This is the chapter that has Jesus'Mount Olivet discourse, His prophetic message of the end times that He gives toHis disciples. As wefinish the chapter, He gives some admonitions and has a wonderful closing tothis chapter, showing how Jesus continues at the temple to teach.
Jesus,as He told about the things that will be happening in the tribulation period,mentioned that there will be false messiahs, false prophets and teachers, butdon’t be deceived. There will be wars and commotions, but don’t be terrified orfearful. There will be great persecutionbut don’t be worried, this will be your opportunity to give a great witness andtestimony of His love, grace, and salvation. And, He will give you the words tospeak.
Isn'tit interesting that even right now, as we went to bed last night, we heard newsthat Israel is attacking Iran and bombing their nuclear capabilities? So, thereare wars, as Jesus said there would be. We believe all these things intensifyjust before the tribulation period begins.
The message, even though it's to the Jewish people in the tribulation period, is amessage for us today. Listen, the time is drawing near, and we're not to becaught up with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. The cares ofthis life are legitimate things that we would do, like making a living,working, taking care of our food, housing, children, and so forth. But Jesus said,as it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the days of Lot. life will be goingon as usual for most people ignoring the Gospel message and the warnings ofcoming judgment. But, my friend, thetime of the end is drawing near, and that Day should not catch us unaware. Wehave so many warnings.
So,what do we do? Do we fear, worry, or be terrified? No, we look up, we listenfor the trumpet, and we believe with all our hearts that Jesus will take careof us. We do what Ephesians 5:16 says: "Redeeming the time, because thedays are evil." The world's a mess, there's anarchy in our streets,there's violence, chaos, corruption, wickedness, and evil everywhere; and it'snot getting any better. We need to remember that the Bible tells us it's notgoing to get better. It's going to get worse before the end comes. Instead ofthrowing up our hands, quitting, and throwing in the towel, saying, "Well,what can we do”? So, we are to redeem the time. That means we buy up theopportunities.
Welive in a broken world; people are more empty than ever before. Severalgenerations are terribly biblically illiterate and have no clue what the Biblesays or who God is. But that means there's an empty void in their lives, andthey know something is missing. That's our opportunity to tell them there'sonly one answer to their need, and that's Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter whatreligion they are—Hindus, Muslims, Christians, religious as can be—it doesn'tmatter. What we all need is Jesus Christ.
Jesuscontinued to teach in the temple, and at night, He'd go stay on the Mount ofOlives. He'd come back in the morning, and this is Passion Week. Jesus isgetting ready to go to the cross, but what is He doing? He's teaching thepeople. That's what we're supposed to be doing until the end comes—tellingpeople about the wonderful Word of God and the message of the gospel thatthere's hope in Jesus Christ. So, let's make sure we're doing that.
Aswe finish this chapter, I couldn’t help but think about what Paul wrote in Romans13:11-14; “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awakeout of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Thenight is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works ofdarkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in theday, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strifeand envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for theflesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
