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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Matt. 24
Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, which happened in 70 A.D. This was the second time God’s temple fell. I think the second obliteration was likely even more complete than the first. Jesus said, “…not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” (Matt. 24:2b). That immediately made me think of the construction of the new temple God is building. This is the living temple, for which Jesus is the chief cornerstone and we, His followers, are the living stones that build on His firm foundation (see 1 Pet. 2).
The next thought I had was how even these facts demonstrate our salvation story. Men built the first temple, using instructions given by God. God also gave instructions, known as the Law of Moses, by which men could live if they followed them. These two things – the law and the temple – are in parallel. They both represent man’s efforts to be in the presence of God. That is why God allowed the destruction of His temple. It shows us that our efforts to reach Him cannot and will not stand. The temple that He builds with His own hand, however, on the life of His own Son, stands for all eternity. Thus, like the stones of the temple Jesus mentioned, there is not one effort toward our own righteousness that will stand.
Mark 13
When Jesus spoke about the desolation of abomination He said, “If the Lord had not cut those days short, no one would be saved. But He cut those days short for the sake of the elect, whom He chose.” (Mk. 13:20). The thing that caught my attention in that is that Jesus used the past tense, as though it had already happened. One of the reasons we can’t fully comprehend God is that He exists outside of time. He is not restricted by past, present, and future. Thus, He knows and controls the end of the story. That is good and comforting news, because we know that whatever comes, He will never let it destroy us.
Luke 21:5-38
Jesus’ seems to direct His words here at the apostles specifically. I have reason to believe, though, that they apply to us to some degree as well. There were a couple of things in particular in Jesus’ words that stood out to me this morning.
The first is when He said, “…for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Lk. 21:15). I thought of all the times the religious leaders attempted to trap Jesus in His words. Every time they were silenced by His wisdom. To think that this is the same wisdom He offers to any who ask for it is both mind blowing and reassuring. The key, however, is in what He said first. “Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time…” (Lk. 21:14). We need to set our own perceived wisdom aside and rely completely on His.
The second standout comment was, “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from…worries of life” (Lk. 21:34). He tacked the worries of life right on the end of a short list of careless behaviors. That caught me by surprise, as I’m not sure I would have put them in the same bucket with carousing and drunkenness. Even clean living people have to deal with the worries of life. As it turns out, however, they can have the same effect on your life and your walk with God as those debaucherous behaviors. The truth is that anything that stands in the way of our wholehearted trust in God is detrimental to our relationship with Him. Thus, we need to be on guard against any such thing so we are always ready and able to endure whatever comes and, “by [our] endurance, gain [our] lives.” (Lk. 21:19).