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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Matthew 24:3-5 wherein we are reminded that many will try to pull people away from the true Jesus.
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
Bible studies of the end times bring Christians to various understandings as to the exact order of when everything will take place. There is great commonality among the orthodox however that Christ is returning in glory to earth in bodily form at the time that the Father has set. It’s important then as we spend time in the area of eschatology that we always come back to what is very clear. Interestingly, when the disciples questioned Jesus about what was to come in days ahead, He actually gave them a bit of a preface to His main discourse to keep them guarded against coming to false understanding about what was most central. What they and we needed to remember is that we’re waiting on the true Jesus Christ who will come in majesty for all to behold.
To be sure, we don’t hear of people too often actually saying the words, “I am the Christ.” But we do see many promising to be messiahs of sorts, coming to deliver or rescue people to themselves instead of calling them to be reconciled to God. And indeed, they often end up having many followers. Everyone is looking for a savior, which means that they’ll discover one in Jesus, another false divine hero, or put themselves forward as their own rescuer; sometimes there’s even an attempt to mix the three. Knowing that such would be the case, Jesus tells His disciples, “See that no one leads you astray.” They were to have their guards up, to recall the truth that Jesus was at that moment giving to them, and remember that moments of evidence to the contrary would be shown false in a coming day. They were to have faith that He was the One.
How will we do this? Is it simply enough to read these words from Jesus and then go out and engage the world as if we will in our own great and magnificent wisdom discover the secrets of the universe and decide whether or not we agree that He is the way? Such is the attitude many adopt and such is the way that many are led astray. Faith that is strengthened by relationship with the Lord is becoming a concept increasingly foreign in our day. So many begin something with Jesus, but then, as if becoming bored with Him or disenchanted with His mode of operation, search out a mistress that performs the way they want her to. Eventually, the engagement they had with Him is gone and He is despised. Jesus’ words to His disciples of all generations is, “Stay close to Me; trust My plan; your faith will be sight one day.” Anchor yourself to the true Christ today.
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