Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
How seriously do you take warnings? Warnings of approaching dangerous storms; or warnings that the road you are traveling is blocked ahead; or warnings about your health risks; or warnings about an imminent financial crisis; or warnings that relationships you treasure are fraying; or what about warnings that truth is being eroded? How about spiritual warnings my friends? Do you welcome warnings that alert you to danger with your soul and your spiritual condition?
Today is the Wednesday between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. We’ve been following Jesus and His disciples, for the past three weeks, in their journey to that famous and historic Passover/Easter weekend 2000 years ago which changed the world. I think today might have been a ‘warning’ day as Jesus spent that Wednesday in Jerusalem for a last full day of teaching God’s truth to the people.
What Matthew records for us in Matthew 23,24,25 may have taken place on the Wednesday of that special week. As we watch and listen to Jesus today, let’s remember He fully understood what was awaiting him Thursday evening in the upper room with His disciples and then in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew what awaited Him on the hill called Golgotha on Friday! Yet rather than going into depression or despair, Jesus spent these days calling people to find their HOPE in God.
Matthew tells us Jesus warned the crowds about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and other prominent religious leaders in Jerusalem: “Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach… Everything they do is done for people to see…” (Matt. 23:1-5) The Jews lived both in fear and in awe of the Pharisees. They were men who dedicated their lives to study of the Scriptures so they could teach the Jews about God and how to live lives that honored God. But pride so easily filled their hearts that their behavior and teaching actually confused people and made it difficult for people to gain a clear and accurate understanding of God.
In addition, they were judgmental and critical of nearly everyone, placing unreal expectations upon them. That’s why the life Jesus lived and how Jesus taught about God was so radically different, so attractive, so authentic that people in large numbers were drawn to the God Jesus portrayed, the true God. In Matthew’s 23rd chapter Jesus seven times issued great warnings to those hypocritical Pharisees as He used the phrase “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” (Matt. 23:13; 15; 16; 23; 25; 27; 29)
If you and I take the time to read this powerful chapter, we’ll likely feel some conviction about our own lives and how we are handling the influence we have in the lives of others, especially our influence on those younger than us. If you are in a role of leadership responsibility making decisions which affect your employees or others you lead; or you’re a mentor or an athletic coach or a parent or grandparent, Matthew 23 will challenge you to look seriously at your integrity, your reputation, your character, your morals and ethics. Now perhaps that sounds like a warning, and it is.
Matthew 23 is very important reading for anyone who has influence in the lives of others but be careful that you don’t put up your defenses or make excuses or point at others as you read. Rather I urge us to invite God to show us what words Jesus spoke that day which may be true of us, and how does God want to change us this Easter?!
Matthew’s 24th chapter is another type of warning Jesus issued that day. Jesus did not speak this chapter message to a big crowd of people, but rather Jesus spoke these words to His closest friends and disciples. Jesus started with a warning of great destruction: “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another, everyone will be thrown down.” (Matt. 24:2) As we discussed yesterday, Jesus was warning that Jerusalem would one day be totally destroyed, and their great Temple demolished! While it did happen only 40 years or so after Jesus spoke those words, that tragedy was but a foreshadowing of much greater demolition and disaster which would come centuries later, not just to Jerusalem but much of the entire world.
Naturally the disciples wanted to know WHEN disaster was coming, and Jesus’ response is the remainder of Matthew 24. Jesus began with this warning: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Matt. 24:4) Have you developed a maturity in discernment, my friends, so you have the ability to recognize deception? I mean deception about anything but especially deception about God and His truth? Have you noticed TRUTH is perhaps under attack more now than ever? Fundamental truth, like truth about the gender of a person for instance!
2000 years ago, gender discussions or protection of the unborn or sexual orientation were nonissues. Humanity, in every part of the world, was in agreement on such fundamental human life truths regarding human existence and human reproduction. Instead, those who had been with Jesus for several months had much deeper questions, especially questions about the future of our planet and what they called ‘the end of the age’. Jesus responded with another warning: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.“ (Matt. 24:4-8) Of course all these types of things have been happening regularly over these 2000 years, haven’t they? Some would say, however, that the frequency, intensity and severity of such events has increased dramatically in recent years, just as birth pains increase in intensity and frequency.
The disciples leaned in and listened intently as Jesus continued: “You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:9-14)
Within a few months the persecution against followers of Jesus began to intensify in Jerusalem and around the Roman empire. Soon people were being tortured and executed as ‘enemies of the State’ if they did not renounce Jesus, including all those disciples. No matter where you live I’m sure you realize persecution of Christians has intensified through the years, perhaps even you have experienced it yourself.
That final statement of Jesus, regarding His Gospel being proclaimed in all the world, was I’m sure confusing to those close friends of Jesus. None of those listening to Jesus that day had likely ever traveled more than 150 miles or so from Jerusalem, they had no idea how big our world is. Now nearly every square mile of our planet has been researched and is continually monitored by satellite technology.
While estimates vary, the population of the entire world at the time Jesus was speaking is believed to have been only about 300 million people! Today we are more than 8 billion human beings! With advancements made in global travel and communication and technology those words of Jesus are very exciting this Easter season my friends.
Very few places in the world have not yet heard of Jesus and what He accomplished that Passover/Easter weekend 2000 years ago! The Gospel IS being communicated and available now in every major language of the world and almost all dialects and tribal languages! The end Jesus spoke of is approaching!
Jesus then described a future time in human history which will be dreadful beyond anything we’ve ever seen, including the World Wars. Can you imagine the disciple’s astonishment as Jesus said: “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened… Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds, with power and great glory, He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from one end of the heavens to the other…” (Matt. 24:22-34) As global evil and violence escalates, human suffering and loss of life will be unparalleled in all human history. In fact, if God would not intervene, if Jesus would not return in His power and great glory, the entire human race would be annihilated.
I believe this conversation Jesus was having with His disciples, was likely taking place in the quiet of the garden of Gethsemane, on the hillside of the Mount of Olives, where Jesus often went with His disciples. It gave them a perfect vantage point to look at the great city of Jerusalem, now at Passover time overflowing with busy people.
To imagine the warnings Jesus was giving, that city destroyed, the Temple demolished, the vicious slaughter of much of humanity… The disciples leaned back nearly overwhelmed by what Jesus was saying. Matthew records for us that Jesus said much more to them about those dreadful days ahead, but then Jesus gave them one final warning: “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified!“ (Matt. 26:1,2) It was too much. Their minds could not grasp it all, their hearts were about to explode with anxiety. As Jesus looked deep into the eyes of His friends, these who had been with Him for almost three years, what do you think He saw, especially as He looked at Peter, Judas and John?
And on this Wednesday, as the warnings of Jesus seem to be coming true around us, and with the world changing events of the next few days ahead of us, what does Jesus see in our hearts, our minds? I urge us to spend some quiet time reflecting on our readiness for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Dark Saturday and Easter Sunday. What do you think Jesus wants each of us to experience in these hours ahead? Are you ready? Here’s a fresh, reflective worship song to help us prepare. . .
Today’s Scripture is Matthew 23, 24, 25.
Choose below to read or listen.
Matthew 23.
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Matthew 24
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Matthew 25
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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