Tuesday: Truth on the Mount of Olives
MATTHEW 24:3-14
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
REFLECTION
The disciples have just walked away from the temple with Jesus, still marveling at its size and beauty, when He stops them with a sobering word: not one stone will be left on another (Matthew 23:37-24:2). Shaken, they find a quiet place on the Mount of Olives and ask Him plainly what is coming.
What Jesus offers them is not a timeline. It is an anchor. He names the things that will tempt them toward fear: wars, famines, persecution, and deception (Matthew 24:6-8). But underneath every warning is a steady assurance that none of it falls outside the Father’s hands. History is not unraveling. It is moving toward something.
He speaks as One who knows how the story ends, calling His people to endure, hold fast, and keep proclaiming the good news to all nations (Matthew 24:13-14). Whatever feels uncertain today, the word is the same. Hold on. The end belongs to God.
PRAYER POINTS
- Jesus, I praise You as the One who is wise, sovereign, and faithful from beginning to end.
- Jesus, steady my heart so that my story is shaped more by Your voice than by fear or uncertainty.
- Jesus, use my life and my voice so that many who are fearful and confused in this world may hear and believe the good news about You.
FAMILY CONVERSATION
Jesus reminds us that even when the world feels confusing, God is still in control.
- When have you felt worried or unsure about something?
- How can remembering that Jesus is in control help us trust Him?
- Family Prayer: Jesus, help our family trust You even when we do not understand what is happening.