Matthew 24:3-14 English Standard Version

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors 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 these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

There is nothing I can do about war, rumors, famines and earthquakes. As much as I can, I will warn everyone of faith not to fall away, but that is not under my control either. Tribulant times and persecutions will test everyone’s faith. Lawlessness is on the rise. Love is growing cold. There is nothing that I can do about that.

But I can proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom as far and wide as I possibly can.

But then we need to ask ourselves with all sincere faith, what end do we expect is coming with respect to what Jesus promises here? 

What we see and fear will drive our desires to see those things come to an end. Jesus says we will see all this but it is only the beginning of birth pains. This leaves me wondering about what we have seen, what we are seeing and if in this proclamation by our Lord, are we in the beginning pangs or nearing the end of those pangs and about to witness delivery?

I try to keep telling myself that what I think does not matter. I can only do what the Lord calls me to do. Enduring to the end is more likely to be the end of my life, not the end of any of those things spoken of in Matthew 24.

We can only do what we are able to do. Love and obey, remain faithful and not let these present times change our hearts.

False prophets will urge us to follow them rather than Jesus. Do not believe them.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Each of us has a day that stands out as significant to us. Perhaps even more than one.

• Psalm 50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
• John 8:54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
• John 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
• John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
• John 21:19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
• Romans 15:9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”

These are His Words. He has every right to them. How they make me feel, how they tell me of Him, how they inspire me, is all about me. It is all about what He has done in me since the day He moved in and took over.

Surrendering self to Christ is a unique experience. I am only responsible for my choices which He allows me to make. I am not responsible for His choices for me. He has loved me with perfect love and He is gentle and kind and knows best how to get the most out of me. He knows me better than I know myself.

The important thought in all that is “He knows me.” I love watching “The Chosen” and the one line that strikes closest to home for me is when He tells Mary Magdalene “I know you.” That is  my heart warming moment in that series.

It is comforting to see God loving each of us in ways only He can do. Store up your milestones in your heart, but they were given as a witness of His great love for you. Wisdom allows us to share those experiences without making ourselves the hero of the story.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary on glory Strong’s number 1391 “glory” (from dokeo, “to seem”), primarily signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion. It is used (1) (a) of the nature and acts of God in self-manifestation, i.e., what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way he reveals Himself in these respects, and particularly in the person of Christ, in whom essentially His “glory” has ever shone forth and ever will do, John 17:5, 24. 

Our witness is an exhibit of His glory, not ours.