IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Birth Pains

Date: Sep. 27, 2026

Passage

Matthew 24:1-14

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24:1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: Matthew 24:8

All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

When we look at the world superficially, we see beautiful and splendid things. But in reality, everything is fragile. Even the magnificent temple would fall. Our vision is temporary; God’s is eternal. The disciples wanted to know what the signs were that would lead to Jesus’ coming again. The signs of his coming would be calamitous: deceit, wars, natural disasters, and famines. Jesus taught his disciples not to worry about all these signs, because these things must happen. They would occur because God deemed that they would. These may seem like the end of all things, but they will actually be birth pains. Childbirth is very painful. But something beautiful comes from it. These signs would be horrifying, but the kingdom of God that these would usher in would be beautiful beyond belief.

It would not only be the natural world that would roil in chaos. Jesus’ disciples would also face many hardships. They would be persecuted, jailed, even killed. They would be hated and betrayed. But Jesus encouraged them with the promise that if they stood firm to the end, they would be saved. Their hardships would be testimonies to the world of Jesus’ salvation.

Prayer: Father, help me to keep my eyes firmly on you in this chaotic world. Help us to know this life is but birth pains.

One Word: These are the beginnings of birth pains

Daily Bread

Eating Blood Forbidden

Leviticus 17:1-16

Key Verse: 17:11

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

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