Jesus prophecied about the destruction of Jerusalem and it happened. This act of judgment upon the Jews is a sign Jesus' entronement and vindication, as He is in heaven exalted at God's right hand.
With the destruction of Jerusalem and the second coming of Jesus as the backdrop Jesus calls His disciples of the first century and today to endure to the end by having a wartime faith.
Spiritual deception is real, even for those who are sincere in their religious convictions. Such deception is seen this week as ultimate rejection of Jesus and doom will come as a result.
Words of condemnation toward the Pharisees from Jesus gives us a warning both to what spiritual leaders should be like and how we ourselves should not fall into Pharisaic tendencies, but instead be a faithful servant like Jesus.
Last week, we peered deep into the greatest command of priority, which is to love God with all that we are. This week, we look at the second command that follows on the same track, which is to love others.
As we look deep into this text we find the proper relationship that followers of Christ are to have with the government and how that relates to what belongs to God. In a culture, where money, taxes, government and God all bring up differing views and emotions this is a needed word for us today.