What Jesus Did! 'The First Pains!' — Matthew 24:6-8

Jesus was saying that life in the end times would be tumultuous. Wars, famines, earthquakes would be on the earth. But these would merely be like the labor pains of a woman in childbirth. The disciples were not to become frightened or disoriented. The Lord who reigns, the Lord who would conquer, was still in control and things would happen at his command. Nothing would be left to chance. The Evil One was not in ultimate control. While these events would anticipate the downfall of Jerusalem, they would be only the beginning of the end.

The disciples were not to be afraid. The Lord who would pass through death, the Lord who would triumph over crucifixion, is Lord of all. They would not go where he hadn't been before. No, they were to go about doing what they were supposed to do. They were to be alert! They were to be ready! They were to be faithful!

But, was Jesus talking merely about the fall of Jerusalem or about the end of time? It mattered to those who lived through the destruction of Jerusalem, but the point is basically the same for us whether Jesus was talking about a major disaster or The Major Disaster. We are to be faithful and ready and unafraid. He will not forget, abandon, or leave us. When he comes in glory, we will share in it too! We are to be faithful, ready, and unafraid!