In much of Matthew 24, Jesus is warning followers who, like Peter, want an optimistic promise of the future that realism is more important. His followers must prepare themselves to die for his honor before the coming of the end. The introduction to this part of the discourse makes some crucial points. Jesus Is Not Impressed with Splendid Monuments. The temple was renowned for its beauty, even throughout the Roman world. Israel had traditionally viewed the temple as invincible. Jesus, however, is not impressed. The temple, as the ultimate symbol of the Judean religious establishment, which the people took to be the symbol of God’s glory, would be utterly destroyed.
Many modern readers have felt uncomfortable with the picture of Jesus as an end-time prophet. Nevertheless Jesus clearly taught on the end time. Modern prophecy teachers have traditionally looked to current events for signs of the end, to stir end-time enthusiasm among Christians. While the goal may be worthy, the methodology runs counter to Jesus’ own teaching. After listing many of the signs (usually hardships) that characterized the end among contemporary Jewish thinkers and visionaries, Jesus declares that the end is still to come. Jewish people called such events the “birth-pangs of the Messiah”, but Jesus declares that these are merely the beginning of birth pains.
Wickedness, or more literally and specifically “lawlessness,” could characterize especially the outwardly religious but probably applies to the society as a whole, including wicked rulers. Nevertheless, as a consequence even the hearts of most will become loveless, hence capable of betrayal. Although the promise that one who stands firm to the end will be saved could refer to survival, the context of apostasy suggests that enduring to salvation here may refer to the same demand that phrase implies in most New Testament passages: that only those who continue in the faith will receive salvation at the final day. True Christians Will Spread the Gospel among all nations, whereas Jesus says that other phenomena do not mark the end; here he explicitly declares that the spread of the gospel does mark the end. The world controls many other factors, but this is the one factor the church itself determines: we must complete the commission of discipling all nations before this age will come to a close. This prerequisite for the end does not imply that all peoples will be converted, but that the kingdom will not come in its fullness until all peoples have had the opportunity to embrace or reject the King who will be their judge. Early followers recognized that he would rule a remnant with representatives from all peoples, just as the world system would. While some generations have come much closer than others, the Lord will not return until he has found a generation of servants devoted enough to fulfill the worldwide missions task he has commanded.
Whereas Matthew 28:18-20 is a commission, 24:14 is also a promise that some generation will succeed in finishing the task others have begun. But this mission cannot be done in human strength. We should note the context in which this worldwide evangelism occurs: suffering, earlier applied by Matthew to his fuller discourse on evangelism. Many early Christians recognized suffering as a prerequisite for the end, because Christians’ suffering is inseparable from our witness. It is when we are least comfortable with the world that we most dramatically proclaim the kingdom of our Lord. Further, just as most mission fields in history were opened through the blood of martyrs, many peoples will not be reached today without Christians who are prepared to lay down their lives for the gospel Jesus has called us to proclaim.