OCTOBER 16 THE JESUS QUESTIONS
JQ#31
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master
made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”
(Matthew 24:45)
LIVING FOR JESUS - Daily Prayer
JESUS, each day is a blessing that is bestowed on us by Your
Grace and Mercy. Lord Jesus, as I call upon Your Holy Name I pray
that I will call upon You for the right reason and do not let me get caught
up in rituals or doing things so that I can have “spiritual” notches on
my belt of self-righteousness, for I know
there is no such thing as “self”-righteousness!
Indeed, there is only one true righteousness and that comes through
the blood of the Lamb of God that was slain that all men could
receive forgiveness of sins and only through that Grace can we be
clothed in the clean and Holy robes of the righteousness bestowed
on all who believe that God sent His Son to be the propitiation of
our sin. Lord forgive me of my daily shortcomings
and keep me fully in Your LIGHT!!!
AMEN
THE JESUS QUESTIONS
Jesus Masterfully weaves all His Lessons together so that there is
One Truth to be learned as Jesus takes one Lesson and builds on it
with another so that our understanding of God and God’s Plan is
made clearer to us. Jesus is in the process of telling His disciples
when the “end of the age” will be and has confirmed that at the
“end of the age” that He will Return as “Master of the Household”.
Jesus had used prophecy from Daniel who had written 600 years earlier
to introduce in His “List of Signs of the End of the Age” pointing
to the “Great Tribulation” which Daniel had prophesied would
happen in the “Seventieth Week” and would be identified by
someone standing in the place of God. This seventieth-week-usurper
would offer “abominations” instead of daily sacrifices which
would completely “desolate” the Holy Temple. Jesus called
this event the
“Abomination of Desolation” and then said His Return
would happen very shortly.
Jesus is now giving additional details to His disciples so that all
believers could be prepared for His Return at the End of the Age.
Jesus had stated plainly what the signs would be but being the
Master Teacher He adds to our “understanding” by the use of parables.
Jesus had just announced that God would send His angels to
gather His “elect” (Matthew 24:31) and then Jesus says,
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree;
When its branch has
already become tender and puts forth leaves,
you know that summer is near.”
(Matthew 24:32)
Remember that this is His Last Week on earth “in the flesh” and
that “He Began His Last Week On Earth” riding into Jerusalem
on the colt of a donkey as the Son of David and as soon as
He made His Triumphal Entry Jesus went straight to the temple
in Jerusalem and “drove out all those who bought
and sold in the temple” (Matthew 21:12)
which started a series of Lessons on returning the temple to
God’s original intent.
Jesus, by His Own Example demonstrated God’s original intent
for the temple by returning the temple to a “house of prayer”
and then Jesus “healed” everyone that
“came to Him in the temple.” (Matthew 21:14).
Jesus then spent several days addressing the problem of “hypocrisy”
among the leaders and rulers of the nation Israel that had chosen
to “follow the traditions and doctrines of men” instead of the
Commands of God! Jesus had left the city that first day and on
His return the next morning Jesus cursed a fig tree and
“immediately the fig tree withered away” and the disciples “marveled”
at the power Jesus demonstrated. (Matthew 21:18-20)
This was not the first time in His final week that the symbolism of the
fig tree was used — Jesus had sent His disciples into Bethphage when
they had drawn near to Jerusalem and the meaning of “Bethphage”
is “house of unripe figs”. The nation of Israel is symbolized by
the fig tree so that everything Jesus did in association with the fig tree
can easily be understood as a message to the entire nation of
Israel specifically and God’s chosen people (His “elect”) in general,
so when Jesus says,
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree…” (Matthew 24:32)
that we should look more closely at what
Truth of God
Jesus is Teaching us!!!
Jesus described the fig tree as
“When its branch has already become tender…” Jesus continues,
“and puts forth leaves…” Jesus explains, “…you know
that summer is near.” (Matthew 24:32) Jesus refers back to His
last Question: “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2)
which Jesus uses to begin His List of Signs of the End of the Age
and to ask His disciples in effect, Do you not “understand”
what “all these things” mean when Jesus adds to His explanation
of the parable of the fig tree,
“So you also, when you see all these things,
know that [“the end of the age”] is near—at the doors!”
(Matthew 24:33)
Therefore since Jesus is giving us a sign, we would be wise to
“understand” more clearly what He means when He says,
“…know that it is near…”. The parable of the fig tree is important
enough that we should look closely at the parable so that indeed
we can “see all these things” and “know” what “is near” when
the “fig tree” has “tender” branches and “puts forth leaves”!!!!
Or do you think that Jesus is just not serious about the
“end of the age”?
