The Whole Story: A Life in God's Kingdom, Part ThreeNäide

Daily Reflection: After reading Mark 13:21-23, two essential questions should be posed: 1) why would false messiahs be so eager to perform signs and wonders, and 2) why was Jesus – the true Messiah – more hesitant to perform signs and wonders on various occasions? Intuition would say that the true Messiah would outperform all false messiahs and make it clear that he is the one true Son of God. Well, unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Why? Because Jesus’ character is genuine, authentic, and unwavering. He desires a relationship with his people that is not coerced but instead developed with pure love and compassion. On the other hand, false messiahs want a multitude of followers, not for good purposes, but for their own gain. Thus, false messiahs may seem attractive, but it is the authentic nature of Jesus Christ – the true Messiah – that leads to an eternal relationship.

Daily Demonstration: Jesus’ care for his people is so deep that he desires to develop a lasting, genuine relationship – not a surface-level, unhealthy one. The mere thought of a false prophet using signs and wonders to coerce his family away from him is sickening to his core. Yet, as we learn from this discourse, these false messiahs will face troubled times, and justice will be served on behalf of the kingdom of God. It may be hard in the moment, but always remember, the deeper you are in relationship with Jesus now, the easier it will be to see false messiahs in the future. How can you deepen your relationship with Jesus today and seek justice on behalf of the kingdom?