Read: Matthew 24:23-35
Many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Messiah,” and will deceive many. (v. 5 NIV)
During a week of ministry in Seoul, Korea, in the summer of 2024, my hosts pointed out the megachurch building that had been pastored by a man claiming to be Jesus returned to earth. After his death, his wife took over, claiming to be the Holy Spirit. Other nations, including our own, have also had messianic pretenders in the past, and many in various nations have confidently predicted the time of Christ’s return.
In Matthew 24, verses 5 and 24, Jesus warns of such deceptions. In verse 36, he stresses that even he, in the voluntarily adopted limits of his humanity, doesn’t know the time. How dare anyone else claim to know what Jesus didn’t! In fact, all of Matthew 24 warns against requesting overly specific signs. The disciples had asked about the timing of Jesus’s return (v. 3), but his answer highlights events when “the end is still to come” (v. 6). Additional disasters are but “the beginning of birth pains” (v. 8).
What Jesus does give the disciples is a series of illustrations and parables that call them to stay alert for Christ’s coming at any time (vv. 32-51). He exhorts them to faithful discipleship however long or short the interval is until his return. Once we master obedience to all his commands, maybe we can speculate about the nature of coming events. I, for one, won’t be crossing that threshold any time soon!
As you pray, ask God to help you live more faithfully irrespective of the timing of the end.
Craig L. Blomberg is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary. He has written or edited more than 30 books, including a recently revised and expanded commentary on Matthew. He teaches regularly in churches, including his home church of Centennial Covenant in Littleton, CO. He and his wife Fran have two daughters and three grandchildren.
