Matthew 24 (NRSV)
1 As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
9 “Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
A commitment to love is the only path to salvation.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. The disciples are awestruck by the grandeur of the temple, but Jesus shifts their gaze to its eventual fall (Matthew 24:1-2). How might God’s love be revealed, not in preserving structures we build, but in freeing us from relying on them? What does it say about divine love that it remains steady even when what we thought was sacred crumbles?
2. Why might conflict, chaos, lawlessness, and war lead to the rise of many people offering multiple solutions? Why does Jesus say in response to this that “the one who endures to the end will be saved”?
3. What if Jesus’ prophecy isn’t about predicting the end but about breaking our addiction to permanence and control? How do we cope when sacred or cultural institutions collapse? What does it look like to follow a savior who says “even this will fall”? How does it challenge/deepen our faith?
4. Could Jesus’ warnings be as much about protecting inner peace as predicting external chaos? What does it mean to “not be alarmed” in a time of crisis? What spiritual practices cultivate that? What mentalities and practices can we adopt to make sure we are not getting pulled into placing our hope for salvation from the world’s tribulations in a person or group that cannot and will not bring peace?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. What are the “signs” of the end? Has there ever been a time when these signs were not on display in the world? What do you think Jesus meant by mentioning these warnings?
2. What is the end goal for Jesus and his movement? What does this discourse communicate about that goal? How does this compare or contrast with your own upbringing in your family and in your church (if any)?
3. Why do people think that becoming an oppressor will lead to a better way of life? What happens when oppression fails to achieve those stated goals?
4. People promising solutions always blame other people, thereby making them targets. How might this hurt our call in the Great Commission? Why blame other people?
5. When have you felt shaken by events that felt like “the end” of something stable—faith, community, certainty? How did you respond? Did it move you closer to despair or closer to some deeper hope? What helped you achieve that?
6. If nations rising against nations (Matthew 24:7) is an ongoing reality, what role does church—or any spiritual community—play during constant global unrest? Is the church mean to be a forecaster, a first responder, or something else entirely?
For further contemplation, consider these quotes & prompts:
1. What did you think when you heard the words “sometimes there are no magic solutions”? Anxious? Excited? Worried? Ashamed? Angry?
2. “Nothing can do what love can do.” What does that mean? How does it make a difference in your choices? In your responses? In your dreams and hopes?
3. “We have to wait until the final whistle to see what it all looks like.” What did you feel when you heard that?