01-06-08 #Disciple Bible Study titled: Because Jesus is Coming series 1

[Disciple]

‘Because Jesus Is Coming’
‘Understanding What Jesus Said’
Matthew 24
Intro.
Have you ever been guilty of putting things off until the last minute? Probably most of us have a tendency toward putting things off. School, when did you write that term paper or begin studying for that test? The night before.
Home, you’ve known for a week that those guests were coming but you wait until the last minute to begin your preparations for their visit. Have you put off doing something so long that it really cost you?
I want you to consider what it would be like to miss the second coming of Jesus because you weren’t ready.
Titus 2:11-13
For the next few weeks, we are going to be looking at the second coming of Christ, looking at how we need to be living our lives as we wait for the blessed hope of the appearing of Jesus Christ. We know that God has deliberately kept from us the exact time that Jesus is coming again.
I think God has done this so that we will be living our lives like we are ready all of the time. If we knew when Jesus was coming, we’d wait until it was time and then we’d begin getting ready. We need to live our lives like we’re ready now, ready all of the time. We are going to use Matthew 24-25 as the foundation scripture for this Bible Study Series.
I want to look at Matthew 24 tonight and help us understand what Jesus said about his coming.
I. Signs of Jerusalem’s Destruction
We note in the opening verses of Matthew 24, that Jesus makes the statement that the temple will be destroyed.
Matthew 24:2
Apparently this catches the disciples off guard and so later they ask Jesus some questions.
Matthew 24:3
Many times today we interpret this 24th chapter of Matthew in light of the disciples asking Jesus about his second coming and we view all of this chapter as talking about things that will happen right before Jesus come.
But I wonder if that is good Biblical interpretation. Answer me a question, do you think at this point that the disciples were even giving any thought to Jesus’ Coming?
Not likely, they didn’t even understand about Jesus having to die. They weren’t thinking about Jesus being taken from them, much less his coming a second time. From the questions they ask, it seems the disciples were convinced that the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem would signal the beginning of Jesus’ reign over the nations and the ending of the present evil age.
In this first portion of this chapter (Verses 4-35) Jesus is speaking regarding the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
Matthew 24:5-23 – False Christ’s (messiahs) Acts 5:36-37 gives us one example of those who claimed to be messiahs- Theudas, Judas the Galilean
Matthew 24:6-7 Wars and rumors of wars – Historians tell us of different wars that were fought during this period of time.
Mathew 24:7- earthquakes and famines- Acts 11:28 tells about the famine predicted by a prophet named Agabus that took place during the reign of the emperor Claudius.
Matthew 24:9-10- persecutions- all you need to do is read the book of Acts to learn of persecutions against God’s people during this time period.
Matthew 24:14- gospel preached to the whole world- this is used as a ‘proof’ that Jesus is talking about the 2nd coming, but consider Col. 1:23, before 70 a.d. when Jerusalem was destroyed, Paul says the gospel had been preached to the whole world.
We can see evidence in the text itself that Jesus is applying these events to the destruction of Jerusalem and not the second coming.
Matthew 24:16 gives us this evidence
Why would Jesus tell them in Judea to flee to the mountains if this is the 2nd Coming?
Why would he tell them not to go back to the house to get anything or to get a cloak?
Why would it be such a dreadful time for pregnant women and nursing mothers?
Why would he tell them to pray that it would not happen in the winter or on the Sabbath?
What difference would these things make if it were the second coming. Can they escape the second coming by going to the mountains? Would they even be trying to get away from Jesus if this were the second coming?
Jesus is saying that when these events begin to happen it is not the time of his return of the end of the age. These are warning signs that the city of Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. There were going to be plenty of signs for the people to see before Jerusalem was destroyed.
There were going to be plenty of signs could follow Jesus’ instructions and their lives would be saved. In verses 32-35, Jesus uses the illustration of the fig tree to show that the people would be able to know when Jerusalem’s destruction was coming.
When the twigs get tender and the leaves come out, you know summer is near, likewise, Jesus says when you see these things happen you know that it is near. ‘it’, the destruction of Jerusalem. In verse 34, Jesus says, ‘this generation’, meaning those living then, his contemporaries. Would not pass away until these things happened.
II. There Are No Signs For The Second Coming
At verse 36, Jesus answers the second part of the disciples question. In spite of what some people tell us, and in spite of what some of us might want to think, there are no signs for the second coming of Jesus. Jesus says in v. 36 that no one knows about that day or hour. But only the Father knows.
Therefore, any attempt to calculate the time of Jesus’ return and the end of the world, is an effort in futility. Jesus uses three illustrations of examples to show how the time of Christ’s return is unknown and what this time will be like.
The days of Noah- v. 37-41
What is the ****ogy that Jesus is drawing from the days of Noah? When Noah was building the ark, life went on as it usually did. People were eating, drinking, marrying, normal routines of life went on day by day just as it had. The people of Noah’s day were caught unprepared when the flood came and took them away.
So Jesus is saying that life as we know it today will continue, people will be going about their usual routines and business right up to the time of Christ’s coming. Note that Jesus says the people not ready were taken away in God’s judgment of the flood. We’ve got to be ready all of the time for Jesus’ coming.
The coming of the thief- v. 42:44
We have heard some pretty good stories about ‘stupid criminals’
But generally speaking, the thief is smart enough to not announce when he’s coming to break into your house. Jesus shows that his coming will be like the coming of the thief in the night. He comes when he’s not expected. Because Jesus doesn’t give us the exact timing of his coming, then the only solution is for us to be living in readiness all of the time.
The coming of Jesus Christ will be at an unexpected time. But we know its unexpected and so we live our lives prepared now.
The faithful and wise servant v. 45-51
It would be very easy for a servant who had been given responsibility to provide for the other servants, to be neglectful in his duty. Especially when the master has been gone for some time. It would be easy for the servant to take care of his own needs only. But Jesus shows the wise and faithful servant doesn’t worry himself with thinking about when the master is going to come back.
Instead, he concentrates on fulfilling his responsibilities so that when the master returns he will find his servant faithful. I know it seems as if its been a long time and it seems that there is a long delay, but let’s remember this. His coming is closer today than it has been before.
1 Thess 5:2-4
Conc.
Popular thought today is that when Jesus comes again, the righteous are going to be taken and the others will be left behind for a second chance to get it right. I don’t think that’s biblical, when Jesus comes second chances are over. This is your chance now to get things right with God. The grace of God has appeared now for us.
I suppose it’s human nature that we procrastinate getting ready for things we don’t look forward to. On the other hand, those things we look forward to we tend to prepare well and in plenty of time. Are you really anti****ting the coming of Jesus? If so, you will be preparing all of the time.
Are you ready for Jesus to come back now? you can get ready right now, believe Jesus is the son of God, repent your sins, acknowledged your faith in Jesus as the Christ, get yourself baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.