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THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS

Matthew 24:1-22

Key Verse: 24:14

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

1. Read verses 1-2. How was Jesus’ view of the temple different from that of the disciples? (Cf. Mark 13:1) To what future event(s) was Jesus probably referring?  

2. Read verse 3. Where did Jesus and his disciples go? What was still on the disciples' minds? What did they ask Jesus? (3)

3. Read verses 4-8. What is the first danger that disciples must watch out for at the end of the age? (4,5) What other catastrophes will frighten people? (6,7) How does Jesus see these things? (8)

4. Read verses 9-13. How will God's people be targeted in the last days? (9) How will many people react under such pressure? (10-12) What should Jesus’ people do? (13)

5. Read verse 14. What did Jesus promise? What does it mean that “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached to the whole world”? What does “as a testimony to all nations” mean? How does God see the world and his redemptive history? What does this tell us about God?

6. Read verses 15-22. What does this "abomination" refer to? (Cf. Daniel 9:27, 11:31) When abominable things happen, what must God's people do? Why might worldly attachments ensnare people? (16-18; Luke 17:31-32) How severe will the distress be in the end times? How does God continue to exercise his sovereignty and show his love for his people?

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• Matthew 24(1-22).que.docx

Message

THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS

(Matthew 24:1-22)

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (v. 14)

Once Dr. Billy Graham, in his preaching, listed that there are certain things that all of us as human beings cannot escape. First, we cannot escape being born. We have been born, and we cannot be unborn. Second, we cannot escape death. We are going to die. Everybody in this room will be dead in the next hundred years. The third thing we cannot escape is the judgment of God. The Bible clearly says that the present heavens and earth are reserved for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly (2 Peter 3:7). That day will be so great and dreadful because everybody must stand before our Lord Jesus, the Judge of the living and dead (Acts 10:42). In chapter 24, Jesus plainly teaches us that human history is flowing toward that day and that he will come back again as Judge. But he also encourages the children of God, for them, that day will be a day of hope, joy and glory. Let’s think about some evident signs of Jesus’ Second Coming and what we must do while waiting for his return.

            Look at verse 1. “Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.” The Jerusalem temple was being renovated by Herod the Great. Herod did this to win the favor of the Jews. It was still under construction after four decades. According to Josephus, a renowned Jewish historian of the first century, the temple was considered an architectural wonder of ancient civilization. It covered about 1/6 of the land area of old Jerusalem. The outward walls of the temple were white marbles and the rim of the roof and gates were covered with gold and jewelry, reflecting the rays of the rising sun. They shone like dazzling jewels in the sunlight. The temple symbolized the cultural and religious life of the Jews. It gave the disciples a sense of national pride and security. Therefore, the disciples could not help their excitement whenever they visited the temple. In Mark’s gospel, they said to Jesus, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” (Mark 13:1)

            In the disciples' eyes, the Jerusalem temple was a wonder. But Jesus saw its inner corruption. Jesus was deeply distressed at the spiritual tragedy of Jerusalem. Out of his shepherd heart, Jesus spent the last week of life at Jerusalem temple, preaching the word of God. By warnings, encouragement and rebuke, he appealed to Jewish religious leaders to repent and accept the word of God. But they rejected him. Very shortly they were going to kill Jesus. God’s judgment was imminent. Jesus said, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (2) To Jesus, the dazzling buildings were nothing. Jesus wanted his disciples to see through the culture of their times and to understand the mind of God. God would bring judgment on the nation. It would be so devastating that not one stone would be left on another.

            Jesus omnisciently predicted the total destruction of the temple. Jesus’ words were literally fulfilled in 70 A.D. After conquering Jerusalem, Titus, the Roman general, ordered his soldiers to demolish the whole city and level its buildings to the ground (Josephus, Jewish Wars). Around one million Jews in Jerusalem became massacred. The temple was the heart and pride of the Jewish nation, but it was totally destroyed and the nation ceased to exist for 2,000 years when they did not repent and fulfill God’s purpose for them. Likewise, the achievements of modern civilization are fascinating, but we must have spiritual insight to see its destiny.

            The disciples must have been in a quiet shock as they crossed the Kidron Valley and climbed the Mount of Olives, where they could see the whole view of the temple. If the temple, which is called the House of God, is destroyed, that must be the end of the world, they thought. At the same time, they were excited because the end of the current order would mean the advent of the new Messianic kingdom that Jesus would establish. Then they asked Jesus privately. “Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (3) The disciples basically asked two questions: first, the time of the end, and second, the signs of Jesus’ coming and the end. Jesus answered their second question first, regarding the signs. He gave them warnings and promises as well.

            First, false messiahs. Look at verses 4-5. “Jesus answered, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Messiah,” and will deceive many.’” False messiahs claim that they are the messiah, who can give salvation, security and happiness through their teachings. Throughout history, various people have claimed to be the messiah. As the end of the age becomes near, more false messiahs will appear. They will even perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even believers (24). False messiahs can also be ideologies or political systems that falsely promise utopia. In the past century, we witnessed how communism misled many and resulted in catastrophe. These days secular humanism leads many people to relativism and liberalism. Relativism deprives people of absolute truth, faith, and morality in God. People without faith in God lose purpose, direction, and absolute moral standards in life. Many follow occults, witchcraft, and eastern religions like Buddhism and Bahai. Another false messiah is materialism. It captures the hearts and minds of young people until they only think about getting a good job and making a lot of money. Hedonism is another. Many indulge themselves with lust and drugs to experience momentary pleasures and end up as life-long slaves.    

            False messiahs’ deceptions are very destructive to those who follow them because they are led astray from God and his Christ to eternal destruction. In April 2014, a South Korean ferry, Sewol, sank while carrying 476 people and killing 304 people, mostly high school students who were on their way to a field trip. While the ship was sinking, passengers were told repeatedly by the crew members instructed by the captain, “Do not move. Just stay where you are. It’s dangerous if you move, so just stay where you are.” Many of them listened to the false instructions and remained in place. As the ferry tilted sideways, water soaked in and objects in the ship fell over, injuring people and blocking their way out. Meanwhile the captain and crew members abandoned the ship and the passengers. Similarly, whether we follow and listen to Jesus or false messiahs determines our eternal life or death. Nothing in this world can give us eternal life, meaning, freedom and happiness. Only Jesus Christ who died for us and rose again can give us these. So, Jesus says, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  Watching out means to keep alert and vigilant. We must be spiritually alert through prayer and the word of God to guard our hearts from deception. We must fix our eyes on Jesus alone, listen to his words and live by them.

Second, wars and natural disasters. Look at verses 6-7. “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.” Human history can be called the history of wars. In the recent past we experienced wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The wars of Syria and Sudan have been ongoing. The Ukraine war greatly surprised all of us and the war has deprived many innocent citizens of their lives. The whole world suffers from the wars. There are many armed conflicts and collisions among ethnic groups, religions, and civilizations all over the world including Mexico, the Philippines, Yemen, Turkey, Lebanon, Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan, and China and Taiwan are increasing. Recently Putin and North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un met together, and it makes the West fear about weapon transfer. Natural disasters are also increasing. We even remember the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February this year with a magnitude of 7.8. Not only earthquakes, various natural disasters such as tsunami, storm, drought and heat wave are increasing. Due to the past week’s Storm Daniel, also known as Cyclone Daniel, the death toll from devastating flooding in Libya’s eastern coastal city of Derna has risen to at least 11,300, according to a UN report (CNN, 2023). Per Statista (2023), a statistics portal website, “As global warming continues to accelerate climate change, it is estimated that natural catastrophes such as cyclones, rainfalls, landslides, and heat waves will intensify in the coming years and decades.”¹

When we hear about such news of wars and disasters, Jesus says that we should not be gripped with fear because all these are the beginning of birth pains. (8) We men never really know what birth pains are. But we understand that it is the greatest pain a human being can endure. Birth pains grow more intense and frequent as the time of the new birth draws near. But the pains are not meaningless. The pains ultimately bring forth a beautiful baby. Mothers endure the pain because of the joy of the birth of a new child. After the delivery, when a mom sees her baby, she forgets all the pain. As the end time draws near, the world will be filled with bad news. Just before the end, there will even be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now (21). But these are all necessary birth pains preceding the birth of the new heavens and the new earth, which are beyond imagination. Isaiah 65:17 says, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” There will be true joy and peace and love in the presence of Christ forever. Jesus points to his Second Coming beyond the horizon of this troubled world. The kingdom of God that he will bring to us at his coming is the fruit of these birth pains.

Third, severe persecutions. Look at verse 9. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” The early Christians had to stand in local courts and be beaten, stoned and executed in public simply because they believed in Christ. In the same way, in the last days, secular governments will outlaw Christianity and openly persecute believers. This is a reality even today in many places like North Korea, China, and many Muslim nations. Even in America, the government now allows same-sex marriage, and many Christians feel restricted and uncomfortable to say that homosexuality is sin.

Look at verses 10-12. “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…” Persecution tests the love and commitment of Jesus’ people. Many suddenly turn away from the faith when it becomes costly. Those who betray the faith become bitter, even to the point of hating others. Then they destroy themselves and others. During times of persecution, many false prophets appear. They deceive many people through false and compromising messages that avoid the cross and persecution. It is not easy to love others in such a wicked environment. People will degenerate and love will grow cold. People will be extremely selfish and immoral so that marriages, families, and many relationships will be broken. It would be truly painful to live in such times.

Look at verse 13. “…but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” To “stand firm to the end,” means to stand firm in God’s love until his kingdom comes. It is to remain in the love of God and faith in him no matter what happens. Actually, the one who suffers most because of the wicked world is our Creator God. God grieves over it. Yet God’s love never fails. God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son Jesus to us. Jesus was treated like a criminal even though he was completely innocent and good. Jesus was mocked, spit on, flogged and nailed to a cross. It was for our sins. On the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34a) God loves each one of us at the cost of his only Son’s blood. Though people betray and wound us, God’s love heals our sorrows and pains. God’s love satisfies our souls and gives us true joy and peace. God’s love enables us to love God and to love our neighbors regardless of situation. When we stand firm in God’s love we can be victorious even in the midst of wickedness. Jesus promises that those who stand firm to the end will be saved.

At the same time, Jesus also greatly encourages us with another promise. Look at verse 14. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Jesus declares that the gospel will be preached to all nations. Here we can learn God’s earnest determination to carry his gospel to all peoples of the world. The gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ. It is the good news that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Due to our sins, we lost paradise and became slaves to Satan. All of us are destined to die once and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) Through his death on the cross, however, Jesus broke the power of sin, death, and Satan. When we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord, God forgives us and wipes all our sins away. The Bible clearly promises that he will remember our sins no more (Hebrews 10:17). Then our names will be written in the book of life to inherit the restored paradise. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants to fill his kingdom with the full number of people. This is our heavenly Father’s heart.

Through natural disasters, wars, and persecutions God is working for good to invite people to believe in his Son and be saved. God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, who is in control. Under such distress, many souls will become humble and seek God’s salvation. So, our heavenly Father wants his children to preach the gospel to them even in the midst of our own difficulties and trials. We can preach the Gospel in many meaningful ways. We can invite students to Bible studies, teach the Gospel either in person or on-line. We can share what God has done to our lives as a testimony with them. When we study the Bible on the campus, it can be a testimony to students, just as we experienced yesterday that Jacob joined our Bible study. We can go and send missionaries or support missionaries in our prayers and practical ways. We should not see the darkness of the world negatively. When we trust that God is in control over human history, the troubles of this world can be opportunities to spread the gospel to all nations and bring God’s love and salvation to people’s lives.     

            Fourth, the abominable things will stand in the holy place. Jesus finally gives the definitive sign of the end of the age and tells his disciples what to do when they see it. Look at verses 15-18. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.” The “holy place” refers to the inside of Jerusalem temple. It was where God was present. Jesus’ quotation from Daniel points directly to the defilement of Jerusalem temple by the Roman army. It also points to the Tribulation period before Jesus’ Second Coming. Abomination is the object of extreme dislike of hate. The phrase the “abomination that causes desolation” refers to the religion that the Antichrist will erect in God’s place. It also refers to people’s spiritual corruption and perverse value system that completely abandons God’s truth and switches abomination in holy places. For example, the Greek king, Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple by erecting the image of Zeus in 167 B.C. People called it “the abomination that causes desolation.” The ordination of homosexual priests may be one of modern examples. Jesus teaches that when we see these things happening, we must flee from it.

            When the Roman army attacked Jerusalem, Christians remembered Jesus’ words and fled to the mountains in Perea. Here, to flee to the mountains has more spiritual meaning. We must flee from abominable things. Abominable things can be anything that causes us to sin and dishonor God. These days, Satan works through the internet and fills the world with more and more abominable things. We must flee from corrupt cultures and bad influences in our times. In order to flee, God’s people must not linger on the petty things of the world. Then we must flee to the mountains, quiet places to have a personal time to pray and listen to God’s word. God hears and answers our prayers. God’s word of promise gives us true freedom from the corruption of the world. (2 Peter 1:4)

            In verses 19-21, Jesus predicted that the tribulation will be a very dreadful and stressful time. But we shouldn’t fall into fear. Look at verse 22. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”  God intervenes for us in the midst of terrible difficulty to deliver us from evil. For the sake of his elect, God shortens the time of terrible distress.

            In today’s passage, we learned that our human history is flowing toward the end and there will be dreadful signs of the end of age. But Jesus plants hope in our hearts that there is Jesus’ Second Coming and the kingdom of God after the birth pains. He encourages us to watch out, be courageous, stand firm, and preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God in the midst of the terrible times. Praise God who is in Control and upholds us in his unchanging love. May God bless us not to be misled by many deceiving things in the world but give ourselves fully to the Lord because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)  

https://www.statista.com/statistics/268029/natural-disasters-by-death-toll-since-1980/#:~:text=Increasing%20extreme%20weather,the%20coming%20years%20and%20decades.↩

Attachment:

• Matthew 24(1-22).mg.2023.docx