This is not yet the end

Matthew 24:1-8

We turn for the next six days to sections of Matthew 24 and 25, where Jesus speaks about the end of time and what to expect as the end comes. The end will reach completion when Jesus returns to take up his place as the ruler of the world.

24 As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ 4 Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Jesus’ response to the disciples’ awe at the beauty of the temple building was to say, “The day is coming when all of this will be thrown down.” The disciples quite naturally wanted to know when that day of destruction was going to come, and what would be the warning signs that that day of destruction was close.

In this opening section Jesus gives very few solid signs that would help the disciples, or us, know when the end is close. We are given some signs:

a.     False Messiahs, false leaders – both religious and political will arise.

b.     People will be led astray by these false leaders.

c.      There will be wars and rumours of wars.

d.     Nations will be in conflict with each other.

e.     There will be famines.

f.       There will be earthquakes.

So, we say to ourselves, that list should help. But two challenges with that list. First, those things have been happening on a consistent basis through human history. Human history is full of wars, full of false leaders, full of natural disasters. And at times with all those things happening at the same time. So the list does not help us say “this is the time, this is the end.”

Second, in vs. 6 Jesus says, part-way through the list, “the end is not yet.” In vs. 8, when he has completed the list, “all this is but the beginning.” As we know well with God, time is very elastic – “a day is as a thousand years, and thousand years is as a day” (2 Peter 3:8). So beginning could easily mean beginning of a thousand year process.

So why is Jesus saying all this, if it does not help answer the “when” question? The key is what Jesus says in vs. 6 – “see that you are not alarmed”. In other words, tough things are going to happen, frightening thigs in fact, but do not be afraid, God knows, God will see you through, you have been warned so you can be ready. Being ready is first and foremost trusting God.

PRAYER:

God of glory and honour, we confess that sometimes the things your Son, Jesus, said about the end of time frighten us. Help us to hold on to you so that we will not be alarmed when the road becomes difficult. In Jesus’ name. Amen.