"I tell you the truth..." Matthew 24:2b

Living in the nation’s capital, I am oftentimes struck by the dignity of the city’s monuments and buildings. It may be that I am kind of ‘star-struck’ by the history crying out from the area. In the same way, Jesus’ disciples were a bit enthralled with the majesty of the structures in the capital of Jerusalem, and they even called Jesus’ attention to what seemed as the permanence of the temple structure. Jesus’ answer, of course, came from a different perspective - unaffected by the boundaries of time:

“Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Jesus already knew the end of the story. Nothing was hidden from Him. For the next thirty-two verses, Matthew takes the reader through a discussion of end-times given by The Lord. Please read through it (vv. 4 - 35). Jesus went on to describe how no one will be ready (vv. 36 - 51).

I remember my grandmother talking out loud to herself asking, “What is this world coming to?”. She would usually say it after something catastrophic or sad. Well, Jesus’ words provide the answer to this question we may all ask at one time or another. His answer is: an end… a cessation of existence… the collapse of everything we know to be real. It’s all coming to and end. Jesus will make everything new… He will re-make it all new and better than it has ever been since the fall of man in the garden (read Matthew 19:28).

Jesus DID, however, provide an eternal truth in His description of end times… a truth about what from this world WILL last - even after earth has passed away - His Word (v.35): His words of truth, of reconciliation, of condemnation, of restoration, of education, of pronouncement and of forgiveness. The words of the Savior will last forever… and ever… and ever…

Maybe we should take extra care to read and recognize His words…

Have a blessed day...