A Walk In the Garden Lesson 1 Notes

Please remember these are my notes. they may not make sense, but please ask if you read something you dont understand.

The Olivet Discourse – The Future of the Kingdom

Lesson 1

History Lesson

Apocalyptic – end times spoken of in code, figures or symbols. Means “mystery revealed” not necessarily “mystery explained.” Should drive the reader to worship, repentance and wonder. Not “oh I get it.”

Prophetic – Judgments of God, can have future meaning, can be 2 view.
Matthew is a Jewish writer. Speaking forth the words of God.

The lament – transition from the denouncing of his enemies to the teaching on Olivet.

Matthew 23:37-39 - As he starts the walk to the Mount of Olives – He weeps over Jerusalem.

Jewish Tradition – converts to Judaism were “brought under the wings of God.”

Chicks will naturally run to their mother (hen) in time of danger. The wings being a picture of protection. In OT is description of God protecting with His wings (figurative). That of an eagle.

Not Jerusalem. They ran away from God.

Because of this the house – the temple – worship – was empty. Jesus walked out as did God. The house was devoid of the presence of God. No more would He dwell in the Holy of Hollies.

Walking along – the disciples are dumbfounded at the things that Jesus has said. They point to the buildings.

The Mount of Olives was on the East side of Jerusalem. It over looked the Temple Mount as well as the whole city of Jerusalem. Romans used it during the siege.

Matthew 24

v. 1 – Herod’s Temple was covered in Gold. What was not gold, was pure white.

v. 2 – The actual temple took only 10 years to build, but the decoration and ornamentation continued up until the Jewish revolt of ad 66.

The Disciples (as Jewish men) were proud of this temple. They were excited about what the hand of man had built.

v. 3 – Zechariah had said the Messiah would stand here. When he comes to conquer (Zech. 14:4) but now Jesus is sitting. The position of a teacher. Not a conqueror. He opens up His heart about the future.

The 12 wanted to know when. Jesus does not tell them when. But tells them to always be ready. Even if the tough times of life, be ready.

They ask what the signs would be, and his first answer is “do not be deceived.” If you focus on signs and events, you are not focused on Jesus and the cause of building the church. Preaching the gospel.

People mislead. “Signs” are open to interpretation and opinion. The only way to not be deceived is to focus on Jesus.

v. 5 – since the time before and after Jesus, many have claimed to be the messiah.

v. 6 – sufferings will be a regular and recurring part of the age following the ascension. They are “normal”. Even though they are bad, the end is not near.

Eugene Peterson in The Message calls this “routine history.”

v. 8 – “Birth Pains” is common metaphor from the OT prophets to depict terrible human suffering. Used to point to what Israel will endure prior to deliverance. It is an expected time. All this bad stuff is simply the beginning. Just because they happen does not mean we should read in to them. History will take place. But that is just the start.

v. 9 – Though in Tyler, Texas we are not handed over to death, but sand up for your faith in business and life and see what happens. Called intolerant, sectarian, and holier than thou...

Our brothers and sisters around the world are being persecuted. (Honduran Pastor Doug spoke of.

v. 10 – it is not just outside pressure, it will come from with in the church as well.

v. 11 – as if life was not hard enough False Prophets come and try to mislead. They preach what people want to here. They preach from selfish motives.

Not new – Isaiah 30:10-11 (NIV) - They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!"

v. 12 – with false teaching and loose morals comes loss of true love for God and others. Sin makes you love your self more than you love God. You can’t have “God Love – Agape Love” if you only think of yourself.

v. 13 – Being saved by enduring does not mean escaping death. If you do die during persecution, you are saved because you are with the Lord in death. Saved – full blessing and peace of salvation with Jesus either in death of life.

Persecution will sift out those who don’t really love God. The false and fair-weather Christians will not endure hard times of faith.

v. 14 – The gospel must be preached to every nation. This is a very explicit condition.

The disciple’s mission was to “go in to the entire world.” As disciples, that is our job today. It is urgent and real. It is an enormous task.

We should think strategic in our missions planning.

Only God knows when this will have been done.

Life must be a tension between the imminence of Jesus coming and the fact of the great commission.