Matthew 24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Anyone who claims to speak for God, but contradicts the gospel, is a false teacher, a false prophet or a false messiah. This even applies to angels. [E]ven if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1:8), wrote Paul. But history has produced a long line of false teachers, false prophets and false messiahs—some even doing miracles.
Pharaoh’s magicians, for example, turned their staffs into snakes, and water into blood (Exodus 7:12, 7:22). Even more impressive, the Bible speaks of a false prophet at the end of the age who’ll do great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. Because of the signs . . . it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. . . . It also forced all people . . . to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark (Revelation 13:13-17), wrote John.
Here’s the problem: if someone does greater miracles than Jesus Christ, how do we know whom to believe? What if someone else comes back from the dead? What if they’re attended by glorious angels? What if their miracles are more compelling than Jesus’ miracles? How do we know who speaks for God?
Thankfully, we’re not in the dark. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God (John 7:17), said Jesus. If you want to do God’s will, no matter what, God will lead you straight to Christ and keep you there. You don’t have to be the brightest or the best; you only have to choose to do God’s will.
Furthermore, those who belong to Christ have the Spirit of Christ to guide them. [H]is sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice (John 10:4-5). My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27), said Jesus. Nothing is more convincing to a child of God than the Spirit of Christ within.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
This is truly remarkable. Two thousand years after Jesus said this, he’s the most quoted person in the world, and he never wrote a book! If you want to be quoted, you should at least write a book. But Jesus never wrote a sentence, that we know of, and yet he’s the most quoted person ever. Who else could pull this off?
*****
Matthew 25:14-15 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.
Jesus didn’t want his followers to be idle while he was away, so he gave this parable about investing our lives in God’s kingdom. We don’t all have the same abilities, but we all have the ability to do something. And we’ll give an account to Christ, when he returns, for how we invested our lives.
The first and second servant did well and earned their master’s approval. Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness (Matthew 25:23), said Jesus.
Some may’ve thought these servants were foolish, for investing so heavily in the kingdom of God, instead of pleasing themselves. But the servants turned out to be wise, and gained eternal happiness. They denied themselves for a while, but their investment paid off wonderfully.
The third servant didn’t do as well. His ability was less than the others, so he thought it wasn’t worth investing. Instead of doing what he could, he simply did nothing at all. But when he gave an account His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant (Matthew 25:26). These are words that nobody wants to hear, especially from Jesus Christ.
Many years ago I worked at a busy factory where employees could be almost anywhere. This made them hard to track and one was found asleep in the back of a closet. He thought he could get away with being lazy, but he was discovered and had to face the consequences.
And there are consequences for not serving Christ: throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30), said Jesus. The servant’s lack of initiative showed he wasn’t a servant of Christ at all. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-16), wrote Paul.
Reflection and Review
Why are Christians persuaded to follow Christ instead of someone else?
Why is Jesus the most quoted person ever?
Why should we invest our lives in God’s kingdom?
Anyone who claims to speak for God, but contradicts the gospel, is a false teacher, a false prophet or a false messiah. This even applies to angels. [E]ven if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1:8), wrote Paul. But history has produced a long line of false teachers, false prophets and false messiahs—some even doing miracles.
Pharaoh’s magicians, for example, turned their staffs into snakes, and water into blood (Exodus 7:12, 7:22). Even more impressive, the Bible speaks of a false prophet at the end of the age who’ll do great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. Because of the signs . . . it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. . . . It also forced all people . . . to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark (Revelation 13:13-17), wrote John.
Here’s the problem: if someone does greater miracles than Jesus Christ, how do we know whom to believe? What if someone else comes back from the dead? What if they’re attended by glorious angels? What if their miracles are more compelling than Jesus’ miracles? How do we know who speaks for God?
Thankfully, we’re not in the dark. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God (John 7:17), said Jesus. If you want to do God’s will, no matter what, God will lead you straight to Christ and keep you there. You don’t have to be the brightest or the best; you only have to choose to do God’s will.
Furthermore, those who belong to Christ have the Spirit of Christ to guide them. [H]is sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice (John 10:4-5). My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27), said Jesus. Nothing is more convincing to a child of God than the Spirit of Christ within.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
This is truly remarkable. Two thousand years after Jesus said this, he’s the most quoted person in the world, and he never wrote a book! If you want to be quoted, you should at least write a book. But Jesus never wrote a sentence, that we know of, and yet he’s the most quoted person ever. Who else could pull this off?
*****
Matthew 25:14-15 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.
Jesus didn’t want his followers to be idle while he was away, so he gave this parable about investing our lives in God’s kingdom. We don’t all have the same abilities, but we all have the ability to do something. And we’ll give an account to Christ, when he returns, for how we invested our lives.
The first and second servant did well and earned their master’s approval. Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness (Matthew 25:23), said Jesus.
Some may’ve thought these servants were foolish, for investing so heavily in the kingdom of God, instead of pleasing themselves. But the servants turned out to be wise, and gained eternal happiness. They denied themselves for a while, but their investment paid off wonderfully.
The third servant didn’t do as well. His ability was less than the others, so he thought it wasn’t worth investing. Instead of doing what he could, he simply did nothing at all. But when he gave an account His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant (Matthew 25:26). These are words that nobody wants to hear, especially from Jesus Christ.
Many years ago I worked at a busy factory where employees could be almost anywhere. This made them hard to track and one was found asleep in the back of a closet. He thought he could get away with being lazy, but he was discovered and had to face the consequences.
And there are consequences for not serving Christ: throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30), said Jesus. The servant’s lack of initiative showed he wasn’t a servant of Christ at all. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-16), wrote Paul.
Reflection and Review
Why are Christians persuaded to follow Christ instead of someone else?
Why is Jesus the most quoted person ever?
Why should we invest our lives in God’s kingdom?