V 5.
Some people were talking about the temple and the fine stones and votive offerings with which it was adorned.
NIV.  Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God.

Drane, J. Introduction to the New Testament, p 38.  Herod the Great began building the Temple in Jerusalem in 19BC.  The main building was complete by AD 9, but work continued on it for many years.  It was twice as high as Solomon's temple had been, and shone with gold decoration.

Obviously, such an ambitious and imposing building as the temple would have been viewed by the people of Jerusalem with a fair amount of pride and would have been a topic of awed conversation, especially amongst those who came to the 'big smoke' from the country - which the disciples had.

V 6.
He said, 'These things which you are gazing at - the time will come when not one stone of them will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.'
NIV.  But Jesus said, 'As for what  you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down..'

It must have been a shock for the disciples to hear Jesus say this.  To imagine that this beautiful building dedicated to God might be demolished must have been unthinkable - and it was Jesus who was saying it.  They would have expected him to praise the builders of the temple and be as proud of it as they were.

Jesus remark highlighted the impermanence of any man-made building or memorial. He wanted them to remember that God does not value ornate buildings as much as we do.  A building such as that was more likely to glorify the builders - and in this case it was intended to glorify King Herod.  God is more interested in how we live our lives and whether we include him in out lives than he is in beautiful memorials built in his name.  - and so was Jesus.

This doesn't mean that it is wrong to build beautiful places for worship or to keep our churches in good order and to decorate them beautifully in honour of God.  But we must be careful that the beautiful building doesn't begin to take the place of our relationship with God.

V 7.
'Master', they asked, 'when will it all come about? What will be the sign when it is due to happen?'

It's interesting to me that the disciples didn't seem to doubt what Jesus said.  It tells me that, in some things at least, they had learned that he didn't make pointless statements just to be controversial. They believed that he knew what he was talking about. But they were naturally curious to know more - as we all would be.  There is something in most of us that likes to have some idea of what the future will hold. That's why people go to consult fortune tellers and read their 'stars' in popular magazines.

New Bible Commentary, p 1013.  The disciples asked when this would happen, and whether there would be any warning signs to show that it was about to happen.  The way they put their question, and certainly the way in which Jesus answered it, shows that they thought that the destruction of the temple would be one of the events associated with the end of the age.

Quest Study Bible note p 1456.  Matthew makes it clear they not only wanted to know when the temple would be destroyed,  but what would be the signs of Christ's return and the end of human history (Matthew 24: 3). Human nature seems to desire inside information.

Quest Study Bible note, p 1369.  Why, when Jesus said the temple would be destroyed, did the disciples ask about the end of the age?  It is quite possible they believed the destruction of the temple would usher in the end of the age.  Perhaps their curiosity about Jesus' role in all this was stirred even more because Jesus answered their questions while sitting on the Mount of Olives, a location with prophetice significance. (Zechariah 14: 1 - 4  (NIV) says: A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.  I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it ..... Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west .........)
                                                    What might have led them to think this way?  One factor may have been the prominent place of the temple in the life of the people.  It was a focal point for worship, religious instruction and sacrifice.
                                                     Another thing that may have contributed to their thinking was the awe inspiring, impressive sight created by the temple.  Thousands of craftsmen had worked for years to build its towering walls, some gleaming with while marble.  Its gates were decorated with gold and silver.  The Beautiful Gate (named becasue it was covered with polished brass) was about 75 feet high and 60 feet wide.  Such splendour would have made it difficult for teh disciples to imagine the temple's ruin unless the world itself was coming to an end.
                                                      Enormous stones from the temple wall can still be seen in Jerusalem.  One, for example, is 27 feet long and weighs at least 200 tons.  No wonder the disciples were so impressed by the stones.  In their minds, the destruction of the temple would be both a physical and spiritual calamity

V 8.
He said, 'Take care that you are not mislead.  For many will come in my name and saying, "I am he", and, "The day is upon us."  Do not follow them.

Jesus warned his disciples that they would come across many people who would try to fool them into thinking that the Messiah had returned or that the last days had come. From time to time we still hear of people predicting the end of the world on a particular date - scare-mongering.  Jesus said not to allow ourselves to be deceived and not to follow these people.

New Bible Commentary. p 1013.  The first words of Jesus give the general thrust of the discourse as a whole.  The disciples are not to expect the end immediately, and they are not to think that the coming of the end can be predicted.  Even the destruction of the temple does not mean that the end is at hand.  So the disciples should not be misled by people who falsely claim to be the Messiah and imitate the  teachings of Jesus that the time is near.

V 9.
And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not fall into a panic.  These things are bound to happen first; but the end does not follow immediately.'
NIV.  And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened.  These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.

We are to remain confident that Jesus will return when the time is right, but that we should not be afraid of that. The signs that he mentioned have happened in the past, are happeneing in the present and no doubt will continue to happen until the time is right for Jesus to come again.  When Jesus comes again, it will be a time of rejoicing for us who believe in him.  We will be welcoming our friend and Saviour and we will know that it will mean the end of all human conflict - a time to look forward to, whenever it happens.

V 10, 11.
Then he added, 'Nation will make war upon nation, kingdom upon kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in many places; in the sky terrors and great portents.
NIV .....fearful events and great signs from heaven.
NLT.  ....famines and epidemics in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

More disastrous happenings that have been going on for centuries and we might expect to continue.  The leaders of this world continue to meet to try to resolve many of the world's conflicts, but I wonder if they'll ever achieve anything until Christ comes again - and he will being peace.

V 12.
But before all this happens they will set upon you and persecute you.  You will be brought before the synagogues and put in prison; you will be haled before kings and governors for your allegiance to me.

The early Christians knew what it is to be persecuted, as do Christians in many parts of the world today.  Throuighout the past 2000 years or so, Christians have been persecuted for their faith, and not only from outside the church.  Many of us do not live with persecution in the form of torture and physical ill treatment, but we live with indifference and apathy and mote subtle forms of opposition.

New Bible Commentary, p 1013.The lack of chronological order in Jesus' statements helps to discourage any attempts to work out in advance a timetable of events.  Even before the events in vs 10 - 11 the disciples would be persecuted by both the Jews and the Romans.  But this apparent disaster would give them an opportuntiy to witness.

V 13.
This will be your opportunity to testify;
NIV.  This will result in your being witnesses to them.
NLT. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me.

The whole of life provides us opportunity to talk about Christ if he is a central part of our life.  If  our relationship with him and the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is the most important influence on how we think, what we do, our atitudes and how we cope with life's stresses and disasters, our life will be a witnes in itself to a stonger power within us. It is then a natural progression to talk about who that power is and how he is available to anyone who believes in Jesus as God and Lord of life, and who calls on him to guide, strengthen and protect.

V 14, 15
so make up your minds not to prepare your defence beforehand, because I myself will give you power of utterance and a wisdom which no opponent will be able to resist of refute.
NLT.  So don't worry about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply!

When our faith is put to the test, or when we are in a position to talk about Christ, we are not to spend valuable time and energy preparing what we might say if someone says such-and-such.  We must not fall into the trap of thinking we must use our own resources in Christian witness.   It is not us who is 'on trial' - it is Christ.  We do not have to tell a perfect story or impress people with our knowledge, ability to speak well, or anything else.  It is Christ we want people to look at, not us. We are simply witnesses, telling what we personally know to be true.  Each person we talk with (or, better still, listen to) is different, with different problems and a different story. So the way we witness to each person will be different too.  And who knows best what each person needs most?  Not me!  So how could I possibly prepare what I will say beforehand?

I was once in a library working at a microfiche reader next to a nice young man.  We got talking about our research and were able to pass on hints to each other.  After a while he suddenly asked me 'Do you know Jesus Christ?"  It was obvious to me that this was a 'prepared' question - he had been told he had to 'witness' and I was a 'captive audience', as it were.  I gave him a big smile and said, 'Oh yes! He's my best friend.' - and he didn't know what to say next!  My answer wasn't part of his pre-prepared patter.  If I hadn't been a Christian, his question, or the way it was asked out of context, would have put me right off!

Quest Study Bible note, p 1456.  Jesus is simply saying that when we face legal bettles because of our stand for him, we won't have to worry.  Though we may have legal counsel and a prepared defence, our trust must ultimately be in God.  Jesus, anticipating his disciples' future troubles, was simply assuring them that they need not panic.  The Spirit would be with them to assist them during such times.

V 16, 17
Even your parents and brothers, your relations and friends, will betray you.  Some of you will be put to death;  and all will hate you for your allegiance to me.

Jesus knew well that we can never put our trust in any other human being to stand up for us when the chips are down.  His own earthly family thought he was mad and tried to get him to come home with them.  He knew that his disciples would not remain with him when he was arrested in Jerusalem.  He knew what was in store for his followers in the future.  Jesus never promised his followers an 'easy ride'.  He doesn't promise us lives of perfect pleasure and no troubles.  In fact, here he promised the opposite!

The only person we can rely on absolutely is Christ himself who is our Saviour and God and who is with us all the time in the person of the Holy Spirit.

The writer to the Hebrews understood this. Hebrews 13: 5 , 6 (NIV) : Keep your lives free from the love pof money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you".  So we say with confidence; "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?"  He was quoting Moses, (Deuteronomy 31: 8) who told the people of Israel, 'The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged'  He was also quoting Psalms 118:6  (NLT) The Lord is for me, so I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?

Jesus also told his disciples (Matthew 28: 20. NIV) And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.  In John 14, Jesus also talks about not leaving his disciples as 'orphans', but being with us in the person of the Holy Spirit  (John 14: 16-21)

V 18, 19
But not a hair on your head shall be lost.  By standing firm you will win true life for yourselves.

We know from the Bible stories of the early church, from history and from current news from around the world that it is not literally true that followers of Jesus will never be physically harmed.  Jesus was talking of God's view.  God will never 'lose' even a hair of our head from his love and care, no matter what happens to us in this world.  We can be absolutely confident of his presence with us wherever we are and whatever is happening.  he will give us his support, his strength in every circumastance.  In Philippians 4: 13 , Paul says 'I have strength for anything through him who gives me power'. (NEB)

New Bible Commentary, p 1013.  These verses cannot mean that the disciples will avoid physical harm and martyrdom; rather there is a promise of God's control over what happens to them and therefore a call to remain faithful.