Don’t Be Deceived.

When Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, His disciples felt that the end would be at hand.  So they asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of the end of the age?”  They really wanted to know the sign of the end.  If they knew the sign, they thought they could be prepared for the end.  But the very first thing that Jesus answered to the question of the disciples is “Take heed that no one deceives you.”  He did not say, “These are the signs of the end.”  Rather He said, “Don’t be deceived by anybody.”  This seems to be more important thing than the sign of the end, which we should not be deceived. 

Have you ever been deceived?  I think that you have.  I am pretty sure that you must have felt chagrined at being deceived.  It may be okay if you have only a few dollars stolen, but if you are deceived and your whole life is ruined, you will feel a very deep chagrin.  Now what did Jesus say about being careful?  Let us look at Matthew24:3-8. 

Matthew24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.

24:5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

24:6 "And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

24:8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Here Jesus said two things that we should be careful.  One of them is the appearance of false Christ.  The other is the signs that are not really the signs of the end.  As the end comes closer, we will hear of wars and rumours of wars.  In reality many wars have been happening here and there.  But Jesus said, “they are not the signs of the end.”  All these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet come.  Even if nation rises against nation and kingdom against kingdom, the end is not yet.  Even if famines, pestilences, and earthquakes hit various places, the end is not yet come.  All these things are just the beginning of sorrows.  They should not be misunderstood. 

There were four major famines from the time of the ascension of Jesus to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.  These famines occurred only between AD 41 and AD54 during the short reign of the Roman emperor Claudius.  One of them is recorded in Acts11’28-30.  It happened in Palestine, AD46. 

Earthquakes also often happened in the Mediterranean area during this period; In Crete AD 46 or AD47, in Rome AD 51, in Laodicea AD60, in Pompeii AD63, in Rome AD 68 again. 

In this period many wars happened in Mauretania AD41-42 located in North-west of Africa, in Britain AD 43-61, in Armenia AD60s, in Palestine AD66-73.  But Jesus said, “These are not the signs of the end of the world.”  All these are just the beginning of sorrows. 

In the present time earthquakes have been happening more frequently than in the first century.  Wars don’t know how to finish.  Everyday many people lose their lives.  And the growth of carbon dioxide is creating abnormal weather, which causes nature to be ruined in many places.  But that is not the sign of the end yet, though it looks the end.  Jesus said that there was another sign that we should watch out.  What is it? 

That is the appearance of false christs.  Let us think again of the first thing that Jesus said when the disciples asked for the signs of the end.  He said, “Take heed that no one deceives you.”  Whom should we take heed of?  We should heed those who say “I am Christ.”

A contemporary historian Josephus records a certain Egyptian impostor who called himself christ and deceived Jews.  He invited adventuresome Jews to come to his desert outpost to have a meeting.  Thousands responded and worshipped him as the messiah.  They believed that he would deliver Jerusalem from Roman control.  But the Roman armies interrupted the meeting and these groups fought each other.  Eventually the Egyptian impostor fled away and most of his followers lost their lives. 

In recent years false christs still appear.  For examples, Sergei Torop, who was a traffic warden in a small Russian town, claimed to be christ in 2002.  He has now thousands of followers. 

It was just last October that Jose Miranda became famous in CBS news.  On the internet TV news I saw him saying, “I am Jesus Christ Man. . . the second coming of christ.”  He even dared to say, “I will be the President of the biggest government that this Earth has ever experienced.”  

Jesus gives a warning about a false christ.  Let us look at Matthew24:23-27.

Matthew24:23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.

24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

24:25 "See, I have told you beforehand.

24:26 "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.

24:27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Jesus warns the appearance of false christ.  He will not appear in making noise like the lightning.  But he will rather appear secretly, silently, and individually.  So people say, “Look, here is christ.  There is christ.  He is in the desert. He is in the inner rooms.”  And this christ will show great signs and wonders, and manifest terrible deception.  Jesus clearly said, “Do not believe him.”

Now, how can we recognise false christ?  What are his dangerous characteristics?  Let us look at 2Thessalonians2:2-4.

2Thessalonians 2:2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Here are three characteristics of false christ.  One of them is that he is the man of sin, the man of lawlessness.  He does not keep the law.  You can find this characteristic in the teaching of Jose Miranda.  He preached like this; “Sin no longer exists.  God doesn’t see you as sinner.  You are a perfect being.  The devil doesn’t exist.”  These are his own words.  The second characteristic is that he exalts himself above God.  Jose Miranda said, ”I will do greater things than Jesus of Nazareth.”  The last characteristic is that the false christ will perish.  He is the son of perdition.  Interestingly Jose Miranda says, “I will not die.  Even if you try to kill me, I will not die.” 

If the Church believes the teachings of the false christ, what would the Church be going to do?  Sin no longer exists in this world.  This is not sin anymore.  That is not also sin anymore.  There is no more law to disclose sin.  Our great tempter, Devil, was destroyed.  Nobody scares us.  Our pastor is highly exalted above God.  If the Church believes these teachings, she will do as much as she wants to do, and go away from God.  The false christ is a dangerous existence. 

We are now living in the end time.  From now on several false christs will appear.  They will say, “I am christ.”  But remember that the true Christ will not take another person on Him.  He will neither borrow my flesh to appear nor Wellington’s.  The same Jesus will appear in like manner as He was taken up to heaven 2000 years ago.  He will come with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God.  Nobody can deny the actual coming of the true Christ. 

Jesus warned His disciples by saying “Don’t be deceived.”  Are you easily deceived?  Please be careful.  Let’s open Psalm119:9-11. 

Psalm119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

119:10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

Keep God’s holy words in you heart lest you be deceived by false christs.  Especially I speak this to young people.  I know that many young people would not listen to council of adult.  They think their own opinion is right.  But there is a trap.  Take heed.  My father died when I was small.  My mother brought up me and my two elder brothers.  I think that I took advantage of her kindness and I did not listen to her advice so much.  I can really tell you, young people, that I regret having not listened to my mother’s advice more seriously and having not studied the Bible and put its teaching into practice.  Let’s look at Matthew7:21. 

Matthew7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Jesus is not merely a moral teacher.  He is not merely a compassionate man.  He is not merely great healer.  Jesus is God who gives eternal life to us.  He is God who has power to forgive sin.  He is God who has authority to raise the dead.  He is God who changes our heart and make it pure.  Let’s believe the words of the power Christ and do His will.  Take heed that nobody can deceive you.  We will happily meet our Jesus Christ coming in glory from heaven.