There is so much to say about the Scripture in today’s reading and we have tried to keep things short…but this reading can’t be kept short. With so much talk from so many places today on the events of these last days, it is easy to get caught up in what people are saying. The question for us as Christians is this:
What Did Jesus Say?

Jesus words are written in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 concerning the signs of His coming and the events of the last days. Considering that at the time Jesus spoke these words He had only a few more days with the disciples before the crucifixion, we can logically conclude that the things Jesus would tell the disciples at this time would be extremely important. If they were important enough for Jesus to tell in His remaining few days before the crucifixion, shouldn’t they be important enough for us to pay close attention to today?

Jesus’ lessons had gotten progressively more intense than when He first began teaching. The heart of His teaching began to move away from taking care of the physical needs, the miraculous healings and the feeding of the multitudes, and became more focused on the coming kingdom.

This conversation took place three days before His crucifixion. Jesus and the disciples left the temple in Jerusalem. They journeyed on to the Mount of Olives, opposite the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Jesus privately what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age.

Matthew 24:3
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
These inner four disciples are asking, “When are you coming back to establish your kingdom to stay forever? What supernatural occurrence is going to happen to tell us that you are coming?” That’s what they were really asking.

Jesus answers their question with a warning to watch out and not be deceived. He tells His disciples that false prophets will come claiming to be the Messiah or claiming they know who and where the Messiah is. Some false prophets will also acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah but will pervert and distort the gospel. False prophets will claim, without using evidence that the end is near. They will misquote Scripture. Many will be deceived. Jesus warns His disciples that if anyone claims that they know where He is, to not believe it because He says He will come so that no one can miss it. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Nations will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, not necessarily against each other in battle but will just rise up beside each other. There will be new nations and kingdoms formed, greedy for power and wealth. There will be earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful events and great signs from heaven.

Jesus tells them not to be alarmed. These things will happen. They are the beginnings of birth pains but the end is still to come. As the time gets closer to Jesus’ coming, the events of these last days will be on an ever increasing scale. As time progresses, they will become more severe. They will increase in intensity and frequency, just as labor pains.

Next Jesus tells the disciples what will happen to them before all this takes place. Jesus tells them that they will be handed over to local councils and flogged in synagogues. They will stand before governors and kings and those in authority. They will be put in prison. They will be betrayed by parents, children, brothers, relatives and friends. They will be hated by all nations for no other reason than their faith in Jesus. They will be persecuted and even put to death. He warns them to be on their guard. He tells them not to worry beforehand about what they are to say in their defense. The Holy Spirit will be speaking for them with words and wisdom that none of their adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

Jesus tells His disciples that when they see these things happen, they will know that the end is near, right at the door. Jesus also reminds the disciples that no one knows the day or hour, not the angels in heaven, or even Jesus Himself, only God the Father knows.

Jesus compared events of the last days to labor pains. As birth pains increase, become more frequent and closer together, so will the frequency and intensity of events that lead up to Jesus’ coming. Then many more false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect-- if that were possible. There will be more wars and rumors of wars. More nations will rise up against nations, more kingdoms against kingdoms, greedy for power and wealth. There will be many more earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful events and great signs from heaven.

When all these things happen that Jesus predicted many people will be leading normal lives in their unbelief, eating, drinking, marrying, etc. just like they were in Noah’s day before the flood. They will be unaware that Jesus’ return is imminent. And they will not care. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

The events of these last days will be startling when they take place to those who don’t know what to be watching for. Those who are learning about the events leading up to these last days will know the signs so that those days will not catch them by surprise. They will not be “comatose”. The day of the Lord will not come upon believers like a thief in the night. We are watching because we are children of light.

The events of these last days are nothing to fear. When we read of devastating events going on around us it can be very frightening. But in many ways it can be very comforting to know that these things must take place. We must endure these things as we wait for His glorious appearing.