November 20, 2019
Are You Ready?
Matthew 24:32–51
Samantha Victor
Central Truth
Jesus will come back; and even though we don't know when, we can be ready.
Key Verse | Matthew 24:44
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Matthew 24:32–51
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
32 From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
No One Knows That Day and Hour
36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, 1 24:36 Some manuscripts omit nor the Son but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be 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 when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, 2 24:45 Or bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50 whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants 3 24:49 Or bondservants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 24:32–51
Have you ever been in a season of waiting, unsure of when something would happen? I can relate. I went through a season of unemployment. I applied to jobs online every day and received many rejection letters. I found myself asking time and time again, "WHEN, LORD?" In seasons of waiting, we don't just sit around and wait passively for the day to come—we take action and become ready for the day when it will happen. The same is true about when Jesus will return—we don't know when it will happen, but we can take action and be ready for His return.
In this passage Jesus is continuing to answer the question from the beginning of the chapter (Matthew 24:3) concerning the signs of his return—His second coming, when He will return to the earth to rule the nations and establish His kingdom. He tells the disciples that only the Father knows when He will return and then follows with the example of Noah, who was unaware of when the floodwaters would come. (I wonder if Noah was in a season of waiting, asking, "WHEN, LORD?") In the same way, we are unaware of when Christ will return. But the Lord calls for us to be ready in the midst of waiting.
You may be asking, "How can I be ready?" Even though His coming is a future event, we have many present-day implications, such as living with an eternal perspective here on earth, loving God and others wholeheartedly, and helping others prepare for His return. We have an urgent mission as believers—to proclaim the gospel to those around us. We can see the fate of the wicked servant who was not ready and how he would suffer as a result. The urgency of proclaiming this truth to others is of the most importance because eternity is at stake.
Don't wait until it's too late. The Lord's return will be a happy time for those who are ready and an unhappy time for those who have rejected Him. Are you ready?
Discussion Questions
1. We are in a "season of waiting" for Christ's return, and we do not know when that will be. So what are you doing in the meantime? Are you passively waiting for His return, or are you taking action and making yourself ready?
2. In this passage we are given the example of two servants. Which servant do you relate to? The one who is faithful and ready for his master's return; or the one who is wicked and not ready, having taken matters into his own hands? If you relate to the wicked servant, what steps do you need to take to become ready for your Master's return?
3. If Jesus were to come back tomorrow, how would you live these next 24 hours? What would you do differently? What is keeping you from doing these things in your daily life now?
4. Whom in your life do you need to tell of the good news of Christ and pray that they would become ready for the day of Christ's return?
5. To learn more about the second coming of Christ, check out sections 11 and 12 of Watermark's statement of beliefs and Pastor Todd Wagner's message on the second coming.