This isn't a big deal but does anyone know why Jesus says, "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place"? That makes it sound like the second coming would be in the disciples lifetime.
Wow, i feel like Matthew 23 & 24(read both today), were so weighty. Ch23 reminded me of Jesus' boldness to say it like it was even though it definitely wouldn't have been P.C. at the time. And the way he addressed the pharisees certainly wasn't sugar coated. But as i read all the 'woes', I also felt like Jesus was standing in front of me confronting my own heart. This morning was one of those 'look in the mirror' days. Where is the state of MY heart? ....at the same time i felt the love and deep desire that Jesus has for His people....for ME. Not just to rebuke but really that He felt so much sorrow over the fact that His people had strayed so far and was giving them every opportunity to turn away from their hypocrisy. The bible does say that the 'truth will set you free'...and sometimes the truth stings a bit.
Then Ch24...Jesus IS coming back. Not a new revelation, but an 'in your face' reminder that i MUST live my life everyday as if Jesus were coming today! Its so easy to get caught up in life and forget that there is a whole eternity standing in front of me and i WILL stand in front of Jesus one day. Wow!
'But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.' Lord give me the grace to endure.
I just want everyone to know that I am still doing the daily readings...just have not been good at all about posting any comments. Still encouraged that people are doing this together.
Rachel, I don't know the answer to your question, but I was looking at a commentary that I frequent and it seems to be saying that "this generation" refers to Jews as a distinct people.
Here's the link: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/Matthew-Henry/Matt/Christ-Foretells-Other-Signs
And the part I was reading that refers to verse 34 says:
"Our Lord declares that the Jews should never cease to be a distinct people, until all things he had been predicting were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment; therefore he here, ver. 34, foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, so long as this world shall endure. Men of the world scheme and plan for generation upon generation here, but they plan not with reference to the overwhelming, approaching, and most certain event of Christ's second coming, which shall do away every human scheme, and set aside for ever all that God forbids. That will be as surprising a day, as the deluge to the old world. Apply this, first, to temporal judgments, particularly that which was then hastening upon the nation and people of the Jews. Secondly, to the eternal judgment. Christ here shows the state of the old world when the deluge came. They were secure and careless; they knew not, until the flood came; and they believed not. Did we know aright that all earthly things must shortly pass away, we should not set our eyes and hearts so much upon them as we do. The evil day is not the further off for men's putting it far from them. What words can more strongly describe the suddenness of our Saviour's coming!"
It's still a little confusing to me, but I liked the insight it provided because I understand the comparison between the daily life of the people at the time of the great flood vs. the daily life of the people at Christ's second coming.
Christ seems to be saying that there will be a generation of people living their lives without the expectation of his return. In much the same way that people were living their daily lives before the flood(with no expectation of losing the earthly routines, possesions, etc) and when the flood came, it came suddenly.
The message I'm taking from this is to live my life with the expectation of Christ coming back, because if I live that way I won't be caught of guard like the people before the flood.
I don't know-- does that help a little bit? My mind is definitely still chewing on this one too!
Jesus's description and warnings about the end times have always been kind of unsettling to me. I've mentioned something similar in a comment before, but I always worry that I would somehow not recognize Jesus, or would be deceived, or afraid, to face him.
There are a lot of things in the world that remind me of his signs of the end of the age. "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect." Oh boy - even "the elect" would be deceived. How would I not be?? I am so skeptical about everything. What if??
Today I read this verse and my heart was immediately calmed: "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call! God tells us that nobody will miss Him! From one end of the Heavens to the other, visible for all to see. He tells me that all the earth will KNOW him when he calls his own.
In my Bible, the footnotes include a great passage from John: "Continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming."
Wow. I love that - "continue in him". If we do that, we can be confident and unashamed. And we WILL recognize him when he comes in great power and glory. So I should not wait in fear, but in love and confidence.
5 comments:
This isn't a big deal but does anyone know why Jesus says, "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place"? That makes it sound like the second coming would be in the disciples lifetime.
Wow, i feel like Matthew 23 & 24(read both today), were so weighty. Ch23 reminded me of Jesus' boldness to say it like it was even though it definitely wouldn't have been P.C. at the time. And the way he addressed the pharisees certainly wasn't sugar coated. But as i read all the 'woes', I also felt like Jesus was standing in front of me confronting my own heart. This morning was one of those 'look in the mirror' days. Where is the state of MY heart? ....at the same time i felt the love and deep desire that Jesus has for His people....for ME. Not just to rebuke but really that He felt so much sorrow over the fact that His people had strayed so far and was giving them every opportunity to turn away from their hypocrisy. The bible does say that the 'truth will set you free'...and sometimes the truth stings a bit.
Then Ch24...Jesus IS coming back. Not a new revelation, but an 'in your face' reminder that i MUST live my life everyday as if Jesus were coming today! Its so easy to get caught up in life and forget that there is a whole eternity standing in front of me and i WILL stand in front of Jesus one day. Wow!
'But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.' Lord give me the grace to endure.
-Harmony
I just want everyone to know that I am still doing the daily readings...just have not been good at all about posting any comments. Still encouraged that people are doing this together.
Rachel, I don't know the answer to your question, but I was looking at a commentary that I frequent and it seems to be saying that "this generation" refers to Jews as a distinct people.
Here's the link:
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/Matthew-Henry/Matt/Christ-Foretells-Other-Signs
And the part I was reading that refers to verse 34 says:
"Our Lord declares that the Jews should never cease to be a distinct people, until all things he had been predicting were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment; therefore he here, ver. 34, foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, so long as this world shall endure. Men of the world scheme and plan for generation upon generation here, but they plan not with reference to the overwhelming, approaching, and most certain event of Christ's
second coming, which shall do away every human scheme, and set aside for ever all that God forbids. That will be as surprising a day, as the deluge to the old world. Apply this, first, to temporal judgments, particularly that which was then hastening upon the nation and people of the Jews. Secondly, to the eternal judgment. Christ here shows the state of the old world when the deluge came. They were secure and careless; they knew not, until the flood came; and they believed not. Did we know
aright that all earthly things must shortly pass away, we should not set our eyes and hearts so much upon them as we do. The evil day is not the further off for men's putting it far from them. What words can more strongly describe the suddenness of our Saviour's coming!"
It's still a little confusing to me, but I liked the insight it provided because I understand the comparison between the daily life of the people at the time of the great flood vs. the daily life of the people at Christ's second coming.
Christ seems to be saying that there will be a generation of people living their lives without the expectation of his return. In much the same way that people were living their daily lives before the flood(with no expectation of losing the earthly routines, possesions, etc) and when the flood came, it came suddenly.
The message I'm taking from this is to live my life with the expectation of Christ coming back, because if I live that way I won't be caught of guard like the people before the flood.
I don't know-- does that help a little bit? My mind is definitely still chewing on this one too!
Jesus's description and warnings about the end times have always been kind of unsettling to me. I've mentioned something similar in a comment before, but I always worry that I would somehow not recognize Jesus, or would be deceived, or afraid, to face him.
There are a lot of things in the world that remind me of his signs of the end of the age. "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect." Oh boy - even "the elect" would be deceived. How would I not be?? I am so skeptical about everything. What if??
Today I read this verse and my heart was immediately calmed: "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call! God tells us that nobody will miss Him! From one end of the Heavens to the other, visible for all to see. He tells me that all the earth will KNOW him when he calls his own.
In my Bible, the footnotes include a great passage from John: "Continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming."
Wow. I love that - "continue in him". If we do that, we can be confident and unashamed. And we WILL recognize him when he comes in great power and glory. So I should not wait in fear, but in love and confidence.
Just amazing.
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