**MATTHEW 24 PART ONE** **Matthew 24:1-3**

**MATTHEW 24 PART ONE**

**Matthew 24:1-3**

In order to understand this chapter and its parallel passages, you have to first look at the context of what’s going on. Who’s asking the questions and how many questions are asked. The answers to these three questions will help a lot in understanding most of Matthew 24. Let’s concentrate on the first three verses of Matthew and the parallel accounts.

**Matthew 24:1** ¶ And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

**2 **And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

**3** And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

In Matthew’s account:

· Christ’s disciples are remarking on the buildings of the temple.

1. We don’t know which disciples are showing and asking if we only go on Matthew’s account.

· Christ says, ***(sometime in the future, Pat)** these* buildings of the temple will be completely destroyed.

1. Notice here, that Christ doesn’t say when the Temple Buildings will be destroyed; just that they will be.

· Matthew’s account has “the disciples” coming to Christ and asking him three questions.

1. When shall these things be?

2. What shall be the sign of thy coming?

3. (***What shall be the sign*** , ***Pat)*** of the end of the world?

We’re just looking at Matthew’s account right now. We will get to Mark and Luke, but just notice Matthew right now. Some people want to say that the disciples only asked one question. I disagree for a couple of reasons. First, the questions are talking about different things and secondly, we will be able to tell how many different questions were asked by studying how many answers Christ gave.

A person is forced to **ASSUME** that the disciples are equating the destruction of the temple with the second coming of Christ. I don’t know why they would connect the two, but it doesn’t matter. We should never just **ASSUME** something when our souls are on the line. Even if someone did **ASSUME **it was only one question that was asked and related to, that **ASSUMPTION** will fall apart once Jesus begins to answer. It is definitely more than one question…as we will see.

I want to leave this here for just a little while and look at Mark’s and Luke’s account. As we go through all of this, see if you can pick out which question Jesus is answering and take note of when he begins to answer a different question.

**MARK 13:1-4**

**Mark 13:1**¶ And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

The reason I believe that these are parallel accounts is not only their similarity, but also, why in the world would the disciples continue to show Jesus the same temple buildings, over and over again.

Notice in Marks account:

· One of the disciples pointed out the buildings of the Temple to Christ. ***(We are not told who it was here Pat)***

· Mark records the same response as Matthew…(Destruction of the Temple buildings***.( We are not told here when it will occur, only that it is going to happen, Pat)***

· Mark records that it was Peter, Andrew, James and John that *SEEMINGLY* posed at least two questions to Christ:

1. Tell us when shall these things be? ***(Destruction of Temple, Pat)***

2. “…and what shall be the sign ***(singular sign, Pat) *** when all these things ***(Plural Things, Pat) *** shall be fulfilled.

Obviously, Mark’s account *seems* to be asking only one question. Notice the phrases, “these things” twice in the same verse. However; we can’t just rip these four verses loose from the Bible and try to build a doctrine on them. As we go through Mark’s account, we will once again, see that Christ is answering more than one question. There is more than one subject that Jesus is dealing with here. Let’s leave Mark’s account and move to Luke’s:

**LUKE 21:5-7**

**Luke 21:5**¶ And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

**6 **As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

**7** And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

Luke’s record is a little different from Mark’s and Matthew’s. It’s enough to note here that there are similarities in all three texts. If you think they contradict one another, I’ll propose a similar situation at the end of this article and you will discover yourself how seemingly contradictory things can be explained.

I’m sorry; I got carried away and didn’t realize that I had already passed a thousand words, so I’m going to end this here. Next time we will look at how Jesus goes about to answer the questions.

Your test:

When Jesus was being arrested, somebody got their ear cut off.

Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10

1. Who got their ear cut off?

2. Who cut the guys ear off?

3. Which ear was cut off?

4. What was the man’s name who got his ear cut off?

5. What happened to the ear that was cut off?

6. Which account, by itself answered all these questions?

**2Timothy 3:16** All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

**17** That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

All scripture is God breathed. It is inerrant. There are no mistakes. What seems to be amiss can be explained if you just study it out.