In our last visit we discovered that every crisis we face is but a reflection and preparation for the final crisis of the ages, the Day of the Lord. Jesus was ready for what He was facing in the final days of His mission. It was time to prepare His disciples for it as well.
He said to them in Matthew 26:2, “You know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” In preparing for the Passover He said, “My appointed time is near” (verse 18). During the Passover supper He continued to clarify this point. In the garden of Gethsemane He again tried sharing His burdened heart with them, to no avail.
What would finally bring it all together was His example of faithfully carrying out His Father’s will by going to the cross to die for our sins. Beyond this it would take the ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through their lives.
As we have seen in our recent study of prophecy in the Old Testament the prophets always spoke in a way that related to the cultural, historical and spiritual setting they were in. Often what they said had a double application: current and future.
I believe Jesus likewise shared what He did in Matthew 24-25 as a message that related to the cultural, historical and spiritual setting He and the people He was addressing were in. And I believe what He shared had a similar double application: current and future.
It would help to read again Matthew 21 through 28 to better understand what He was teaching in Matthew 24-25. After spreading the story out in broad stokes. Take time to look at the particulars.
