The timing of this series couldn’t be more on point. Bless the Holy Spirit for knowing that this series will be what we need to hear. Most of you are wondering what the future looks like right now. It may be stressful or panic-inducing, but it will be something we can and will fight through.

Jesus found himself at the Mount of Olives, where Zechariah predicted that the Messiah would come to establish his kingdom. It was a place where the disciples would ask Jesus when he would come into power and what to expect. Jesus shared with him the words of Matthew 24:3-51 to talk about what the future would look like. Jesus told them not to be concerned with when it would happen but with consistently living God’s ways. We’re closing our 6-week series called “FUTURE!” today. This series aims to help you understand what Jesus described the future as.

In Part 5, we discussed the importance of keeping God’s teachings close to our hearts and how to embrace and reflect those teachings to the world.

To close the series, we will discuss a couple of different topics: the uncertainty of when Jesus’ return will happen, the work we have to do here on earth, and the details of the return.

Matthew 24:36-51

NASB	NLT	VOICE
36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.	36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.	36 No one knows the hour or the day, not even the messengers in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.	37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.	37 As it was at the time of Noah, so it will be with the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,	38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.	38 In the days before the flood, people were busy making lives for themselves: they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, making plans and having children and growing old, until the day Noah entered the dark.
39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.	39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.	39 Those people had no idea what was coming; they knew nothing about the floods until the floods were upon them, sweeping them all away. That is how it will be with the coming of the Son of Man.
40 At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.	40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.	40 Two men will be plowing a field: one will be taken, and the other will be left in the field.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.	41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.	41 Two women will be somewhere griding at a mill: one will be taken, and the other will be left at the mill.
42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.	42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.	42 So keep watch. You don’t know when your Lord will come.
43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.	43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.	43 But you should know this: If the owner of a house had known his house was about to be broken into, he would have stayed up all night, vigilantly. He would have kept watch, and he would have thwarted the thief
44 For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.	44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.	44 So you must be ready because you know the Son of Man will come, but you cant know precisely when.
45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time?	45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.	45 The trustworthy servant is the one whom the master puts in charge of all the servants of his household; it is the trustworthy servant who not oversees all the work, but also ensures the servants are properly fed and cared for.
46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.	46 If the master returns and finds that the servants has done a good job, there will be a reward.	46 And it is, of course, crucial that a servant who is given such responsibility performs his responsibility to his master’s standards – so when the master returns he finds his trust has been rewarded.
47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.	47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.	47 For then the master will put that good servant in charge of all his possessions.
48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’	48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,	48 But imagine that the master’s trust was misplaced, that the supposedly responsible servant is actually a thief who says to himself, “My master has been gone so long, he is not possibly coming back.”
49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk	49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?	49 Then he beats his fellow servants and dines and drinks with drunkards.
50 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know,	50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected,	50 Well, when the master returns – as certainly he will – the servant will be caught unawares. The master will return on a day and at an hour when he isn’t expected.
51 and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.	51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.	51 And he will cut his worthless servant into pieces and throw him out into darkness and throw him out into darkness with the hypocrites, where there is weeping and grinding of teeth.

Let’s break down some key parts of the passage before I get into my notes:

• Only God knows when the return of Jesus will occur.
• When it does occur, it will be similar to the events and situations around the flood in Genesis 6. The idea is that people won’t know what happens until it happens to them.
• We should be vigilant about waiting for this to happen.

It’s good that we don’t know when Jesus will return. We might just stop and wait for Jesus to come and fix things. We might even continue to sin and repent right when Jesus returns. Our role must be to continue doing the will of God until the end of time. It’s not about doing it until a specific time but until this moment and then some. Heaven is a great place to end up, but it is not the only goal. We have work to do here on earth and must continue doing it until we die or we see the return of Jesus.

Jesus’ second coming will be swift and sudden. There’s no indication that people will have an opportunity for last-minute repentance. The choice they have made before that will determine their eternal destiny. It may be worth studying Genesis 6-8 to understand the immediacy of the flood narrative and draw the parallels to each other.

Jesus has given us specific details about his return, not as a way for us to predict and calculate when all this will happen, but to warn us to be constantly vigilant and spiritually prepared. We must diligently spread the Good News and live according to God’s Word. Jesus wants us to spend the wait taking care of his people and doing his work here on earth. This is the best way to prepare for Jesus’ return. Knowing that his return will be sudden and unexpected, we shouldn’t be irresponsible.

With all this coming after the 2024 US election, we often feel like the end of the world as we know it coming to an end. What we need to do is take care of each other. We need to love each other. We need to meet each other’s needs. We need to fight for each other. We need to care for each other. Jesus taught us to love God with all of who we are and to love each other as he loved us. To care for the marginalized, feed the hungry, and house the homeless. As we continue through the fear and anxiety of the next 2 months to 4 years, let us remember to do these things every day. We can do this together and make the world 1% better daily.

We’re on to our last major Bible study of the year. We’re heading back to the Old Testament in the book of Exodus. We’re going to do a 5-part series on the excuses Moses gave to God to rescue the Israelites. We’ll find excuses to change ourselves as we approach the new year. Join me for “Moses, the Impostor.” Until then, stay blessed!

• Associated Scripture:
  • Acts 1:7
• • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
• • Genesis 6:9-7:24
• • Luke 17:34-35
• • Matthew 25:13
• • Luke 12:40
• • 1 Thessalonians 5:6
• • Revelation 3:3
• • Revelation 16:15
• • Matthew 8:12
  • Matthew 25:30