Must - 2

The other day as I thought about the word, “must” in Scripture and in the context of our lives, another verse came to mind.  In Matthew 24:4-7, Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, claiming, “I am the Christ, and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars…Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places…”  The “must” that I was pondering was in the middle of these verses of Scripture when Jesus said, “such things must happen…”

I know that we all might have different ideas of the specific time of these happenings that Jesus spoke about, but there are three things that Jesus said that I have meditated on.

First, when Jesus says, “such things must happen,” I hear the omniscience of God.  Remember when God appeared to Abraham and told him that his descendants would be slaves for 400 years (Genesis 15:13).  God told Abraham about this years before he had Isaac.  Throughout scripture we are told of God’s knowledge of things to come. 

Second, I hear the sovereignty of God.  In the same breath, before Jesus said, “such things must happen,” Jesus said, “do not be alarmed…”  In other words, Don’t panic.   Don’t fall apart.  God’s at the helm so be at ease because things are going along as they should.

Third, Jesus reaffirms this by saying, “All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:8).

Most of us are parents.  Along with the announcement and anticipation of a child come anxiety, worry, and fear.  However, these feelings are overshadowed by the joy and excitement of the advent of a new life.

In a similar way, the Apostle Paul wrote, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed…the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:19, 22-23).  John adds, “We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2).  In other words, the climax of the Christians life will be the emergence or advent of Jesus. 

Even though Jesus told His followers the disasters and turmoil “must happen,” He was letting them and us know that the best is yet to come.