Matthew 24:3-8 | The Beginning of Birth Pains

As Jesus leaves the temple and sits with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, they ask Him about the destruction He has just predicted, His coming, and the end of the age. His answer begins with a warning: “See that no one leads you astray.”

In Matthew 24:3–8, Jesus describes false messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes. Yet rather than telling His disciples to panic at every crisis, He tells them not to be alarmed. These things must take place, but “the end is not yet.” They are only the beginning of birth pains.

In this sermon, Pastor Todd Fletcher examines Jesus’ opening words in the Olivet Discourse and considers how we should understand the events leading up to Christ’s return. Jesus does not give these signs so that His people will speculate about every headline, but so that they will remain discerning, steadfast, and confident in the sovereign purposes of God.