COMING back to these verses there are further practical lessons which we can glean for the strengthening of our Christian lives.

With regard to the return of Christ these verses warn us that the time of Christ's return cannot be predicted. Jesus speaks of the tendency of people to make predictions (v23,24). There will also be those who for evil reasons seek to deceive people by saying Christ has returned. Jesus warns his people to avoid being deceived. The church has always been troubled by people seeking to predict the time of Christ's return. This is natural because his return will be a time of great joy and the completion of our salvation in Christ. We long for the time when all evil will cease and everything will be new. Then God's people will reign with Christ for ever.

The fact which Jesus makes plain in these verses is that Christ's return will be sudden, and even unexpected. Jesus compares his coming to lightening (v27). Lightening gives no warning. It happens suddenly, but when it appears it is visible to all to see. Christ's return will be sudden like this, but when he returns there will be no doubt about it. Jesus speaks of deceivers coming and claiming Christ has returned, and re-enforcing the claim by miracles. The fact is that such claims have nothing secure about them. They leave doubts and questions still in the mind. Only some will accept such claims. When Christ does return, his coming will be visible from the east to the west. The whole world will know of it. There will no doubt what so ever. Even the most sceptical people will be forced to relinquish their unbelief. If there is any doubt at all, then a claim that Christ is coming or is returned will be false. When Christ does return everybody will be forced to believe.

The next lesson we can learn from these verses is the ongoing, continual, deep care and love of Jesus for his people. We can see this in the fact that Jesus gives this prophetic words concerning the future of the world, and warns of the fact of the world's end. We can see it in the fact that Jesus warns his people to flee from danger, and gives them instruction to avoid the dangers if they can. We see it in the words of verse 22 where Jesus tells us that as the sufferings at the end of the world approach, they will be shortened for the elect's sake. Jesus is watching over, and his protection surrounds all who believe on him and are his true disciples. We can learn from this that the words are true when Jesus said he would never leave us or forsake us, and that all things work together for good for all those who believe on Jesus. So from this we can be sure that when we may have to face severe trials, and even death, for the cause of Christ, Christ's care and love will surround us, and we will not be alone. This is profoundly and vividly illustrated in the record of the death of Stephen in the book of Acts.

The next lesson is the virulence of the devil's works to cause the downfall of the people of God. When we read “false Christ's and false prophets will appear and perform great miracles to deceive even the elect” we see the ongoing work of the devil. He is behind such deception, and he gives the power to do miracles to bolster up the lie. This is another reference to the fact which Jesus teaches us in John 15:18ff. Satan is furious that we have been plucked from his dominion, and have been saved from the terrible punishment God determines to bring on Satan and all the ungodly. If he can't capture us back to himself and his doom, he will do all in his power to make the Christian's life miserable. Every Christian must be on his or her guard concerning this fact of Satan's malice. The fact is that Satan uses deceptions which he knows will be of great interest. He knows he can't deceive and succeed with the saint by obvious temptations to sin. No frontal attack will succeed. Satan knows this. For this reason he seeks to deceive through the 'back door'. He uses plausible things, and things he knows capture our attention. He then stimulates, for his evil purpose, even the good desires and motivations of the believer.

The last lesson is that the elect can't in the end be deceived, so that they return to the devil and find themselves under his power. Although the devil seeks to deceive the elect, in fact the elect can't be deceived ultimately. It may be true that the saint, the elect person, could be seduced down a wrong and false route in life, but also it is most certainly true that the elect have been chosen by God before the foundation of the earth, and we have been chosen to be the bride of Christ, and the body of Christ. We are the engrafted branches of the true vine, Jesus, and being so chosen, God will not allow his purpose to fail, nor cease to keep those he has chosen in his love and salvation.