This is a series regarding the warning of deception that is particularly powerful in the end times.
The audio link appears at the end of the article which will be posted later.
Matthew 24:3-5, 9-14, 21-15. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty
Bonner on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
We are going to take some time to deal with the topic of deception particularly deception in the end times. We are not to focus on setting dates. However, there are many good reasons to believe that we are approaching, or are near, the end-times. Of course, God is the One who is in charge. He can keep things going for another hundred years. Yet, these lessons are important for understanding deception and not falling under its power.
Today we are going to focus on the warning against deception that Jesus gave in Matthew 24.
Ultimately, I want to help us develop a way to see through powerful deceptions of any type. That may be deceptions that come from occult circles, from religious cults, or even something as strange as an alien/UFO disclosure (now called UAPs- Unidentified Aerial Phenomena).
A recent movie called Disclosure Day has challenged whether such a revelation would shatter Christianity. What if aliens arrived and said they had technology to fix our problems and, by the way, we created you! I am not saying that this is going to happen. I am saying that Christians need to be able to analyze any such things from a biblical perspective (from God’s perspective) and respond appropriately.
Let’s look at our passage.
In verses 1 to 2, the disciples are impressed with the temple complex and point it out to Jesus. Jesus responds that not one stone will be left there upon another that will not be thrown down (presumably into the valley below).
This sets the disciples aback. It may be because they didn’t expect such an answer, or perhaps because they weren’t sure what he meant by it. Regardless, in verse 3, they have moved across the valley on the Mount of Olives. It is there that the disciples ask Jesus about his revelation that the temple would be torn down.
Their first question is clearly about the destruction of the temple. “When will these things be?” Yet, they also know that Jesus has been talking about being rejected, leaving and coming back. They take opportunity to expand this question to reference this. “What will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” We won’t deal with whether this is two more questions or only one. Yet, notice that the response of Jesus is not immediately an answer about timing. Rather, Jesus warns of deception ahead.
“See to it that no one deceives you.” This is a good warning in general. I don’t believe God wants His people to become fodder for scammers and deceivers in general. However, Jesus transitions this to the particular deception of people coming in “My name.”
Coming in my name can mean using the name Jesus. Yet, Jesus quotes them as saying, “I am the Christ.” This emphasizes that they are coming in his position or reputation. God the Father had made Jesus to be the Christ, or Messiah. Though the nation as a whole was going to reject Jesus, this would not change God’s mind on who is the Messiah. It was, it is, and will always be, Jesus.
False christs would play on two things. First, those among the Jews who had rejected Jesus as Messiah would still be looking for another person to be the Messiah. This makes them good targets. However, Christians also believe that Jesus is coming back. So, they too can be targets for a wannabe false christ.
It can be understandable that non-Christian Jews would be taken in by false christs, but Jesus is giving a warning to his disciples (and us). On top of this, there are several passages in the Old Testament and the New Testament that make it clear that, when Christ returns, he will come on the clouds of heaven with a contingent of angels and resurrected humans. No false christ to this day has ever mimicked that. Yet, some Christians are tempted to believe such claims, at least for a time.
The first person to claim to be the Christ after Jesus was a man named Simon bar Kokhba. Simon was a military leader who led a revolt against Rome in AD 132. He claimed to be the Messiah, the Christ. On top of this, a well-respected Rabbi named Akiva supported his claim. This revolt was quashed by the Romans by AD 135 and resulted in his death.
Several other things followed from the Romans. The area of Judea was renamed Syria-Palestina. Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina. On top of this, a temple to Jupiter was built. All of these things would help to erase Jewish connections to the area.
Today, from time to time, there are religious people, whether in Jewish circles or Christian, who gather a following of people who believe them to be Christ. Of course, they are false christs.
In a way, all nations of the world are open to or looking for someone who can fix this world. This is what God has promised Messiah would do.
In verse 8, Jesus called this the beginning of sorrows. It is not the end, but a period that is more closely associated to labor pains.
Though Jesus is still speaking about the beginning of sorrows period in these verses, verse 14 becomes a clear transition to the end of this age. The end of this age is not a Hollywood production where the world is destroyed. Rather, it is the end of the open door of repentance that God has given to the nations. It will be time for showing which side you are on, that of Jesus or that of a false christ.
In this section, Jesus once again warns us against deception, but this time he points out false prophets (v. 11). This may seem anticlimactic, but it is an error that we run into more often. People claiming to have a word from God about the world and the end times happens more than people claiming to be Christ.
We can recognize that Muhammed was a false prophet from outside of Christianity. We can also recognize some false prophets from within Christianity. The word prophet generally means a religious approach, but I wouldn’t overlook that atheistic philosophers today proclaim that they have the answer the world should follow, much like a false prophet.
It is easy to recognize false prophets that are from outside of your nation and influence. Westerners are generally not drawn to Muhammed. But those who have been raised in eastern lands find it much harder to resist the social pressure and see through his words and life.
As we approach the transition to the end, Jesus warns that we will still have to deal with false christs and false prophets.
We should also notice that there are other factors that Christians must face. In verse 9, Jesus says that we will be hated by all nations and delivered up to tribulation and being killed.
He warns that many will stumble (be offended), betray one another, and hate one another. Of course, Christians can fall into these errors. However, Jesus is showing us what the world will be like and what Christians will have to endure in order to keep faith.
The word for stumble, or offend, has the idea of causing someone to be tripped up and fall. In this case, it is clearly about a moral and spiritual stumbling. We will be tempted to turn away from the way of Christ and turn towards betrayal and hatred. We see this happening in our world today. More and more society is infected with a viral tendency towards anger and fighting one another.
It is here that Jesus warns of false prophets who will deceive many. Just like scammers are more prevalent when the economy is dire and people are desperate, so false prophets come forth like a scourge as the world becomes more and more hateful towards one another.
In verse 12, Jesus warns of lawlessness. This is not about man’s laws, although people will flaunt those too. Rather, the lawlessness here is that of rejecting God’s law. God has made clear through Jesus the Christ what He expects of humanity, but we refuse to obey that. As we cast off God’s law, the love of people grows cold. There is a natural love between parents and children, family, people of a particular nation. However, these bonds are coming under severe spiritual attack. People are stumbled and tempted into loving themselves and not loving the people in relationship with them.
Christians are called to love everybody, even our enemies. But it is hard to love people who love themselves and are cold towards you. It is in this context that false prophets arise promoting a way that will appeal to the flesh of those who are perishing. Thus, Jesus warns believers that only those who endure to the end shall be saved. It will be a heavy load, but believers in Jesus need to remain in relationship with him and his commands in this difficult time. Everyone of these things can threaten our steadfast faith in Jesus.
Verse 14 gives us a clear sign for this transitional period. When the Gospel of the Kingdom has been preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, then the end will come. It doesn’t say how quickly and how soon. I believe we are in this transition from the Beginning of Sorrows period to the end of this age.
Jesus then moves to speak about this end. I am going to focus on verses 21 through 25 because I want to highlight the problem of deception during this coming period.
In verse 21, Jesus points to a time that we call The Great Tribulation from this passage. It will be a time of difficulty that has never been this bad before and will not be this bad after. Many Bible commentators try to make this about AD 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem. As bad as those days were for the Jews in Jerusalem, there have been worse days since, in numbers killed and in atrocities committed. However, Jesus seems to be talking about the whole world in this passage. This Great Tribulation will involve a series of Judgments from God ending with the appearance of Jesus to take over the nations of the world. It also involves a series of actions by the Devil and his Antichrist. This period can really be thought of as a time that forces everyone to choose a side: Team Jesus or Team Antichrist.
Jesus warns in verse 23 that we are not to believe those who says to us, “Look, here is the Christ!” or “There!” In some ways, Scripture makes it clear that no one will have to tell you when Jesus truly returns. However, there will be powerful deceptions at play here as well.
Verse 24 speaks to this powerfully deceptive time. False christs and false prophets will rise up and show great signs and wonders to deceive… Some versions refer to them as lying signs and wonders. Which begs the question. Are these actually true wonders (miracles), or are they fake?
First, the idea of false is not connected to the signs and wonders other than they are done by false christs and false prophets. Second, they do these powerful signs to deceive people, i.e., into following them.
This appears to be an amping up of the deception. It wasn’t warned against earlier. Of course, the devil is a trickster. He will do what he can to separate you from Christ. Some have the mentality that says, “The devil can’t do miracles.” We need to be careful with that statement. The devil is not God, but he is a fallen angel. Angels have powers that humans do not have.
There is an added angle to this. Next week, we will look at a passage that speaks of a restraint upon the devil and his works. In the end times, this restraint will be removed. This means we will see far more powerful deceptive signs and wonders coming from his followers.
They will have enough wow factor to them to deceive possibly those who have been chosen by God, the elect. Of course, Jesus ends this by warning, “See! I have told you beforehand!” Does the presence of a wonder or miracle necessitate that we believe the person doing it? Jesus says, “Don’t be deceived.”
Jesus warns “if possible.” It is up to each one of us. We will be tempted but have been told in advance. If we remember the words of the true Christ, we will not fall to such false prophets.
Maybe a part of you thinks that it would be impossible for our modern era to be wowed by false prophets. We are not as easily deceived as people 2,000 years ago. I wonder though. Are we less manipulable or more? We live in a day that has enormous manipulations happening all over the world. Governments and smart people plan how they can manipulate large groups of people to do what they want.
In fact, it is good that Jesus came and spoke the truth 2,000 years ago. Imagine if he waited until this highly manipulated age to come and speak. How would we know he spoke truth?
Today, we have the words of Jesus and his apostles warning us against the deception of the Beginning of Sorrows. We also have the Holy Spirit helping us to see through deceptions and grow spiritually. Yet, a great deception is coming upon the earth that is intended to test every soul. Make sure you are immunized and inoculated against it by knowing the true Christ’s words to you!