Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 366
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IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
23:30–24:14
destroyed. Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we
would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’
“But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the
descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead and finish
what your ancestors started. Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape
the judgment of hell?
“Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of
religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others
with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all
time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son
of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and
the altar. I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones
God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let
me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you
this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who
comes in the name of the Lord!’”
As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him
the various Temple buildings. But he responded, “Do you see all these
buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not
one stone will be left on top of another!”
Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal
your return and the end of the world?”
Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in
my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you
will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things
must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to
war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines
and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of
the birth pains, with more to come.
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all
over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away
from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will
appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere,
and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end
will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached
