Everything that will happen before and during Jesus’ return is confusing. I must confess that I have not put forth effort in an all-out study of such things, so I don’t even know where I stand on how all of works. And because of that, these two chapters in Matthew have been a bit of a point of anxiety for me because I don’t know how to work all of this into some system to present to you. However, I do know clearly that this passages teach us certain things about Jesus’ return that we need to know and do. Therefore, I want to highlight these tonight. I will adhere to the following format:
1. The sure reality of Jesus return.
2. What the world will (generally) be like before this takes place.
3. What we need to do in light of these realities.
These are the things that I can clearly see from the text, and with our overview format which we have taken on Wednesday nights, I think it is pretty much all that I know to say with assurance right now. And I know that these things are important; therefore, let’s renew our minds to the following realities and exhortations.
Chapter 24 starts with Jesus’ disciples pointing out all the buildings of the temple in Jerusalem, talking about the magnificence of each of them. Jesus responds, however, saying, “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” (24:2). And because Jesus had ended his lament over Jerusalem saying, “See your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (23:38-39), his disciples make the right connection after Jesus’ statement in 24:2 and say, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age” (24:3). For Jesus had announced that catastrophe would be connected with his coming.
Therefore, it is clear that Jesus is going to return. And it is clear by definition that we are closer to his return now than at any other point in history. He is coming. In fact, Jesus reiterates this in 24:29-31, saying, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days … will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect form the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Jesus is coming back to take his people to himself for all eternity. It is a sure thing. Therefore, do not lose heart if you are longing for that day. Peter warns us that scoffers will come and say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). But don’t be shaken, he will return. This is not our home; we long for another. And the other is sure.
The main portion of the text that speaks of this is 24:4-28, and within that, there are many different things that will happen in the time before Christ’s return. Let’s look at them. First in verses 4-14 we see that there will be people coming along and claiming to be Christ, we will hear of wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation, there will be famines and earthquakes, Christians will be delivered up to death, many false prophets will arise, sin will increase, and love will grow cold.
Now this is catastrophic isn’t it? It is a horrible picture of “birth pains” as if the creation just cannot handle any more the futility to which it was subjected after the fall. It is a horrible picture that terrifies us, isn’t it?
However, at the same time, it is quite normal. All these things happen every day. We hear of wars and rumors of wars right now. Nation is rising up against nation right now. Christians are being killed for the faith right now. Sin is rampant and open right now. False prophets are misleading people right now. These things are all happening right now.
And the reason all these things are happening right now, I believe, is because these things describe the entire period from Christ’s ascension until now. Therefore, though they are horrible, we have grown used to them.
For even that which is predicted in 2:15-21 has occurred – the destruction of Jerusalem. This took place in AD 70. And true to Christ’s description in these verses, one historian describes the horror writing, “The famines was so severe that mothers ate their children. Rival groups within the city slaughtered one another and desecrated the Temple long before the Roman troops breached the walls of the city. The entire populace was either slaughtered or sold into slavery and the city was burned and razed to the ground.”1
And the claims of many to be the Christ, described in verses 22-28 have occurred already as well, and will continue. Therefore, we are in an odd time. The prophecies that Christ gives us here, catastrophic though they may be, have become so commonplace for us that, though they are warning us that his return is impending (24:32-35), it will seem like normal life at the point of his return.
Therefore, in short, what would happen before his return is happening now and seems normal. However, one aspect of that is good, and it is 24:14. For this verse says the gospel will be preached to all the nations, as in fact the church is doing now in our missionary efforts. Therefore, be encouraged and play a role in this through our prayers, finances, and lives.
I want answer this question with five things that Jesus gives us in the form of parables as instruction for this very question.
1. We need to be prepared to meet the Lord (24:36-44).
Christ compares his return and the time of his return to the day in which the flood came. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage [i.e. living normal life], until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (24:38-39). Therefore, though life seems normal, we need to make sure we are prepared to see the Lord.
Or, to say it differently, we all need to be assured that when we look into our judge’s face we are also looking into the face of the one who redeemed us. For if we are not his children, then his return is not a time for rejoicing but for great mourning. Therefore, Jesus exhorts us, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (24:44).
2. We need to be about the duties he has left us (24:45-51).
Jesus emphasizes this in telling about the servants, some of whom went about their duties while others thought, “Well, he is afar off, I will forget them.” The former is blessed and the other is punished.
Therefore, we need to remember that waiting for his return does not mean that we do nothing. Rather, we need to be busy about the tasks that he has given us. In other words, don’t decide to cease laboring because his return might be tomorrow or in 100 years; rather, ensure that upon his return, he finds you faithful in the labors that he has given you.
On this note, I pray that we would all answer as John Wesley when he was asked, “What would you do different today if you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow?” He answered, “Nothing.” O may we be able to answer that way each day we live.
3. We need to constantly prepare ourselves for pressures in case of long delay before his return (25:1-13).
In the parable told in these verses, Jesus talks about ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom at night with their lamps. Only half of them, however, brought oil in case they were out there a long time. Therefore, when the bridegroom came, they were gone getting oil.
I think this is a lesson to us to prepare in case of long delays. That is to say, for example, we cannot neglect training the next generation because we think that we all need to be about getting everything ready for the Lord’s immediate return. For if he is delayed, then we have done damage in advancing his glory in the church – which is his purpose.
In the same way, we must not ignore things that are not right because we think, “If he returns tomorrow, we will have wasted our time in correcting these matters.” No, rather build for the future in thinking of the church. Prepare yourself in study of the word before simply going out to the mission field. We think people need us, but they don’t. Rather, they need us speaking to them the Word of God. Therefore, it’s okay to learn, educate, prepare, and make long-term (tentative) plans because the delay may be long.
4. We need to “improve” upon what has been given to us by our Master (25:14-30)
The parable of the talents teaches us that we are not simply to say, “Well, God has gifted me and I’m going to sit idle until his return.” No, rather you must use your life, talents, and gifts and grow in them to walk in obedience before your Master. It may be that some are gifted more than others, but all of us are supposed to be “investing” our gifts into his people, his church so as to use them for the end to which they were given.
To sit idly by and not pour yourself into the work of the church of God, as he has given you as a gift to his church, is to work directly against his purpose for gifting you. Therefore, we see the master’s reaction to his servant hiding his talent in the ground.
5. We need to treat God’s people rightly (25:31-46)
I know that we are probably all familiar with Jesus’ teaching on the sheep and the goats being divided, him talking about their deeds, and then letting some be blessed and others punished. However, what caught me be surprise as I read back over this text this week was the fact that when they ask about not serving him, Jesus responds, “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (25:40).
And in this text, surely Christ’s brothers are those who make up the church. Therefore, Christ was examining them on how they treated their brothers and sisters in Christ, for what we do to them is what we (in essence) do to Christ, just as Jesus responded to Paul’s persecution of the church saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4).
Therefore, we need to make sure that we are laboring to love our brothers and sisters in Christ until his return.
Now, remember, we don’t do this to merit favor with God, for that has been done on our behalf in Jesus Christ. However, we must know that our treatment of our brothers and sisters in Christ will be evidence as to our belonging to him. Therefore, to test ourselves until his return to be sure we are in the faith and to make our calling and election sure, we need to examine whether or not we are loving the church – our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Therefore, Christ is returning, so make sure that we heed his warnings and commands until that day, that we may be found with those rejoicing that our Redeemer has come to take us to himself. Amen.