If someone comes claiming to be Jesus or the Messiah, don’t believe them! That is the too long didn’t read version of today’s passage. Jesus continues to teach that the pain and suffering that we saw yesterday, mercifully, will be cut short. It won’t continue forever. But in the midst of and on the back of all this pain and suffering, there may have been people who thought it would be opportunistic to take advantage of people’s nervousness and gain a following of their own by claiming to be Jesus. Jesus says that they may even perform signs of their own but the disciples and us aren’t to take any notice of them. Don’t be distracted by them but be on your guard for them.

Now, Jesus shifts to talking about his return and again his language is metaphorical and apocalyptic. He describes that when he returns there will be darkness, the moon will not shine, and the stars will be blackened. But in the midst of this, he will come in power and glory and whatever that looks like, it will be magnificent. He will call his people, the elect, to himself and from all the earth, from generations to generations, and they will be gathered together. But when exactly are these things going to happen? We aren’t told. But we are told that it is near and that it will come. This means that we should continually be alert and we’ll look more at what that means tomorrow.

For now, we are urged to not be distracted by false messiahs or saviours. We may not know anyone explicitly claiming to be Jesus, but there are people who claim to be the best thing that ever happened to the world! But our trust shouldn’t be in them or anything of this world, but only in Christ alone. MC

Questions

Prayer

Loving Lord, thank you that you will come again and put an end to pain and suffering and bring in your new creation. Help us to look to you and your eternal salvation always. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.