The PassionSample

In this new age of Artificial Intelligence, it’s now almost impossible to discern the difference between what is real and what is counterfeit. And although there’s new aspects to the ways we can be deceived, our potential for being deceived has been with us since the Garden of Eden.

In today’s passages, Jesus goes on to give more warnings. This time it’s about “the abomination of desolation”. It’s a prophecy that echoes the language in the Book of Daniel and describes a time of great tribulation and persecution. For Jesus’ listeners, this was a prophetic call to flee when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem in AD 70. For us, it is a reminder that tribulation is not unusual but expected until Christ returns.

Jesus’ heart here is not to scare or sow fear, but to help His followers prepare so they might respond with urgency, discernment, and hope. This hope is rooted in God’s sovereignty, ensuring that such suffering is both limited and fully within His sovereign providence.

Jesus also cautions against being deceived by counterfeits and false saviours. For those who belong to Christ, His coming will be unmistakable. We must not get sidetracked by rumours or secret revelations, but stay faithful and alert.

Today, ponder this: Where do you see fear driving people toward false hopes today— in politics, spirituality, or self-help solutions? How does Jesus’ promise that His coming will be clear and His certain reign give you courage to endure? What does it look like to live prepared—not panicked—in a world that feels unstable?