Section 139b
The olivet Discourse - Beginning of birth pains
The Mount of Olives
Matthew 24:4-14
Mark 13:5-13
Luke 21:8-19
4Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for all these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. 8But all these things are the beginning of the labor pains.
5Jesus began to say to them in response, “See that no one leads you astray. 6For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed, for these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, along with famines and riots. These are the beginning of the labor pains.
8He said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Do not go after them. 9When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not immediately follow.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes in various places, along with famines and plagues. There will also be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.
9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10Many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
9“You must watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues. For my sake you will even be set before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
12But before all these things take place, they will arrest you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13This will lead to opportunities for you to bear witness.
10And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11When they lead you away and hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand about what you should say. Do not give it much thought, but say whatever is given to you in that hour, for it will not be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12Brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 13aYou will be hated by all because of my name,
14Therefore settle it in your hearts not to prepare your defense in advance. 15For I will give you a mouth to speak and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to refute or resist. 16You will even be betrayed by parents, relatives, friends, and brothers, and they will have some of you put to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18Yet not a hair of your head will by any means perish. 19You must gain your lives by your patient endurance.
11Many false prophets will rise up and lead many astray. 12Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold,
13but he who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
13bbut he who endures to the end will be saved.
Notes
Mount of Olives
The mountainous ridge called the Mount of Olives stretches totay from the Hebrew University Mount Scopus campus in the north to the Jewish cemetery and beyond, to the village of Silwan in the south. Between these two ends of the mountain are the olive trees from which the mountain takes its name. The area at the bottom of the mountain would have been the place for the olive gardens and an olive press, “Gat shemen” in Hebrew, from which the name “Gethsemane” comes.
The gospels record on more than one occasion Jesus’ sorrow for Jerusalem as he made his way down the slopes of the Mount of Olives. It was a path he would have known from childhood from His many visits to Jerusalem.
Down the road from Bethphage He came riding on a donkey colt with palm branches symbolic of Judaea strewn along the way. “Hosanna!” (“save now!”) was the cry upon the lips of the people (Matthew 21:1-9). This prayer from Psalm 118:25 was a request for salvation. Yet Jesus knew that these cries would be changed within a week to “Crucify him!” He wept again for Jerusalem, for He knew what would befall the people in less than one generation as the city would be besieged and taken.