Matthew 24:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

NIV: At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.

NASB: Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘ He is over here,’ do not believe him.

CSB: "If anyone tells you then, 'See, here is the Messiah! ' or, 'Over here! ' do not believe it.

NLT: Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.

KJV: Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

NKJV: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.

Jesus is describing to the disciples a time when great suffering will occur (Matthew 24:21–22). He is describing the times to come after He has left the earth (John 16:5–7) and before His return (Revelation 19:11–15). Here, and in the following verse, He repeats previous warnings about false messiahs (Matthew 24:5) and false prophets (Matthew 24:11, 24).

In essence, there are two main points being made. Jesus is assuring the disciples that He is the one and only Messiah, the Christ. Anyone else who makes that claim is absolutely, clearly false. Second, when Jesus returns there will be absolutely zero doubt in anyone's mind what has happened. They won't learn of it by hearing a rumor that the Christ is here or there. Any such gossip or news can be dismissed immediately. The second coming of Christ will be emphatic and unmistakable.

Unfortunately, there will be those who fall for such lies. Jesus goes on to discuss this in the next verses.

Matthew 24:15–28 begins with a warning to all in Jerusalem to flee to the mountains when the abomination that will bring desolation to the temple stands in the holy place. This will be a terrible time, especially for those who are particularly vulnerable. That tribulation will be worse than anything ever, though another tribulation will come right before Jesus' return. It will be cut short to save some of humanity and for the sake of the elect, all those who truly believe in Christ. When He returns, everyone will know.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/1/2024 10:16:45 PM