Matthew 24:4-8 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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 nations, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

These words of Jesus are part of his response to his disciples who had come to him while he was seated on the Mount of Olives. Earlier when he was walking away from the temple, they had drawn his attention to its buildings. His disciples were ordinary men called from humble occupations and surroundings and perhaps were not used to seeing the magnificence of the temple and its buildings. Jesus however was unimpressed and remarked, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.”  This response must have alarmed them, so as soon as they were alone with him they asked “Tell us when this will happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus had no desire then to keep his disciples in the dark about what their future would look like, and neither does he want those who follow him today to be in the dark. The entire chapter of Matthew 24 is both warning and reassurance. It leaves no doubt about the magnitude of the disruption of what we consider normal life and, in fact, the news today is replete with what Jesus described as the “beginnings of birth pains”.

Jesus’ greatest concern was that those who believe in him not be deceived by persons who will appear as false “Christs” and false prophets. His reassurance comes in the description of his return: “For as lightening that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Verse 27) In other words the whole world will see and know at the same time. “…They will see the Son of Man coming on clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”  (Verses 30-31) Do you believe?