Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind
If you want to know about the future, people will line up at your door.
- Economists like to give financial forecasts.
- Political analysts will predict who might win the next election.
- Sports reporters will predict which team will win the championship.
But who can tell us what things will be like at the end of the world? No one is qualified to tell us about this all-important subject—except the perfect, sinless Son of God. And that’s exactly what Jesus did in a section of His teaching called the Mount Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25.
Jesus didn’t tell us everything about the end times that may satisfy our curiosity, but He told us what we need to know—and what He taught impacts the way we live today. So, ask the Lord to prepare your heart to hear clearly from His Word as we examine His teaching in this study.
Speculation abounds about the end of the world, but it is only as we study God’s Word that we gain proper insight about the end times and the return of Christ.
Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind
Lesson 1 Stand Strong to the End Matthew 24:1-14
2 Know What’s Coming Matthew 24:15-22
3 Watch for Christ’s Return Matthew 24:23-31
4 Trust God’s Timing Matthew 24:32-41
5 Keep Serving Faithfully Matthew 24:42-51
6 Stay Prepared and Ready Matthew 25:1-13
1. Stand Strong to the End
Question 1:
When have you been surprised by how difficult something turned out to be?
THE POINT
Expect difficulty when you choose to follow Christ.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Many of us looked forward to leaving high school behind with all its challenges, only to experience a whole new set of challenges. When we graduate, we leave the seemingly endless projects, exams, and schedules behind, only to face new stresses in the workplace.
When I was a college student, I lived next door to someone who began attending my church. When he became a Christian, I tried to encourage him in his faith, but after a couple of months, I noticed he became distant from everyone at the church. When we talked, he admitted he had become disillusioned because he still struggled with temptation. He assumed Jesus would shield him from the struggles of life. When I reminded him that trials are part of the Christian life, he seemed intent on staying discouraged.
Unfortunately, difficulties don’t leave us when we choose to follow Christ. Jesus never glossed over the challenges we face. When He spoke of His return, Jesus also spoke of the hardships we face—difficulties that would even increase! Thankfully, however, we do not face them alone.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 24:1-3
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The temple in Jerusalem was quite impressive. It was considered an architectural marvel in the Middle East. Even though the disciples had just been in the temple, they were wowed by the structure and called it to Jesus’ attention. Mark recorded in his Gospel that “one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ ” (Mark 13:1).
Jesus responded with words surely no one was expecting: “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (v. 2). An eerie quiet likely fell on the group. This could not have been an easy thing for the disciples to hear. Because the temple was the center of political and religious life for Israel, the disciples couldn’t imagine such a devastating catastrophe. That’s why they equated it with “the end of the age.”
In the disciples’ minds, they were essentially asking one question, assuming the temple’s destruction and the coming of Christ would trigger a single event: the end of the age. If the temple were destroyed it surely must signal that the world was ending abruptly. This created a great teaching moment for Jesus. By that time they had arrived at “the Mount of Olives,” a ridge east of Jerusalem. The mount rises about 200 feet above the city. As they looked down on Jerusalem and the temple, it provided the perfect setting for such a fascinating topic of teaching.
Question 2:
What do you wonder about when it comes to the end times?
As we move forward in Matthew 24, we may wonder: Is Christ describing a fulfilled event in history or a future event to come? The answer is both. Most interpreters contend that Jesus was partially describing the historical account of the Roman destruction of the temple. Jesus’ words came to pass with precision about forty years later. The Romans raided Jerusalem in AD 70 and set fire to the temple. Jesus said, “Not one stone here will be left on another”; some historians speculate that the stones in the temple may even have been pried apart to collect the gold leaf that melted as the temple burned.
While Christ offered comfort to His disciples for the difficult time ahead, He also looked far beyond the temple to the end of the age. One challenging feature to Jesus’ teaching in the coming verses is that He doesn’t sharply distinguish between when He was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and when He was referring to the end times. With that in mind, notice that Jesus didn’t answer the “when” part. If we were to know the exact timing, it would cut off any sense of urgency and need to depend on Christ in our lives. He wants our focus to be on Him.
Jesus’ knowledge of these events reminds us that God has prior knowledge of all things. History doesn’t merely repeat itself. The end won’t be a series of haphazard collisions and accidents. God has a plan that He governs with a definite course and direction. We can live at peace as the world approaches its end because our loving Father has a perfect knowledge of “the end of the age,” and Jesus has promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Matthew 24:4-8
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question is the longest answer given to any question asked in the New Testament. The first part of Jesus’ response (vv. 4-8) contains warnings of several characteristics of the period before Christ will return. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that the destruction of Jerusalem didn’t necessarily mean the end of the world had arrived. The signs mentioned in these verses are general in tone, marking a gradual progression toward the end.
- Deceivers. Jesus warned of false messiahs. “Watch out that no one deceives you.” This conveys the idea of having certainty in detecting the counterfeit messiahs. Most of us are surprised when we hear of a smooth-talking cult leader who sways seemingly normal people to follow him.
- An increase of international conflict and war. “Wars and rumors of wars” will keep on coming, no matter the season of the earth’s history—and they will continue as long as sin rules this world. The times facing believers will be unsettling, challenging days. How should we respond? “See to it that you are not alarmed.” Jesus told us to prepare in advance to say “no” to our tendency to fear. We are to trust God for our future instead of caving to fear.
- Just like labor pains in the process of birth, these events will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus returns in power and glory. An increase in natural disasters. Natural disasters like “famines and earthquakes in various places” and a variety of other destructive signs will become even more pervasive than they previously were. Although people in the Old Testament viewed famine as a sign of God’s judgment (Deut. 28:23-24), these events will not be evidence that God has abandoned us. Instead, they are proof that God’s plan is unfolding according to His will.
Question 3:
How should we evaluate world events in light of these verses?
Matthew 24:9-14
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Jesus painted a bleak picture of what believers would experience as the last days approach. For one thing, hatred will only grow toward those who follow Christ. Hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus warned His disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). The world may hate us, but when our affections are set on Christ, we are not as concerned with the world’s opinion of us.
Persecution will make a person either stronger or weaker. We can endure because of Christ with us and the sure hope we have of a future with Him, but not all will endure. Those who truly know Christ will persevere to the end, but “many will turn away.”
Question 4:
When have you seen someone overcome fear so that others could come to know Jesus?
Unfortunately, many even today may claim to be Christian, but their hearts have never been transformed by the salvation, forgiveness, and grace of Christ. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us” (1 John 2:19).
Jesus culminates this section with a pointed challenge, a motivating promise. The gospel is about God’s rule and reign. The aim is to proclaim this gospel so that all the nations might know King Jesus and worship Him. The gospel message will be “a testimony to all nations,” or more specifically, to all ethnic groupings. We must be intentional in taking God’s good news to the ends of the earth. No person, group, or force can stop God’s stated purpose to be praised among the nations. We must not let persecution keep us from sharing the gospel with the whole world.
Question 5:
What are some ways this passage encourages our sharing of the gospel?
Engage
FEAR OR FAITH?
Look at the list of warnings Jesus gave in Matthew 24:4-14.
Circle the three that you would be most frightened to experience.
False Messiahs Wars Nations in conflict Famines Earthquakes
Being handed over to be persecuted Being killed Being hated by all nations
Friends falling away Christians betraying and hating one another
Lawlessness multiplying Love growing cold
Write out an honest prayer to God about your fears. Ask Him to increase your faith in Jesus to help you endure well to the end.
My Prayer: ____________________________________
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:20
LIVE IT OUT
We should expect difficulty when we choose to follow Christ. Choose one of the following applications:
- Consider. Remind yourself each morning of God’s prior knowledge of that day. We read in Psalm 139:16 that God knows all our days before even one of them comes to pass. This truth can see us through many tough times, including the turbulent end times.
- Practice. Persevere in your prayer life. Paul tells us to devote ourselves to prayer (Col. 4:2). The Lord tells us not to allow difficulties to alarm us. Sometimes we live a fear-focused life. Prayer is a marvelous focus-shifter. Continue to call out to God even when the pressures of life begin to mount.
- Speak out. Embrace your role in world evangelization. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel will get to the nations before He returns. Whether you serve as one who sends, prays, or goes—or a mixture of all of them—God has a role for you in reaching the nations.
Life is full of transitions, and they each come with their struggles. The Bible tells us of another big one to come—and thankfully Jesus has not left us unprepared!
Teacher Notes:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Luke 17:34-35
I tell you, on that night two people will be
in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding
grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
Does your view of the second coming really
matter?
Yes … and no.
Here are the primary ways believers interpret
the end times.
Historical Premillennialism. Christ will return to earth in a cataclysmic
event and reign for a thousand years.
Dispensational Premillennialism. Christ will remove His church prior to a
period of great tribulation, after which He will return to earth and reign for
a thousand years.
Amillennialism. The thousand-year period referred to in
Revelation 20:4-6 is a figurative description of the church age, the long
period of time — but not literally a thousand years — between Christ’s first
appearance on earth and His return. There will be no millennium (thus
a-millennial) after Christ’s return but rather the judgment and establishment
of the new heaven and new earth.
Postmillennialism. As the gospel advances and triumphs
throughout the world, humanity will experience a golden age of a thousand years
(either literal and/or symbolic). At the conclusion of this period, Christ will
physically return to earth and the new heaven and new earth will be
established.
Which is the predominant view? Historical
Premillennialism has been strong throughout church history. Postmillennialism
was popular in the 19th century, but it fell away in the 20th century (when it
became obvious the world was not getting progressively better). Dispensational
Premillennialism began in the 1800s and gained popularity in the 20th
century (chiefly through the popular writing of Hal Lindsay and Tim Lahaye),
but its popularity is giving way to Amillennialism. Amillennialism is strong
today.
But which is the correct view?
Study the Scriptures. Don’t just throw your
hands up in the hand and conclude, “Who really knows?!” But wherever you land,
be gracious to those who interpret the details differently.
Jesus Christ is coming back. He will return to
earth in a very visible and public manner. This is a core doctrine of
Christianity. It is as significant and important as the doctrine surrounding
His first coming.
What is not as critical is how you interpret
and view the details and events surrounding His return.
1. Stand Strong to the End
THE POINT: Expect difficulty when you choose to
follow Christ.
Since the earliest days of the church, each
generation has wondered if it is the one that will experience the end times and
the return of Christ. Such thoughts often are based on personal hardships and
the occurrence of certain catastrophic events that are thought to preclude the
end. However, not every difficulty or catastrophe signals the imminent return
of Christ. We can expect some hardships simply because of our relationship with
Him. The Christian walk is not an easy journey.
Matthew 24:1-3
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away
when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do
you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will
be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell
us,” they said, “when will this
happen, and what will be the sign
of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The Setting: Matthew 24–25 contains Jesus’ apocalyptic
discourse on what will unfold after His death leading to the end of the age.
Jesus addressed two primary issues: the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem,
and the end times—especially His return. The disciples seemed to think the two
were one and the same or at least simultaneous occurrences. Jesus’ reply
indicates they were two distinct events.
What comes to mind when you think about the end
times?
1. It’s okay to wonder about the end times. Anticipate
Problems
Jesus informs His disciples that problems will
occur. Being part of the people of God does not mean that His followers will
avoid experiencing difficulties in life.
Jesus’s disciples call His attention to the
temple’s buildings, surely awed by their splendor. The temple had been the
center of Jewish religious life for centuries. Nevertheless, Jesus undoes any
idea of the temple’s permanence by explaining that it would be destroyed, with
even the stones being pried apart. These words would be fulfilled in the Roman
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Disastrous circumstances are not limited to the
lives of Jesus’s earliest followers. We can look back on our own lives and
recall when the foundations of things we love have been shaken. Knowing that we
will face problems along our journey helps us not to be surprised when they
arise.
Because the temple was the center of political
and religious life for Israel, the disciples couldn’t imagine such a
devastating catastrophe. That’s why they equated it with “the end of the age.”
Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the
very place where the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah
would stand when He came to establish His kingdom. (Zechariah 14:4)
What do you think Jesus’ main point was here?
Jesus’ main point here is that His disciples
should be less concerned with knowing the exact date and more concerned with
being prepared – living God’s way consistently so that no matter when Jesus
came in glory, He would claim them as His own.
Matthew 24:4-8
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I
am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of
wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the
end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
What was at the heart of Jesus’ teaching in
these verses?
The fact is that whenever we look for signs, we
become very susceptible to being deceived. The only sure way to keep from being
deceived is to focus on Christ and His words. Don’t look for special signs, and
don’t spend time looking at other people. Look at Christ.
2. Don’t let the traumatic events of the world
deceive you. Avoid Panicking
In response to the disciples’ question about
the timing of the temple’s destruction and His return, Jesus discusses more
problems that they will face. People will deceive others and engage in wars
against one another, He says. Natural disasters such as famines and earthquakes
will also be prevalent.
Jesus does not warn His disciples of these
events to scare them. In fact, He tells them not to be alarmed. These
occurrences are not the end of all things, but rather are the beginning of
labor pains. Labor, while often difficult, signals that something new (and
good) is on the way.
When we witness devastation in our own lives or
in the lives of others, we may be prone to panic. We need not do so, however,
as we realize that God has promised never to leave or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5).
How does your faith in Christ influence how you
view current events?
The signs mentioned in these verses are general
in tone, marking a gradual progression toward the end.
Just like labor pains in the process of
birth, these events will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus
returns in power and glory.
Matthew 24:9-14
9 “Then you will be handed over to be
persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of
me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate
each other, 11 and many false
prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the
love of most will grow cold, 13 but the
one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be
preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come.”
3. Don’t let persecution keep you from sharing the
gospel of Christ. Always Persevere
While Jesus’s pronouncements have been general
so far, He now turns to the persecution that His disciples will face
personally, including death. He says that betrayal, deception, and lawlessness
will thrive and even seem to prevail.
But there still is good news. Those who endure
to the end will be saved and the gospel will be proclaimed throughout the
world.
What is one area of your spiritual life where
you desire to grow stronger?
Conclusion:
In times of difficulty, we need reasons for
hope. Throughout the ages, Christians have endured ridicule and persecution for
their faith. The world’s system often looks like it is winning, but it’s not.
Our responsibility is to prayerfully endure and share in the work of
proclaiming the gospel to the world before the end comes.
FEAR OR FAITH?
Look at the list of warnings Jesus gave in
Matthew 24:4-14.
Circle the three that you would be most
frightened to experience.
False Messiahs
/ Wars /
Nations in conflict / Famines /
Earthquakes
Being handed over to be persecuted / Being killed
/ Being hated by all nations
Friends falling away /
Christians betraying and hating one another
Lawlessness multiplying / Love
growing cold
“And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
MATTHEW
28:20
