Today's Quick Word
Today’s Quick Word
Mark 13:12-13 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but […]
Mark 13:12-13 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Jesus had just predicted the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the disciples wanted to know more about this and, in fact, “what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” It seems that, to them at least, the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple would really mark ‘the End of the Age’ in the light of Jesus’ other predictions about the ‘Coming of the Son of Man’ in glory. Matthew 24:3 reports their question more fully (“What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”)
So Jesus’ answer was a warning to that particular generation concerning what they would face, but it is also a warning to all of us who live in these ‘Last Days’! As much as it concerns and hurts us to see our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering such distressing persecution around the world, as well as the increasing militant opposition we are experiencing today, sometimes even from close family and friends, Jesus, our Lord and Saviour was in no doubt that this would definitely happen.
The present opposion we are experiencing in Australia today in terms of ‘Hate Speech’ laws should therefore not surprise us, or even distress us, because it is all part of God’s Eternal Plan. The interesting thing for us is the irony of the fact that, by classing our loving preaching of the wonderful Gospel of salvation for sinners as ‘hate speech’ under this new legislation, our present culture is actually fulfilling Jesus’ word that “everyone will hate you because of me”! So let us not be alarmed, but rather let us ‘grin and bear’ whatever path our loving, sovereign Heavenly Father chooses to lead us along as we wait patiently, and hopefully, for the coming of the Son of Man in all his power and glory! Remember, Jesus said: “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
– Bruce Christian
