September 16, 2012
Matthew 24:23-51
Key Verses: 24:45-46
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”
Jesus tells us what will happen at the end of the age: Jesus will come in power and great glory. Jesus will come as the King and the Judge. For those who have accepted Jesus as King, it is a glorious and victorious end. Jesus’ coming in glory is our true hope. May the Lord plant this hope in our hearts today and we can be faithful servants until he comes.
I. Hold on to Jesus’ teaching. (23-36)
In the age of the end of the world, false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive many people. Look at verse 23 “At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.” If someone claims that he is a Christ, we should just ignore it. Don’t be deceived! It is because Jesus’ second coming is a universal event. Look at verse 27. “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” When he comes, everyone on the earth will see his coming. It is possible that one among us did not watch Psy’s Gangnam Style but all others watched it. It is impossible that only you do not know Jesus has come when he does so. Also right before his coming, there will be the destruction of the universe. Look at verse 29. “Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sum will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’” From what Jesus’ said, it is clear that all false Christs are really false. If we hold on to Jesus’ teaching, we would not be deceived.
Often it’s not only the world that seems to be going through birth pains, but also our personal lives. We might say, “What is happening to my life? Everything is upside down and nothing is like I thought it would be!” We may face our personal end of the world sooner or later. At this moment, God’s words can be our lifeline. God’s words help us pass through our sufferings victoriously and train us to be a source of blessing for the world.
Also, many people want to know the time of Jesus’ second coming. People who are interested in such a thing are those who mainly just want to enter into a paradise, wearing white clothes. They want to take up heaven for their selfish, self-centered purpose. Many people predicted it and failed completely. I remember that many people believed that Jesus would come one of the days in 2010 but it was wrong. Look at verse 36. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Jesus clearly says that only the Father know the day and the hour of Jesus’ coming. If someone says he knows the day, he is not a servant of God but an agent of Satan.
In verse 25, Jesus says, “See, I have told you ahead of time.” Jesus tells us this ahead of time because he loves us and wants us to be protected. Just be sure of what Jesus taught about the end of the world and hold on to it tightly. Then we will not be deceived.
After the distress of those days, will be the coming of the Son of Man. How will Jesus appear at his second coming? It will be a totally unique and unmistakable event to all people on earth. “…as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Look at verses 29-31. “Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” This is the dramatic end to world history.
Do you believe that this will really happen? Will we really see Jesus in the clouds with great power and glory? To believe this from our hearts will certainly change our life. Some people may think it’s unrealistic to believe in such an idea. But it’s not unrealistic; Jesus said it’s obvious whenever we look around. He said, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” It’s not unrealistic to believe in Jesus’ second coming; what’s really unrealistic is to live in this world, where all these things are happening, and refuse to understand that the end is coming. Even if this world doesn’t end in our generation, Jesus Christ will come for you and me personally in just a few short years, at our death. We don’t have to doubt that this world is temporary. Rather, we need to focus on what is permanent.
What is permanent? Look at verse 35. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Jesus’ words are permanent. In the context, “my words will never pass away” means that his words about the end of the world and his second coming will be fulfilled surely.
We can also think that his whole teachings never pass away. Even though his teaching is two thousand years old, but his teaching is working mightily in the hearts of many godly Christians. Jesus’ words are our lifeline. His promise sustains our life. Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” When we have one word of Jesus in our hearts, we have life in Jesus. One of our mistakes is we have hope in something temporary. People put their hope in their youth, health, intelligence, and appearance. But they are being worn out and flying away! However, Jesus’ words never expire.
Jesus promised that he will certainly come back for us in the clouds with power and great glory. We know Jesus will come back because he said he would, and his word can never pass away. We don’t have to look here or there for Jesus’ second coming, because he himself is coming for us. He will not leave his people to suffer in this world with no limit. All the elect will be perfectly rescued out of the world, without even one missing. The more we suffer trouble in this world, the more we can lift our heads up high, because our salvation is drawing nearer and nearer. Jesus is coming for us! Let’s remember that this world is temporary and hold on to Jesus’ word with great expectation of his appearing.
II. The character of readiness (36-51)
What is the most important thing to know about Jesus’ second coming? It is how to be ready for it. Someone might say, “No, the most important thing is to know when it is!” But that is not for us to know. Look at verse 36. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Jesus taught clearly that we are not meant to know. He used the times of Noah as an example. “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” From the example of Noah’s time, we can see that Jesus will come suddenly at the unexpected time. Even though Noah preached God’s upcoming judgment, people ignored it completely. Even just one day before the flood, there was not one piece of cloud. But suddenly the flood devoured all the people except Noah’s family.
So the only thing for us is to make sure we are ready for the coming of the Son of Man. Verse 44 says, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Jesus doesn’t say this to make us live in continual anxiety; Jesus helps us know how to be ready. Starting in verse 45, Jesus tells us a parable to teach us the character of readiness. Look at verse 45. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?” Jesus compares himself to the master of a household who goes away to a wedding banquet and leaves his servants in charge. What does the faithful and wise servant do until the master comes back? He faithfully gives the other servants their food at the proper time.
Spiritually speaking, to give the servants their food at the proper time means to teach others the word of God and love them as Jesus has loved us. By teaching the Bible to others, we feed them spiritually. Teaching others the Bible plants the fruit-bearing principles of the kingdom of God in people’s minds and hearts. Teaching others the Bible makes them also ready for Jesus’ second coming. Teaching the Bible is the best way to keep God’s house in order and God’s servants alert to receive Jesus when he comes. Those who teach the Bible consistently to others are truly ready to welcome Jesus.
If we live only a materialistic, pleasure-seeking life, like the people in Noah’s time, it’s guaranteed we will not be ready when Jesus comes. To be ready for Jesus’ second coming at any time, we have to learn the lifestyle of the faithful and wise servant. It’s not complicated to start to carry out this job. But it requires overcoming our sinful nature. Verses 48 and 49 warn us, “But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.” Our sinful nature tempts us to use the freedom and the resources God gives us selfishly, feeding only ourselves. If we think Jesus will not come back for a long time, we’re tempted to live as if he’ll never come. It seems like we can procrastinate for a while, and nothing bad happens. But consequences are real, and the consequences of living as if Jesus is not coming are the worst possible. Verses 50 and 51 say, “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
On the other hand, those who grow as faithful and wise servants have a great expectation of reward. What happens with the faithful and wise servant when Jesus Christ comes back? Verse 46 says, “It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” The Bible never exaggerates. When Jesus says, “It will be good for that servant,” he means it will be really, really good for that servant. The one who is faithful and wise with his mission from Jesus in this world will receive prestige not known in this world. The glorified Jesus will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your master’s happiness!”
Notice that verse 45 is phrased in the form of a question. “Who is the faithful and wise servant…?” It’s phrased as a question because it is an invitation: Who is willing to take responsibility for this most important mission? Who will be the faithful and wise servant? Will it be you? When we look at our past and our character honestly, none of us can say that we are naturally faithful and wise servants. But Jesus has great hope for us. Apostle Peter was also not a faithful and wise servant. He thought he was; he confessed “You are the Christ”, and Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Peter then thought he was ready to die with Jesus, but he didn’t know himself. When he faced a situation that genuinely tested his character, he totally dropped the ball—he denied even knowing Jesus, not once but three times. But when Peter realized his sinfulness and Jesus’ sacrifice for him, Jesus’ grace began to work to change him into God’s servant. Finally, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and he unlocked the kingdom of heaven for so many people. By Jesus’ grace, Peter became a faithful and wise servant.
Let’s read verses 45 and 46 together. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” Thank God that we don’t have to be ignorant of where this world is going. Jesus Christ told us how this world ends and how we can be ready for it. Let’s not be alarmed, but hold on to Jesus’ words and practice the lifestyle of wise and faithful servants. Then we can be full of hope to see Jesus Christ in his glory. Amen.