wars and rumors of wars and not to be alarmed as these must happen before the end comes. Jesus tells that nation will be against nation, there will be famines, earthquakes and all these are the beginning of birth pains.

So much is contained in the words “birth pains.” Pastor Dodge will pick up with this topic next week! Plan to join us!

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