“When the foundations are destroyed what will the righteous do?” Jesus went to the Temple every day the last week of his life. There he watched a poor widow give more than all of the wealthy. There his disciples marveled at the beauty of the Temple as it was rebuilt by Herod the Great. There Jesus explained that the Temple would come tumbling down. Disciples in the first century like disciples in the twenty-first century wanted to know when. Jesus did not answer specifically.
So what did Jesus say? He told his disciples to be ready for the end of the world. Mainly he encouraged them to avoid being conformed to the values of the world (21:34-36). One of my fellow ministers used to say, “If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.”
Are we ready for Christ’s return? How can we get ready? We not only listen to Jesus’ words but we live in his presence. Jesus went to the Temple and the people gathered to hear him. How do we make corporate worship a priority in our lives? One church has an A.W.E.S.O.M.E. campaign: Attend Worship Every Sunday of the Month Enthusiastically. Even more importantly, let us attend to Christ’s presence constantly. By his Holy Spirit he is still speaking to us. What is he saying to you today? By all means do that!