Scripture
Jesus replied, “Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down. Not one stone will be left in place.”
Observation
The temple in all of its magnificence would soon be destroyed. The disciples ask for signs and times, but Jesus tells them merely to be ready for trouble.
There will be deceivers. There will be beatings and suffering. There will be opportunities to speak to rulers and kings.
But in all of the suffering, God will be with them. The Holy Spirit will speak through them. And those who endure will be saved.
Application
This passage, like all prophecies, speaks at several time scales.
Firstly there s the immediate situation. The physical temple was destroyed in 70 AD when the Roman army came into Jerusalem to quash an insurrection. The christians in Jerusalem at the time remembered the words of Jesus and fled to safety while most of those who remained in the city were brutally killed.
Jesus also speaks of the end times and the great tribulation when christians will suffer greatly before “the end comes.” The good news is that the tribulation is a part of the process of world evangelisation and so the suffering is not meaningless.
Since the death of Jesus actually brought in the end times, the passage also speaks of christians in all ages suffering for their faith. There are earthquakes and famines, war and distress, but the Spirit of God is still active and working even in the midst of the suffering.
Prayer
Father, thank you for this wonderful promise. Even when we are suffering for serving you, you are with us. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment