Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

“Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord--This every devout Jew recited twice every day, and the Jews do it to this day; thus keeping up the great ancient national protest against the polytheisms and pantheisms of the heathen world: it is the…”

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

“What then are we here bound down to do? One word is made to express it. Had the essence of the divine law consisted in deeds, it could not possibly have been expressed in a single word; for no one deed is comprehensive of all…”

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

“And thus it is a condemnation of the idolatry of the creature. Our supreme and uttermost affection is to be reserved for God.”

“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,

“And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master--Teacher. thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he--The genuine text here seems clearly to have been, "There is one," without the word "God"; and so nearly all critical…”

and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than…

“And to love him with all the heart . . . and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices--more, that is, than all positive institutions; thereby showing insight into the essential difference between what is moral and…”

David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?” And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.

“Messiah is at once inferior to David as his son according to the flesh, and superior to him as the Lord of a kingdom of which David is himself a subject, not the sovereign.”

In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,

“And he said unto them in his doctrine--rather, "in His teaching"; implying that this was but a specimen of an extended discourse, which Matthew gives in full (Mt 23:1-39).”

They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

“Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation--They took advantage of their helpless condition and confiding character to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above…”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

“Eleazar wished they had all died before seeing that holy city destroyed by enemies' hands, and before the temple was so profanely dug up [Wars of the Jews, 7.8.7].”

While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,

“How graphically is this set before us by our Evangelist! Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately--The other Evangelists tell us merely that "the disciples" did so.”

“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?”

“Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?--"and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?"”

Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

“The reference here seems not to be to pretended Messiahs, deceiving those who rejected the claims of Jesus, of whom indeed there were plenty--for our Lord is addressing His own genuine disciples--but to persons pretending to be Jesus Himself, returned in glory to take possession…”

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

“And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled--(See on Mr 13:13, and compare Isa 8:11-14).”

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

“These are the beginnings of sorrows--"of travail-pangs," to which heavy calamities are compared. The annals of TACITUS tell us how the Roman world was convulsed, before the destruction of Jerusalem, by rival claimants of the imperial purple.”

And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.

“And the gospel must first be published among all nations--"for a witness, and then shall the end come" (Mt 24:14).”

You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

“Luke (Lu 21:18) adds these reassuring words: "But there shall not an hair of your heads perish." Our Lord had just said (Lu 21:16) that they should be put to death; showing that this precious promise is far above immunity from mere bodily harm, and…”

So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

“But when ye shall see--"Jerusalem compassed by armies"--by encamped armies; in other words, when ye shall see it besieged, and the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not--that is, as explained in Matthew (Mt 24:15), "standing in the…”

Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house.

“And let him that is on the housetop not get down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house--that is, let him take the outside flight of steps from the roof to the ground; a graphic way of denoting…”

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

“For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders. No one can read JOSEPHUS' account of what took place before the destruction of Jerusalem without seeing how strikingly this was fulfilled.”

So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.

“But take ye heed; behold, I have foretold you all things--He had just told them that the seduction of the elect would prove impossible; but since this would be all but accomplished, He bids them be on their guard, as the proper means of averting…”

the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

“We cannot therefore consider the mere strength of this language a proof that it refers exclusively or primarily to the precursors of the final day, though of course in "that day" it will have its most awful fulfilment.”

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

“"The judgment is set, and the books are opened." Who that is guided by the mere words would doubt that this is a description of the Final Judgment?”

So also, when you see these things happening, know that He is near, right at the door.

“So ye, in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass--rather, "coming to pass." know that it--"the kingdom of God" (Lu 21:31).”

Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.

“Whether we take this to mean that the whole would be fulfilled within the limits of the generation then current, or, according to a usual way of speaking, that the generation then existing would not pass away without seeing a begun fulfilment of this prediction…”

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

“Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away--the strongest possible expression of the divine authority by which He spake; not as Moses or Paul might have said of their own inspiration, for such language would be unsuitable in any merely…”