Matthew 24: 36- 51 “Preparing For Christ’s Coming”

 

OUTLINE

1.            When will Christ return?

Ø  We don’t know the time (36)

Ø  It will be sudden  and unexpected (37- 39).  Don’t expect the world  to  eagerly await Christ’s return (38)

2.            What will happen at His coming? 

Ø  There  will be a separation of  people at Christ’s return  (40,41)

3.            How does a Christian prepare for Christ’s coming?

Ø  Stay awake – Keep an expectant  watch (42-44)

Ø  Be faithful  (45)

4.            What can the Christian expect at Christ’s return?

Ø  Blessedness (Happiness) (46)

Ø  Reward (47)

5.            How does a non- Christian relate to Christ’s coming?

Ø  They  expect  that Christ  will never come (48)

Ø  They   abuse   Christ’s  property (49)

6.            What will happen to the non-Christian?

Ø  They will be surprised by  Christ’s unexpected  and   sudden return (50)

Ø  They will  be  consigned to a place of unspeakable suffering (51 cf.25:30)

 

1.         When will Christ’s return be? (vv. 36-39)

a. We don’t know (v.36):  Jesus tells His disciples what the signposts of His return are, but He does not give them a date.  He says that neither He nor the angels know – but only the Father. This raises a big question. If Jesus is one with the Father, co-equal in His God-hood, why did Jesus not know? The answer is that Jesus took on human nature. He voluntarily laid aside His majesty and entered into our world as a humble servant, (Phil. 2; Jn. 13:1-20). As perfect man Jesus learned whatever He did from the Scriptures, by the leading of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 3:21,22; 4:1;14) and in prayerful communion with His Father (Lk.2:49; 5:16, 6:12 etc). In this state His Father revealed many things to Him while He was on earth e.g. His divine son-ship (Matt. 3:17; 17:5); to bear the sins of God’s elect people and to die as a sin offering;  to rise again from the dead (Matt.  16:21;17:22,23,20:17-19); to  ascend  back to the Father in heaven to take up His place in glory once more (Jn. 14:1-3; Jn.17).  In His humanity the Father chose to not reveal the time of His second coming to His Son – for a very good reason. There is a wonderful cutting edge to not knowing the time. People who live in constant expectation are alert. The element of the unknown return of the bridegroom and the Master of the house in the parable of the 10 virgins (Matt. 25: 1-13) and the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) is deeply embedded in the story of Jesus’ return.

b. Jesus says that His return will be sudden and unexpected (vv.37-39) and many people will not be prepared for this event at His coming.  Jesus draws here a comparison with the people in Noah’s day. People were found "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage". They were warned, but they disregarded his prophetic warning. The flood overwhelmed them very suddenly while Noah and family were saved.  Many years ago a family was camping in a dry river bed in the  Namib-Naukluft mountains.  We are constantly warned against camping in dry riverbeds – especially during the rainy season.  A downpour some distance away sent torrents of water down the river and overwhelmed the poor family. The mother and two children perished in that flood. Only the father survived. Our elder, Pieter Slabber conducted that tragic funeral. It was a sudden and unannounced catastrophe and it illustrates what happened to the people in Noah’s day.

Not many people will be eagerly awaiting the returning King (v.38). In Noah’s day many people absorbed in their own pursuits were swept away into eternity - unpardoned, unconverted, and unprepared to meet their God. And our Lord says, "…so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (v.39). People did not listen to God through Noah, and they will not listen to Christ, the Son of God [see the parable of the tenants in Matt. 21:33-41; particularly vv.38,39].  There will be a vast multitude in this entire church age and at Christ’s coming   that will not have entered,  but passed by the narrow  gate and have carried onto the easy  way and  the wide gate that leads to  destruction (Matt. 7:13,14). They will have found the cross of Christ offensive and stupid.  But their eyes will suddenly be opened, but it will be too late. The flood of God’s righteous wrath is coming, and it will not be held back. It is one thing to reject the testimony of Noah, but what have you got left when you reject the testimony of Christ?  Nothing! Only a fearful judgment!

2. What will happen at His coming?  (vv. 40, 41)

There will be a separation of people at Christ’s return (vv. 40,41). Twice we read that "one shall be taken and the other left". Presently the godly and the ungodly are all mingled together – even in the church. The wheat and the weeds grow together in the field until the harvest (Matt.13:24-30). But when Jesus returns there will be a complete separation. We shall consider this in greater detail when we get to 25:31ff. 

For the Christian this will not be a trial, for the glory of the new things will completely overshadow the past. There will be no tears or sorrow when Christ brings in His kingdom.  We must stop thinking like men in this regard.

I must continue to press home the consequences of being in the wrong flock! You will not be able to change your mind after you have died or when the Lord appears!  Everyone shall go to their eternal destiny as they were found at His appearing.  Believers shall be with Jesus, whom they have loved in this life. Unbelievers shall have what they have wanted all their life. They will have no Christ, and therefore they will not have His heaven. If you have not desired Christ with all your heart in this life, you shall not have Him in the next!  The immortal souls of those that have not embraced Christ the Redeemer will possess a Christ-less, God-less eternity. This is everlasting hell.   

3.   How  does a Christian  prepare for  Christ’s  coming? (vv. 42-45)

a. Stay awake (ESV) - keep watch (NIV) (vv.42-44). The Greek word here is “grēgoreō”, from which we get the name Gregory (the watchful one). Every Christian should be a “Gregory”. Listen  to the imperative: “stay awake!”   Jesus’ language is urgent. He knows the sluggishness and sleepiness of our beings.  With respect to the day of the Lord Paul also writes to the Thessalonians: “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but us  keep awake and be sober…” (1 Thess. 5:6). How do you stay watchful?

        i.            Fully expect   the Lord’s coming.   The problem of the 5 foolish virgins in Matt. 25: 1-13 was that they were not expectant and thus they fell asleep.

      ii.            Consider yourself to be at war. You cannot afford to be asleep. You must be vigilant. You have an enemy intent on destroying you (Eph. 6:10-18).  Fight the good fight of the faith (1 Tim 6:12).

    iii.            Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus through personal Scripture reading and meditation upon the Word of God; persevere in prayer; persevere in Christian worship and fellowship; persevere in regular participation in the Lord’s supper.  These are the means of grace that God has provided to keep you from falling asleep.

b. Be faithful (v.45).“Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  He answers in v. 46: ”blessed is that servant whom His master will find so doing when He comes.”  Faithfulness is one of God’s wonderful attributes (2 Tim 2:13). Christians must be imitators of God. Faithfulness is a major Christian attribute. True Christians are faithful Christ’s servants. They are faithful in to their God. They are faithful to one another. They are faithful stewards in God’s house, while their Master is gone.

4.         What can the Christian expect at Christ’s return? (vv.46,47)

a. Blessedness (Happiness) (v.46). The state of the true Christian can be described in one word: Blessed/ happy! This reminds us of Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:2-12: “Blessed are the…”. Jesus there teaches us which kind of people are called ‘blessed’ by the Father. A special beatitude is pronounced here upon a persevering, faithful Christ centred person (5:11, 12). It shows that they  have believed Him, and love Him.

b.         Reward (v.47): The Christian’s blessing will be a tangible one.  The Lord Jesus will say to His faithful servant on that day, “take charge of all my possessions”. I am not sure what that means, but we may be assured that there is a material reward which awaits  the  servant of Jesus when the Son of God  comes to give  His faithful  servants their rewards.  We are going to consider the doctrine of rewards in greater detail when we come to Matt. 25:14-30, when we shall consider the  parable of the talents.

Lastly, we must now  consider  the  awful  plight of the unconverted person. 

5.         How does an unbeliever relate to Christ’s coming? (vv. 48-49)

a.         He expects that the Master will never come (v.48). Please note that Jesus makes no distinction between the believer and the unbeliever’s Master. The ultimate truth is that the whole world is created by one God. Therefore this whole world is accountable to this one God.  Christians see themselves as faithful  stewards of God’s creation, taking care of God’s belongings, watching out for  their Master’s return. Unbelievers, agnostics and atheists  by contrast have no expectation of their  Master’s return.  They do not own him as their Master. What follows now is an interesting insight…

b. The unbeliever abuses His Master’s property (v.49). Because such  people think that God is absent or non- existent, they also  believe that He  God doesn’t know and isn’t looking. What is the ultimate result of such thinking? Jesus tells us that the wicked servant becomes careless and cruel.  He abuses his Masters servants.  All the abuse in the world happens because we think that God does not see!  It is  a serious thing to assault a fellow human being – for in so doing you assault the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  There is another aspect to this abuse, and it involves substance abuse (Drunkenness). Notice also that the wicked servant associates with evil companions.

6.  What  will happen  to the unbeliever?  (vv.50,51)

a. He will be surprised by the Master’s sudden return (v. 50) “... he does not expect Him…”  This is the mind-set of an unbeliever. He cuts God out of the picture, and then he will be surprised by his sudden and unexpected return.

b. The unbeliever will be  consigned to “that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”  (v. 51 cf.25:30). According to the Bible hell is a real place. Hell has no fire escape (Luke 16).  Hell is an ever  accusing conscience. Hell is truth known too late. Hell is living with deep regrets.  In hell there is no opportunity for repentance. This is no place of forgiveness; it is a place of eternal bitterness, and therefore this is a place of real emotional darkness. There is no light and  no laughter in hell. It is utterly impossible to imagine  anything worse.

So  then, please  listen  to the word of God. Listen to Jesus’ words.  Do not ignore this.  Do not be foolish like the people in Noah’s  day  who laughed at him when he built the ark. The difference between him and them is that he and his family were saved. They perished.

Take note of the signposts and be prepared for your Master’s return. Use your time wisely now to invest your life in developing your relationship  with your coming King. Understand that you are living in a hostile, fallen world.  But have pity on this world. Look upon this world right now as an object of God’s mercy and grace, and help those who are yet unbelievers by your prayer and by your evangelistic words. Very soon this opportunity will be gone. Very soon we all find ourselves in one of two God appointed destinations.