the fig tree generation

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

071314

Matthew 24:32-35 .

32 “From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

34 Honestly, I am telling you, this generation will not pass away until all these things begin to take place.

35 The sky and the land will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

_________________________________________

the fig tree generation

By mentioning the fig tree, Jesus was drawing the attention of his listeners back to the present. He had just cursed a fig tree, causing it to wither before their eyes. It was a symbolic judgment upon that generation because it (like the fig tree) was in full bloom, but had not produced the fruit of righteous living. So, when Jesus referred back to “these things” it did not have anything to do with the second coming. It referred to the same thing “these things” referred to in the disciples’ question in verse 3. It was the events surrounding the predicted fall of Jerusalem and the temple buildings.

Jesus’ prediction here is exact. Within this generation – that is, within the lifetimes of those standing there listening to him – Jerusalem will fall. His prediction was spot on. In AD 66 a Roman army ransacked and trapped Jerusalem. What followed was years of battle and starvation for the inhabitants of the city. It finally ended in AD 70, with the destruction of the city and the entire temple complex – exactly as Jesus had predicted.

LORD, help us to be a generation known for its faithfulness and fruitfulness. Keep us from the wickedness of pretense.

Posted in future, hypocrisy, integrity, Jerusalem | Tagged | Leave a comment

lightning and vultures

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

071214

Matthew 24:23-31.

23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24 For false christs and false prophets will emerge and perform great signs and miracles, so as to lead off course, if possible, even the chosen ones.

25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

27 Because like the lightning which comes from the east and shines as far as the west, that is how the coming of the Son of Man will be.

28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

29 “Immediately after the misfortune of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the sky will be shaken.

30 At that time will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will express grief, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

31 And he will release his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

_________________________________________

lightning and vultures

Every generation there is a new teaching cropping up that insists that we are living in the very time the Lord will return. Jesus told us not to believe any of them. There will be NO SIGN before the coming of the Lord. The only signs Jesus mentioned in specific answer to that question were lightning and vultures.

1. Lightning speaks of the sudden, unexpected nature of the coming. Before you know what is going on, Jesus will break through the clouds.

2. Vultures show up after the prey is dead. Likewise, the sign of the Son of Man is the Son of Man himself.

3. The point is that there will be no getting ready just before the event. We have to be ready now.

LORD, prepare us for your coming by giving us the wisdom to represent you to a world that needs you now.

Posted in Jesus Christ, second coming | Tagged | Leave a comment

great misfortune

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

071114

Matthew 24:15-22

15 “So when you see the abomination that makes desolate spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),

16 then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains.

17 The one who is on the housetop should not go down to get what is in his house,

18 and the one who is in the field should not turn back to get his cloak.

19 And it will be regrettable for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.

21 Because at that time there will be great misfortune, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

22 And if those days had not been cut short, no life would be preserved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be cut short.

_________________________________________

great misfortune

The immediate concern the disciples had was the destruction the temple that Jesus had just predicted. When they had asked “when will these things happen,”[1] — that is what they were referring to. So Jesus told them that it would be a terrible time of danger and anyone who could would escape Jerusalem. The rest would undergo horrible suffering.

The siege of Jerusalem from AD 66-70 fulfills this prediction completely. Jesus’ lament about the pregnant women, or those nursing infants is especially relevant, since the siege cut off supplies to the city, so many of those with small children eventually resorted to cannibalism. Josephus estimated that a million people died in the siege, and the battles with the Roman soldiers that ensued.

God’s grace touched even this act of judgment. Jesus tells his disciples that those days were cut short “for the sake of the chosen ones.” Even though the inhabitants of Jerusalem would crucify him, Jesus loved them too much to prolong that punishment.

LORD, your love shines through even in your acts of judgment. May your love shine in us toward those who suffer as well.

[1] Matthew 24:3.

Posted in judgment, love, suffering | Tagged | Leave a comment

Don’t get sidetracked

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

071014

Matthew 24:1-14

1 Jesus was leaving the temple and walking away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

2 But he answered them, “You see all these buildings, don’t you? Honestly, I am telling you, there will not be left here one stone connected to another that will not be thrown down.”

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign that you are coming and that the age is ending?”

4 And Jesus answered them, “Make sure that no one leads you off course.

5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many off course.

6 And you will hear of wars and reports of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end of the age is not yet.

7 Because nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in different places.

8 All these signs are only the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “At that time they will arrest you, persecute you and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because you accept me.

10 And at that time many will rebel and betray one another and hate one another.

11 And many false prophets will appear and lead many off course.

12 And because disorder will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end of the age will come.

_________________________________________

Don’t get sidetracked

The disciples assumed that the destruction of Jerusalem would be the end of the age. Jesus taught that the age would last a much longer time, with many signs appearing and disappearing throughout the age, like labor pains. Comparing all four synoptic Gospels, those labor pain signs include:

  • False Messiahs
  • Wars, rumors of wars, revolutions
  • International strife
  • Famines, earthquakes, pestilences
  • Fearful events, great signs from heaven
  • Apostasy and schism
  • Persecution, false prophets
  • Martyrdom
  • Increased wickedness
  • Love grows cold, family betrayal
  • Gospel preached to all nations

We are living in that age now. The signs do not point to the age’s end, and they will not increase in intensity just before the end. The whole point of the signs is that they come and go throughout the age, just as labor pains throughout labor. They merely show that the labor is happening.

LORD, when these things happen around us, give us the wisdom to not get sidetracked with last-days speculation, and to keep preaching the gospel, because we do not know how long we have, and there is a world to reach.

Posted in evangelism, future, witness | Tagged | Leave a comment

visually challenged guides

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

070914

Matthew 23:23-38

23 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but on the side are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of uncleanness.

28 So you also appear righteous on the outside –to others, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous ones,

30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of the works of your fathers.

33 You snakes, you brood of vipers, how are you going to escape being sentenced to Gehenna?

34 For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

35 so that upon you may come the guilt for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

36 Honestly, I am telling you, all these things will come upon this generation.

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that is known for killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you would not!

38 See, your house is left to you desolate.

39 Because I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”

_________________________________________

visually challenged guides

There is only one thing worse than blatant wicked living. That is hypocritical living. The Pharisees and scribes that Jesus condemned here were the religious super-elite. They were the heroes of Jesus’ day. But their commitment to God was all a show to impress others. Jesus was not impressed. This section of Matthew’s Gospel, which features predictions of the future predominantly, contains an entire chapter predicting God’s judgment upon the Pharisees and scribes. Hypocritical living is the opposite of righteous living, and it is so dangerous because it appears to be righteous living. People looking for a way out of their sinful lives were looking to these religious leaders for guidance. They were being guided straight to destruction in Gehenna. Their guides were visually challenged but they didn’t know it.

LORD, open our eyes to authentic righteous living according to your words. Keep us real so that those seeking you can find their way to you.

Posted in destruction in hell, discernment, hypocrisy, leadership | Tagged | Leave a comment

wrong way

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

070814

Matthew 23:13-22

13 “But tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, actors! Because you shut the kingdom from the sky in people’s faces. Because you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

15 Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, actors! Because you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.

16 “Tragedy is coming to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

17 You blind fools! Because which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’

19 You blind men! Because which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

22 And whoever swears by the sky swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

_________________________________________

wrong way

This passage includes three of Jesus’ seven pronouncements of future tragedy – his famous seven woes upon the Pharisees. They were religious heroes in the eyes of the people. But Jesus saw inside them; he saw their hypocrisy. He also saw the result of all their pious effort. Their proselytes thought they were gaining ground in the goal of reaching God. Instead, they were getting closer and closer to destruction in Gehenna.

The people the Pharisees influenced were being kept away from a relationship with God. They were gaining religious disciplines, and losing eternal life.

LORD, keep us from turning people on to religious work, but off to Christ.

Posted in discipleship, hypocrisy, leadership | Tagged | Leave a comment

hypocritical workaholics

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

070714

Matthew 23:1-12

1 Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples,

2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,

3 so practice and obey whatever they tell you- but not what they do. Because they preach right, but do not practice.

4 They bind up heavy loads, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move those loads with their finger.

5 They do all their works to be seen by others. Because they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,

6 and they passionately seek after the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues

7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

9 And do not call any man your father on the land, because you have one Father, who is in the sky.

10 Don’t be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

11 The greatest among you will be your servant.

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

_________________________________________

hypocritical workaholics

Jesus condemned the religious elite of his day for being hard-working fakes. They worked hard at making it hard to obey God, but did not obey God themselves. All of their exertion was a means of exalting themselves.

Those of us in spiritual leadership and who have access to people to influence them should examine ourselves and our actions regularly. Everything we say and do should be scrutinized to make sure that we are not falling into that trap. If pride is entangling us, it will destroy our ministries, and damage our spiritual lives.

It is OK to work hard. In fact, hard work can be a way of keeping ourselves spiritually fit for ministry. But we have to be careful about the nature of our work, and keep it balanced. Taking short breaks for reflection and assessment is a good prescription for continuing spiritual health. Building a team of co-workers who can keep us accountable and share the load is also a good idea. It is a good reminder that we are all brothers and sisters. We have only one Father, and he created us all equal in his sight.

LORD, thank you for the check in our zeal to produce. May our passion to serve you not turn us into hypocritical workaholics.

Posted in humility, hypocrisy, leadership | Tagged | Leave a comment

no further questions

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

070614

Matthew 22:34-46

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together.

35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 And he said to him, “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

38 This is the greatest and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: You are to love your neighbor as yourself.

40 All the Law and the Prophets are based on these two commandments.”

41 So while the Pharisees were assembled together, Jesus asked them a question,

42 He said, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”

43 He said to them, “Why is it then that David, under the Spirit’s influence, calls him Lord, saying,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies under your feet’?

45 So if David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

46 And no one was able to answer him a word. In fact, from that day no one dared to ask him any more questions.

_________________________________________

no further questions

Two really good questions are asked in today’s text. First, a lawyer from the Pharisee sect asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment in the Law. Doubtless, the lawyer had rebuttal questions already in mind when he asked that one. But Jesus’ reply was immediate and definite. The lawyer found that he could not refute Jesus’ answer. There is something fundamental about loving God and loving others. We all know instinctively that the LORD wants us to do those things.

Now, Jesus approaches the group of Pharisees with a comeback question. He asks why David, in Psalm 110, referred to the Messiah as his Lord, when the Messiah is supposed to be David’s descendant. Actually, Jesus is both. It was at this point of Jesus’ unique qualification that the Pharisees were stumped as well.

Now, the groups who had been trying to catch Jesus off guard and humiliate him with a theological question finally wise up. They do not stop attacking him, but they realize that he cannot be stopped by arguments. The interrogation is over, but the trial is not.

LORD, may we live our lives based on the answers to these important questions. May we focus on loving you, loving others, and witnessing to the uniqueness of your Son.

Posted in Jesus Christ, love, loyalty, witness | Tagged | Leave a comment

the whole package

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

070514

Matthew 22:23-33

23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,

24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’

25 What if there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother.

26 the second did too and the third, down to the seventh.

27 The woman died after them all.

28 So at the resurrection, whose wife will she be out of the seven? Because they all had her.”

29 But Jesus answered them, “You have mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

30 Because at the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in the sky.

31 And when it comes to the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:

32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

33 And when the crowd heard it, they were amazed at his teaching.

_________________________________________

the whole package

The Sadducees thought that the resurrection was a ridiculous fairy tale. They were sure that they could get Jesus to slip up and admit that. But Jesus not only affirmed the reality of a future resurrection, he implied that to disbelieve at this point was to deny the veracity of the Scriptures, and to deny the power of God.

1. The resurrection is going to change us. It will make us immortal, like the angels, and it will make us different in other ways as well. Like the angels in the sky (not like the ones who fell) we will be totally the Bridegroom, so there will be no marriage. Like other gifts that are part of this present age, marriage is proper at this time, but it will not be proper for eternity.

2. In this context, Jesus brings up a text where God says he is “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Jesus is not saying that these Old Testament saints are really alive somewhere. That would be a denial of the very thing that he is asserting. The text is evidence that these three will be raised from the dead because to God they have not ceased to exist. Their future lives are sure because the LORD is their God.

3. The Sadducees claimed to believe in God, but they rejected the resurrection. Like many today, they wanted to affirm some kind of religious faith, but to purge it of all those silly, improvable notions. They were theists, but they had stripped God of any personal significance. Jesus rejected their teachings and exposed their mockery. Real belief in God accepts the whole package – even the things that cannot be observed or proven.

LORD, give us the wisdom to hold fast to all that you have revealed about yourself.

Posted in faith, integrity, resurrection | Tagged | Leave a comment

straddling between kingdoms

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

(Note: I do not plan my devotions after national holidays, but this did turn out to be quite appropriate for 4 July, American Independence Day).

070414

Matthew 22:15-22 .”

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entrap him by his talk.

16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not influenced by appearances.

17 So tell us, what you think. Is it allowed to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

18 But Jesus, aware of their malevolence, said, “Why do you actors put me to the test?

19 Show me the coin used to pay the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.

20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose face and writing is this?”

21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “So give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

22 When they heard it, they were amazed. And they left him and went away.

_________________________________________

straddling between kingdoms

Matthew does not miss an opportunity to share incidents in Jesus’ life that involve his old occupation. He has already shared a number of stories featuring taxes, tax booths, and tax collectors.[1] This one, in which the Pharisees and Herodians seek to trap him with a political question, probably had a huge impact on Matthew’s life and ministry. The antagonists were determined to make Jesus draw the line in the sand and insist on either loyalty to political authority or divine authority. Jesus’ illustration of the coin was brilliant, because it showed that such line-drawing was not necessary. We all benefit from political allegiances, and as long as those allegiances do not encroach upon our duties to God, they are OK.

There are aspects of our lives that are going to align with cultural distinctions, rather than kingdom distinctions. Our identity as kingdom citizens is not harmed by those aspects, in fact they can be a benefit, in that they give us an in-road to others like us, who also need the gospel. For that reason also, it is helpful to keep one foot in this world, and one foot in the next. As long as we never forget to whom we owe ultimate allegiance, that straddling between kingdoms will work.

LORD, help us stay committed to you, and connected the world you want us to reach.

[1] 5:46; 9:9ff; 10:3; 11:19; 17:24f; 18:17; 21:31f; 22:17,19.

Posted in discipleship, kingdom of God, loyalty | Tagged | Leave a comment