Don't Be Deceived
A. This is only the beginning of the "end"
1) The end will come (1-4)
As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What )assive stones! What magnificent buildings!" "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?" (1-4)
2) False messiahs, wars, earthquakes, and famines (5-8)
Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,' and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. (5-8)
B. The time of perseverance continues
1) Things that began at the time of the book of Acts (9-11)
"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (9-11)
2) Things that continue today (12, 13)
"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (12,13)
Summary
The temple that the disciples saw in this passage was, in fact, destroyed in 70 A.D., but Jesus is actually talking about the "end of the world." Within a century after Jesus ascended into heaven, the temple was destroyed, Roman rule increased in severity, and persecution became more cruel. The lives of the people of this period were filled with events that made it easy for them to believe that the world would actually end in their lifetime. But Jesus thought differently. As he said, "the gospel must first be preached to all nations." The work continues today and, as it makes progress, it is attacked by those who oppose it in different ways. But we can stay firm because we have received the Holy Spirit. We have also received many other encouragements and joys. The end will come but we can make no special preparations for that other than continuing to live in love as we have done until now. So we shouldn't be deceived by false prophecies and words like "the end is near."
For Discussion
1) Why shouldn't we be deceived?
2) What do we need to persevere?