December 2 - Deception

December 2 - Deception

Matthew 24:1-8, Mark 13:1-8, Luke 21:5-11

Do not be deceived. That is the one thing that Jesus was trying to ensure His disciples would avoid as they looked forward to the end of the world.

They had just walked from the Temple and were trying to engage Jesus in a conversation regarding the beauty of the place. Herod's Temple gleamed in the sunlight! It was a spectacular sight. Jesus saw only the time to come, when the temple itself would be destroyed. The disciples, caught up in His teaching, began to put things together. For them, the destruction of the temple would coincide with His return and the final judgment. They believed that all of this was imminent.

Matthew 24:3b, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of your coming (translated from the Greek word parousia), and of the end of the world?"

Jesus heard their question. He understood their concern, their excitement, their wonder. They trusted Him implicitly for their future. He also knew that He would soon be gone from them and even His knowledge of the final timeline was limited. Jesus needed to ensure that they would remain faithful even though things didn't go as they might expect.

There would be people coming along claiming that they had the answers, claiming to be the next Messiah. Do not be deceived.

You will hear all sorts of things that seem to signify the end of the world. Do not be alarmed.

In Luke 21:9b, Jesus says, "These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."

He never lets them believe that the end will happen in their lifetime, even though the temple will be destroyed. These are just the beginning of the birth pains.

As we put this all into context, the wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilence, fearful events, great signs from heaven, revolutions ... all of these things are simply the beginning. The end will not come right away.

Do not allow yourself to be deceived by people who preach fear because of these occurrences.

The one thing that we must be assured of is that when Jesus returns, there will be absolutely no question. We will recognize Him, we will know what is happening. Jesus will not leave any room for doubt. Do not be deceived by those who preach fear.