Jesus moved from prophecy to practical application. He had laid out things for us to know that point to His return, and now He told us what to do practically in light of that information: “be ready!”
Matthew’s Gospel is
built on the foundation of several discourses, starting with the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). Other discourses
include chapters 10; 13; and 18. The final example, the
Olivet discourse, is found in Matthew 24–25 and emphasizes the end times. While Christians disagree on the specifics of
Jesus’ second coming, this discourse leaves no doubt Christ will return.
We often look forward
to major milestones in life with both excitement and trepidation.
- Graduation.
Graduation marks a major accomplishment: the graduate has passed all the
requirements. The excitement of having finished the work is accompanied by
nervous anticipation: I now have to step into the real world!
- Marriage. He has found the love
of his life. He’s excited to marry her but nervous about all the challenges and
responsibilities that come with sharing a life together.
- Retirement. The thrill of “slowing down” or having more time for hobbies and activities can be coupled with anxious questions about finances and health.
Whether you experience
all three of these milestones or none of them, one major milestone awaits
humanity: one day Christ will return to earth.
Even followers of
Christ can view this event with both excitement and trepidation. What will it
be like? Life will definitely change, and for those who know Christ, it will
only change for the better!
Matthew 24:3-14
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?” 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. 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.
People in Christian
circles probably argue more about Jesus’ second coming than anything else. When
will it happen? What are the details? Here’s what we know for sure: Jesus died,
Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus ascended to heaven, and Jesus is coming back.
1.
We will see signs.
In verse 3, the disciples asked Jesus to
explain what would be a sign of His return. Jesus spent quite a bit of time
talking about the signs that would precede His return. They included the
following: Deceivers and false teachers will
lead people astray with teachings completely contrary to the gospel or messages
that are very close but not the gospel. There will also be wars and conflict among the nations. We continue to
see more and more international conflict as the time of Christ’s return
approaches. There will be earthquakes and other natural
disasters as the Lord displays His sovereignty and power over the forces
of nature. Verse 12 describes the rise of lawlessness
which, in turn, causes people to stop demonstrating love to one another. In
this past year, we have seen so much of this.
- We have a natural curiosity about the end of
the age, but it is biblical perspective.
- Don’t become so preoccupied with trying to
figure out when the end of time is coming that it diverts them from faithful
living.
When you read Matthew
24:3-14, which of these things do you see in the world today?
Matthew 24:29-32
29 “Immediately after
the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not
shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens
will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they
will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one
end of the sky to the other. 32 “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon
as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.”
Earlier, Jesus told His
disciples not to chase after alleged sightings and rumors about where the
Messiah is (Matt. 24:23-25). When Jesus returns, we’re going to know it.
Everyone alive is going to know it. Jesus spoke plainly: “They will see the Son
of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (v. 30).
What do you imagine the
return of Christ will be like? Why?
What do we learn from
the parable of the fig tree?
2.
We will see Jesus.
In addition to incredible astrological signs,
including the darkening of the moon and sun,
Jesus identified the sign of the Son of Man. The visible return of Jesus would
be seen by everyone, according to verse 30. All the people on the earth will
see Jesus’ return. How is that possible? Honestly, it’s hard to say, but God can
do it. With the rise of social media, important events play out on our phones in
real time in other locations around the country and around the world. Even so, not
everyone saw these events. However, He comes, Jesus will come with power and
with glory. There will be no mistaking who He is. Jesus will visibly return to
the earth.
- Jesus will come again; you won’t miss it!
- Those who have rejected Him will see it as a
day of grief and lamentation.
- Those who have received Him will be gathered
together with all who have believed.
- Live in anticipation of Christ’s coming knowing
it will happen; avoid becoming enamored or encumbered with the signs
themselves.
Matthew 24:40-44
40 Two men will be in
the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other
left. 42 “Therefore be alert, since you don’t
know what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would
have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. 44 This is why
you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do
not expect.”
3.
We need to be prepared.
In verse 32, Jesus told a brief parable related
to watching signs and being prepared. Just as you know summer has arrived by
looking at the trees, you can look for the signs of Jesus’ return and not be
surprised when it happens. Beginning in verse 36, Jesus gave a series of
scenarios, all with the same teaching: we need to be ready for the return of
Jesus. In the first scenario, rather than being prepared
for the flood, everyone (other than Noah’s
family) were doing their own thing and
were caught unaware and swept away with the flood.
Jesus said this is how it will be when He comes. Even though there will be warning,
many will ignore the signs. In verses 40-41, the
picture is that of the two men working in the field or two women grinding in
the mill. People who don’t know Jesus as Savior and Lord will be surprised when
the followers of Christ are suddenly taken to be with Him. Those who are left
are those who were not prepared. The final illustration is to drive home the
point that if we knew something was going to happen, like our house being
broken into, we would make sure we were prepared and ready. But we don’t know
the exact day when Jesus will return. But the point is to be ready at any time.
·
Live life in full anticipation the Lord Jesus
will return.
- Don’t be duped by those who have eschatological
systems for determining the time of Jesus’ return, the truth is no one knows
the day, the hour, the minute.
Jesus moved from
prophecy to practical application. He simply said to: “be ready!”
What does it mean to be
ready for Jesus’ return?
The Point for this
session: Jesus will return to establish His eternal kingdom.
Wrap It Up: Whether
it’s graduation, marriage, the birth of a child, your first house, or retirement
even, our lives are full of milestones. For the Christian, however, the best is
always yet to come.
Ask God for expectant
patience as we look forward to Christ’s return. Thank Him for the promise of
His sure return.
- We are living in the last days before the
return of Christ.
- Salvation was finally accomplished by Jesus’
death and resurrection.
- He ascended to His Father with the promise of
returning.
- We do not know when that day will be, so we are
to remain faithful and expectant.
- Don’t become so absorbed in earthly things that
you miss the eternal.
- Don’t spend time looking for more signs of His
coming; rather, look—with joy and delight—for His coming!
Jesus Christ is coming
back. He will return to earth in a very visible and public manner. This is a
core doctrine of Christianity.
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 these days.
But which is the
correct view?
Jesus is coming back.
Let’s agree on that.
