Matthew 26:6-13

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6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor." 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her." ~ Matthew 26:6-13

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 26 where the Apostle Matthew does what he has done frequently throughout his account of the gospel; he brings together certain events which occurred at various times during the Lord Jesus last week on this earth and deliberately place them side by side to make clear the gospel message and its veracity. Emphasized in today's passage is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who six days before His crucifixion, poured costly perfume over His head. In so doing, Mary pictured the Paschal Lamb of the Old Testament which spoke annually to the people of their coming Messiah.

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table."

Simon the ex-leper was one of the people whom the Lord Jesus had healed earlier. While gathered at his house, according to the other gospel writers, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus poured a hand-carved Indian bottle full of spikenard upon the head of the Lord Jesus. She did this just six days before He would be sacrificed on the cross. According to the other gospel accounts, she anointed the head of the Lord Jesus first, and the perfume ran down along his body until it covered his feet. This was a picture of the Old Testament sacrificial lamb who was anointed just six days before it was sacrificed at Passover. Mary spared no expense, a reflection of her deep devotion to the Lord Jesus. She did this great act of worship out of her gratitude for the raising of her brother from the dead. 

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, 'Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.'"

Surprisingly, the disciples of the Lord Jesus did not recognize what was happening so they complained about Mary's actions. The perfume was worth about a year’s wages and the disciples reasoned it could be used to help the poor. They thought helping the poor was a more worthy cause than her worship of God. According to John's Gospel, it was Judas who raised this objection first, influencing the other disciples. Judas illustrates a very important principle here: "A man sees in his eyes that which is in his heart." There will always be people who place a monetary value on things. They know the price of everything but the value of nothing. They think money is the answer. It is not! Our worship of the Lord Jesus as God is the answer to all of our needs and desires. All of this underscores: what we love, we worship. 

True worship is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is expressed through the choices we make, allowing God to define us. When we encounter Him, He marks us, and He makes us more hungry for Him. Worship is a heart transformed by God expressing itself regardless of the cost. Our hearts grow in our worship of God at the expense of our pain. Simon had lost all of his feeling due to his leprosy. Mary and Martha had lost their brother to death. Lazarus had gotten sick and died. This is what it looks like to have a personal relationship with God! Our pain fuels our worship of our Him!

In v.10-12 of today's passage we read, "10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, 'Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.'"

In response to the complaint of the disciples, the Lord Jesus reminded them that in our most vulnerable of moments our hearts are potentially drawn closest to Him. Mary's worship, fueled by the resurrection of her brother enabled her to see the importance of this preparation for His burial. The recording of this act of worship was not shared by Matthew or Mark in its chronological order. Due to that, many miss the fact that it happened six days before the Lord Jesus was crucified. This anointing happened on the Saturday before the Friday when the Lord Jesus was crucified.  

There is a clear connection between our pain and our worship of the Lord Jesus. The pain Mary had experienced at the death of her brother was unbearable. In His book, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis penned one of his most famous lines ever. He wrote: "Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

Locating and listening to God through the pain in our heart is a major step to getting to the place of real worship. Instinctively, we avoid pain. In order for us to really know reality, we must entertain our pain and let it do its work deep within us. Our pain is designed is to prepare our hearts to experience God. So often we run from our pain, not realizing that it aids us in our pursuit of our Heavenly Father. It is through our brokenness that we see God’s true strength as He meets us right where we are in the moment. God uses our pain in order to clearly write the lessons of His grace on our hearts and set our affections upon Him. This is where our worship is truly formed.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

And here, more than 2,000 years removed in time, thousands of miles removed in geography, we are still reminded of Mary's act of worship. Here we are in another culture, another language honoring this woman who sacrificed so greatly. True worship always is produced by a heart that has been to some degree transformed. This transformation of heart always includes a measure of pain. Perhaps, the greater the pain, the greater our worship. We miss out on such depth because we elude pain so often. Simon, the Leper lost his physical feeling due to his leprosy. Mary and Martha hurt so badly due to the loss of their brother to death. Lazarus got sick and died. Mary reminds us that worship isn’t a place to forget our pain, it’s a place to bring it. But even more, worship tunes our hearts to God in such a way that it helps us to know Him more deeply.

Matthew 26:1-5

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1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people." ~ Matthew 26:1-5

Today, we transition into Matthew 26 where we will witness the climax of redemptive history, and the greatest event in the history of the world. It was "the Passover week" which is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. While often referred to as such, Passover isn’t a week or even a day, but a meal held on the 14th day of the month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar.     

The meal for Passover is "the Seder," which is a memorial to what God did for His people in their Exodus from Egypt. The Seder is to be eaten on the 14th day of the month of Nisan, after the sun sets. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins at sundown on the 14th of Nisan and lasts until the 21st, where leaven is removed from the meal and only unleavened bread is eaten, symbolizing the haste of the Jews departure from Egypt. The Passover points us to the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God who took away our sin. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 we read, "Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us." The bread of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread also points us to the sinless One who said, "I am the Bread of Life."

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 'You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.'"

The public teaching ministry of the Lord Jesus had come to its end. He has turned His attention fully to the cross. The fulfillment of all the Passover sacrifices that had ever been celebrated over all the years back to the Exodus was at hand. The Lord Jesus considered it joy to obey His Father so that you and I could know our sins forgiven. This was the fourth time the Lord Jesus told His disciples about His suffering and death that would happen in Jerusalem. This was the first time He gave to the disciples a specific time frame, "after two days."

Once again, the Lord Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man which is a messianic title from Daniel 7. As the Son of Man, His disciples knew that He was telling them that He would conquer all enemies. He referred to Himself as the Son of Man because He was about to enter God’s presence who would then give to Him all of the authority, glory and sovereign power to fully rule over even sin and death for all who would believe in Him. Everyone who has ever believed in Him as their Savior will worship Him out of a changed heart. 

Earlier the Lord Jesus had said, "Every one that exalts himself shall be humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted." Putting the cross before the throne was a conscious decision for the Lord Jesus. As a result of humbling Himself before His Father even before time began, the Lord Jesus reached the means to the ultimate will of the Father for Him. He now was face to face with the cross, the tool that was used for Him to be the satisfying sacrifice for every sin ever committed. All along, the Lord Jesus kept His eyes on the Eternal One and fulfilled the unthinkable for you and for me. This is why we so cherish that old cross where He openly demonstrated His love for us all.

In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, "3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, 'Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.'"

As the Lord Jesus spoke these words on that Wednesday night, the Sanhedrin had called a special meeting in the house of Caiaphas. They met in order to plot the death of the Lord Jesus. Their plan was to wait at least eight days but God’s plan would come to fruition in two days. The religious leaders were so enraged, they leaped at the opportunity to kill Him, but as the Scriptures reveal, this was the unfolding of God's plan to redeem hopeless man. It was the fulfillment of the divine design. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is the apex of redemptive history and the ratification of the New Covenant.

For the Lord Jesus the cross was no surprise but for the disciples it was shocking. It should have been in view for the disciples given the centuries of the Passover lambs that were slaughtered but they failed to see that far in advance. The cross of the Lord Jesus is explicitly prophesied in detail in the Old Testament, even down to the very things that happened to Him while He hung on the cross. Even the actions of those around Him even before He was nailed to the tree. Even the words He and others spoke while He hung there on the cross were predicted. His crucifixion was truly the unfolding of an amazing tapestry.

God is sovereign and everything happens within His divine framework. Everything in life is either caused or allowed by our Father who is in heaven. During His thirty-three years on this earth, everything the Lord Jesus did was what God wanted Him to do. The Apostle Paul tells us that "in the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to be the propitiation or the satisfying sacrifice for all of mankind." The death of His Son was planned by the Father before the foundation of the world. It was the divine plan of God that He would die for the sin of the world.

The Lord Jesus was handed over to the Jews to be crucified. The Passover takes us on a journey going all the way back to Egypt when the enslaved Jews experienced the forgiveness of God as the death angel passed over their homes with blood stains over their door frame. The Lord Jesus has always been the sacrifice through whom we have been made acceptable to God. Most biblical scholars believe the Lord Jesus was crucified at the very same place where Abraham intended to drive a knife through his son Isaac. And, as the door into heaven, all we have to do is to pass through Him. It was the will of God for the Lord Jesus to be crucified on that particular Friday, even though the Jews wanted to wait until the Passover had come and gone. Christ died to satisfy the justice of God on our behalf.

Matthew 25:41-46

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41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me." 44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?" 45 Then He will answer them, saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. ~ Matthew 25:41-46

Today, we complete our study of Matthew 25 which is a part of what is known as the Olivet Discourse. As the name suggests this teaching was given by the Lord Jesus while on the Mount of Olives. The previous chapter, Matthew 24, provides for us a framework regarding the end times. In that chapter the Lord Jesus laid out the events of the last days in considerable detail. The next thing to happen on God's end times calendar is what we refer to as the Rapture of the Church. A good interpretive principle to remember while studying the Bible is the separation between the nation of Israel and the Church. 

After the Rapture of the Church when God will take believers in the Lord Jesus out of this world to be with Him in heaven, the seven year Tribulation will begin. The purpose of the Tribulation will be to provide the nation of Israel one last time to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. After the Tribulation is over, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will happen. He will return to this earth to set up the 1000 year millennium. During that time God will fulfill all of the promises He has made to Israel down through the ages.

In v.41-43 of today's passage we read, "41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'"

In our previous study we began explaining the parable of the sheep and the goats. Whereas the sheep represent those who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, the goats represent those who have yet to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. In v.41 the Lord Jesus will speak to those on His left, the goats, the judgement they chose when they rejected the truth. Due to this, nobody should ever be sent to Hell, but they will be sent there. At the beginning of the Millennium, it will be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who will tell the goats to depart from Him. He will do this because they will yet be in their sin which curses one from God's presence. For those whose sins are not forgiven, unfortunately, they will spend their eternity in hell away from God. 

The primary difference between the sheep and the goats is that the sheep have come to the place where they admit their sinfulness and that they realize their need for the Lord Jesus to be their Savior. As a result of believing in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, God's Spirit will have come into their lives making their once dead spirit alive to God. As evidenced in these verses, the very presence of God's Spirit in a person yields a heart that causes them to show compassion to people who are in need.

In v.44 of today's passage we read, "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'"

In response to the judgement the Lord Jesus will render on those not "born again," the goats will question Him with amazing astonishment. Nothing reveals more sharply the radical difference between God's judgment and man's judgement than this story of the sheep and the goats. Even "good deeds" are shown to be what they are in the searching light of His truth. Good deeds that are not born out of a heart indwelt by the Lord Jesus Christ are not truly "good" deeds. They are carefully planned deeds born out of the hope that they will earn favor with God. Unless our sin is forgiven by God, we have no hope beyond this world and we could never do enough to merit His favor. This is why the Lord Jesus came to die on the cross so that our sin could be forgiven.

In v.45-46 of today's passage we read, "45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels who before time rebelled against God in heaven. These angels who were once holy in the presence of God, chose unholiness. Since there is no remedy for their fallenness, God prepared a place for them in the place of everlasting fire. When mankind chose to identify with the rebellion of the devil, he sealed his fate with the devil in hell for eternity. That is, until the Lord Jesus died on the cross. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross He broke the chains for man to enter into a personal relationship with God. But, man feels most safe in his sin with himself at the helm of his life. For those who chose the way of the devil and death God had no choice but to let them go their own way. So, by choice, man assigned himself to a place not even intended for him.

There is only one way to avoid the natural judgement of the truth. It is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Those who have not come to the end of themselves and have not received the Lord Jesus into their hearts, they will not be able to access the presence of God in the end. Due to the fact that they lack the very presence of God in their lives, they will not know eternal life. But, those made perfect in the eyes of God because the righteousness of Christ has been applied to their believing souls, they will not only spend their eternity separate from sin and death, they will know the kind of life that God intended for man from the very beginning. 

Matthew 25:31-40

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31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." ~ Matthew 25:31-40

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 25 which is part of the Olivet Discourse and it is the Lord Jesus' description of the end times and how it should increase our concern for the salvation of the unsaved. Today's passage has provided a great deal of difficulty and misunderstanding to many throughout the ages. This section of scripture focuses our attention on the judgment of the sheep and the goats.

At the end of time, there will be several judgments of God on sin. In 1 Peter 4:17 Peter wrote, "The time has come when judgment must begin at the house of God." It has always been that God begins His judgment with those who are in the family of God. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden sin has been judged. In fact, God's judgement of sin is going on right now in this world. His judgment of sin will culminate at the end of time as we know it when He will judge between the sheep and the goats. For the goats there is no forgiveness of sin because they have resisted their need for the Savior. For the sheep there is forgiveness of sin because God's judgment of sin took place at the cross of Christ. And, the sheep have trusted in Him for such.

In v.31-33 of today's passage we read, "31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."

At the Rapture of the Church which could happen at any moment, the Lord Jesus will return to gather believers to be with Himself in heaven. At that moment, the dead in Christ shall be raised from their graves including the early apostles right on down to our present day. The Rapture is clearly different than the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus because He will return to the earth and His feet will come down at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. At the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, we who will be caught up at the Rapture will return with Him and His angels at His Second Coming. At that moment the whole world shall suddenly see the Lord in the air. That will be different than the Rapture when only those raptured will see Him. When the Lord returns at His Second Coming, He will establish His one thousand year reign on the earth. We read about this in Revelation 11 with the sounding of the last of the seventh trumpets. According to Zechariah 12, the Lord Jesus will return in great victory and power at the Mount of Olives where every eye will see the One whom they pierced so many years before at the cross. 

Once the Lord Jesus establishes His kingdom, He will sit on His throne of glory. Zechariah tells us that all of the nations will be gathered before Him as He will sit on His throne and He will separate them one from another. Goats are animals that look very much like sheep but they are not. The Lord Jesus used the goat to illustrate those who lack a personal relationship with Him. They will appear to be "born of His Spirit" but they will not be. This will the difference between them and the sheep. 

In v.34-36 of today's passage we read, "34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"

All of those Old Testament passages that promise of a day when the earth will be filled with the righteousness of God from sea to sea will finally be realized. The lion will lie down with the lamb and the little child shall lead the wild animal. During that time nothing shall hurt anyone or destroy anything. There will no longer be war and the people on earth will live in peace. This will be the millennium.

Ultimately the sheep and the goats will be judged on the basis of whether they had a personal relationship with the Lord or not. The translation of one's relationship with the Lord is always seen in how we treat others. The sheep and the goats will be judged on how they treated the brethren or the people of Israel during the Tribulation. The book of the Revelation tells us that after the Church is raptured, God will then begin to work again in and through the nation of Israel. During the seven year Tribulation 144,000 saved Jews will preach the Gospel throughout the earth the gospel. This could not possibly be the Church because the Church will not be on the earth during the tribulation period. The sheep will be those who believe the message of the cross through the 144,000 messengers of Israel during the Tribulation.

In v.37-40 of today's passage we read, "37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" 

The sheep will not be aware of the fact that they were helping the Lord when they helped Israel. This is what happens once we have given our hearts to the Lord. Once we give to Him our hearts, He gives to us His heart. The "born-again" lose sight of themselves as time goes forward. The goats, on the other hand, will be those who will lack a personal relationship with the Lord and they will neglect helping the people of Israel during the Tribulation. In fact, they will treat them with disdain as anti-semitism will flourish as it has never flourished before. When we ignore the needy, we ignore the Lord.

The ultimate mark of the believer in Christ is not his creed, or his faith, or his Bible knowledge, but the concern which he shows to those who are in need. The evidence that we are believers in the Lord Jesus is seen best when we help someone in need. Striking is the fact that the Lord Jesus identified Himself with those in need. From before the foundation of the world He agreed to come to this earth and to redeem us. Once we entered into a personal relationship with the Lord, we took on His DNA which includes in it His heart for the broken. When we minister to the needy, we minister to Him. When we minister to the needy, we demonstrate He has given to us His heart.

Matthew 25:20-30

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20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them." 21 His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, "Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them." 23 His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." 24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours." 26 But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." ~ Matthew 25:20-30

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 25 where the Lord Jesus is teaching His disciples the parable of the talents. As we pointed out in our last study a talent is equal to about $300,000 in today's world. The Lord Jesus taught using parables in order to get us from the familiar to the unfamiliar. In this teaching the Lord Jesus accentuated how believers should be occupied in the work of the Lord on this earth until He returns. The most overlooked part of this parable is the fact that all of the servants of God were not created equal in regard to the talents we have been given. The unity we all share is that we are in the family of God. But, the diversity is seen in the call He has issued on all of our lives. In this parable the Lord Jesus explained the nature of His grace and the different responses people make to it. These responses are our focus for today.

In v.20-23 of today's passage we read, "20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"

When the master returned, he learned what each servant had done with the money he had given them. The master expected each servant to have invested His money in some way. One day, we will all give an account to what we have done with what has been given to us. God expects a return on what He has given us. Understanding that He has included us in on the building of His kingdom in this world at this time is key. The return that He is looking for is not temporal, but eternal. This parable is not about earning one's salvation but about how we faithfully do God's will for our lives while we are on this earth. The first step in being successful at the call of God in our lives is understanding that everything belongs to Him. He doesn’t expect us to do more than we can, but He expects us to be faithful with what He has given us. 

Faithfulness is the key principle here. Being faithful is more than just about responsibility, it’s more about relationship. It reveals how we see God. The first two servants clearly trusted their master. They lived as servants. They were servants because they knew the heart of their master. They loved him. Life for them was not about themselves or about what they could get from the Lord. Instead, life was about bringing joy to the heart of the one loved them. They wanted to give something back to him because in their eyes he was deserving. 

The phrase "enter into the joy of your Lord" is key to understand this parable. Once we have come to the place that we have determined the Lord to be our Lord, we have shown that we have gained a proper understanding of His true identity. Once this happens, we will desire to bring joy to His heart by operating in a way that is in keeping with who we should be. It is then that we will be motivated by His joy not an incorrect understanding of who He is. Loved people love people. In Nehemiah 8:10 we read, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Having accessed God's love, we love Him in return. We best love Him by loving others. The fact that we are in Christ we cannot improve our identity before Him. Out of this perfect status that we have in Christ, we respond to God's commands properly.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'"

As a result of not doing what he should have, the third servant accused the master of being hard and unfair. In doing so, he revealed why he didn't invest his master's money. Fear motivated him because he lacked a proper understanding of his master. He viewed his master as a hard man. It was out of his fear of his master that he hid the money in the ground. The servant knew deep down that he was given that money to trade with and that he could make his master a profit. The master wouldn’t have given it to him if he wasn’t able to do it. But, the servant failed at being faithful. He never really embraced being the servant of the master in the first place.

In v.26-30 of today's passage we read, "26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

The unfaithful servant in this parable didn’t so much waste the master’s money when he did not invest it, he wasted an opportunity. As a result, he was judged "wicked and lazy." Then the master pointed out the error in his logic. This man did not obey his master and as a result lost even the money that his master had given him. This servant was unfaithful because his heart had not been gripped by his master's grace. He saw his master incorrectly, as a hard man who was demanding and unfair. As a result, this servant had no love for his master. In fact, he feared him and was afraid to displease him.  

As believers in the Lord Jesus we are either motivated by fear or by faith. The one talent of the third servant was given to the servant with ten talents. The Lord enjoys blessing those who respond favorably to His love with faithfulness. But those who do nothing in service, showing a complete lack of faith in the master’s goodness, they will lose everything. This will be so because they never entered into a personal relationship with the God of grace. As a result, they will be cast out into the outer darkness instead of entering the joy of their master. The fate of the unfaithful servant was sealed when he invited an unbiblical understanding of his master to enter his heart.

A. W. Tozer once said, "Nothing twists and deforms our soul like a low concept of God." If we have a low concept of God, we're going be ill-equipped to be motivated to be servants who do His work in this world. If we have a high concept of God, we are going to live the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. All that we have is a gift from God. And, if we understand this, we will live our lives out of such grace. And, when we live out of God's grace, we are freed to be free. This is the point of this parable. Those like the third servant, not recognizing God's grace, they think God to be harsh, demanding, unjust and unfair. As a result, they will never be moved by God's grace and in the end they will be found to be His enemies. God's grace always melts the heart of the most hardened. Grace is our only hope for a meaningful future. And, when it grips us, we will be amazed by the gracious One who gives us all that we need and more.

Matthew 25:14-19

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14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ~ Matthew 25:14-19

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 25 where the Lord Jesus has been teaching His disciples about eschatology which is the study of the End Times. Whereas Matthew 24 is about the facts of the end and when in reference to that the will return, Matthew 25 is the application of the teaching. In order to help the disciples to understand the Lord Jesus yet again told them a parable. Parables are always designed to capture us in the familiar and then move us to the unfamiliar. The desire of the Lord Jesus is always to convey spiritual truth to us. He does this by using analogies, illustrations, parables and stories. All of them have one primary goal that we would go deeper in our relationship with Him.

The story in today's text was very familiar to the people who heard Him that day. Once again the disciples were not on the same page with the Lord Jesus. They expected that He was going to set up His kingdom immediately. Notice though, as is always the case with the Lord, He finds a way to correct their bad theology by telling them this story. And, with the correction, he gave them a challenge. The emphasis the Lord Jesus was delivering through this story was the issue of faithfulness or what are we doing with that which the Lord has given us regarding the furtherance of His kingdom in this world.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey."

In this parable a wealthy master traveled to another country and left his servants to manage his kingdom. While he was gone, he gave his servants a certain amount of money each and expected that they would do his business while he was gone. The Lord Jesus told this parable to explain that His kingdom would come, but that His servants were expected to be faithful to do the job assigned to them while He was gone. 

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money."  

Although the first servant received five times as much as the last, each received a significant sum of money. While commentators differ on the exact amount of each, most agree that it would take an ordinary laborer almost twenty years to earn just one talent. To put this into our economy today, using a minimal hourly wage, a talent would be the equivalent of about $300,000. 

Like the preceding two parables, the return of the master was a certainty, but the timing of his return was unknown. After a long absence, the master returned to discover what each servant had done with his property. The first two did business with their master’s money and doubled it. Although the first slave earned more than the second, each had done remarkably well with what he had been given. They had performed according to their potential, and they had been faithful to do what the master has required of them. 

The one servant who received one talent buried it in the ground so that he wouldn't have to face the possibility of failure. The practice of hiding valuables in the ground was quite common during biblical days. It was the safest and least profitable way of protecting possessions. This one talent man essentially put his money in a safe place so that nothing negative would happen to it. He didn’t believe that he could manage his one talent. His anxieties and fears defined him rather than the Lord. So, he ignored the truth that his master would expect him to do something profitable with his talent. Every decision we make is shaped by our willingness to take risks. Our courage to step beyond the familiar determines the trajectory of our lives. All too often, fear holds us back and we stay within the safe bounds of comfort, even when we know that real growth lies beyond it. Courage isn’t about the absence of risk or of fear, it’s about deciding that something matters more than anything else.

Our brains are wired for self-preservation over stepping out and risking the possible danger that awaits. But, this is truly where the adventure is to be discovered. Real living only happens when we decide to risk the control, certainty and comfort. Our unwillingness prevents us from knowing the life the Lord Jesus died to give us, a live full of adventure and intimacy with Him and with others. We take risks all of the time. The key is to get really good at identifying the risks that God is putting in front of us. The risks we take on God Himself are the ones that will turn our foundation to rock. Our spiritual life will live or die based on our ability to see and take risks on God.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them."

It is the duty of servants to always bear in mind that the master will return and He will settle His accounts with us. Make no mistake about it, the message of this parable extends far beyond financial investments. The emphasis here is on faithfulness with what the Lord has given us. At the end of this parable hangs the question: While the master was gone and was not standing over the shoulder of the servants to make sure they would be faithful, would they remain faithful? God has equipped us so that we would invest in His purposes in this world and one day He will make His evaluation of our performance. This has nothing to do with getting into heaven. It has everything to do with the role we will play in heaven for eternity. D.L. Moody once said, "The world has yet to see what God can do through a man fully devoted to Him."

Before the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his disciples three commands: Preach the gospel, make disciples,  and get power from the Holy Spirit so you can preach the gospel and make disciples. Like the disciples, all believers in Christ are tasked with sharing the gospel in our circles of influence. We are tasked with helping unbelievers come into a personal relationship with the Lord. We are also tasked by the Lord to help other believers grow in their walk Him, which is known as discipleship. We are tasked with doing this not in our own strength but with the power of the Holy Spirit helping us. 

Matthew 25:1-13

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1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." 9 But the wise answered, saying, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" 12 But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. ~ Matthew 25:1-13

Today, we transition into Matthew 25 where the Lord Jesus continues to answer the question found in Matthew 24:1 which came from His disciples regarding the End Times. Today's teaching is a part of what is known as the Olivet Discourse which is the teaching of the Lord Jesus about His Second Coming. The Olivet Discourse happened on the Mount of Olives and it is covered in Mathew 24 and 25. In today's portion the Lord Jesus used the very common Jewish wedding to teach His disciples about readiness at the time of His Second Coming.

In v.1-6 of today's passage we read, "1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'"

A Jewish wedding is very different than a wedding today. Today, people date, they get engaged, they plan the wedding ceremony, they get married, and they go off on a honeymoon. Not so for the first century Jews. Their marriages were planned by their parents. Their engagement was done when the children were just little children. The father of the bride and the father of the groom drew up a contract. The bride and groom would find out some time before their marriage who they were contracted to marry. They did it this way so that the bride and groom would learn that love is a commitment, not a feeling. Real love is a commitment that sometimes produces feelings.

After the announcement who the bride and groom were the betrothal period commenced lasting a year before the actual wedding itself. About a year before the wedding feast, the young man and the young woman who were to be married entered into a contract and said vows to each other during the betrothal just like married vows. They would have no physical contact for a year. They would say the vows to each other and once they said the vows and they entered that phase of betrothal, they could not separate unless they filed a legal divorce.

The wedding involved everybody in their community. The groom and his groomsman went over to the bride's house. The bride and her bridesmaids would join a parade from her house through the longest route possible of that town back to the groom's house. Once they arrived at the groom's house, that's when the week long feast would begin. The honeymoon took place after the week long  feast. 

During the parade from the house of the bride to the house of the groom, torches were lit because it was most often done at night. The lamps were most necessary because they would light up the night skies so they could go from one end of town to the other. While the foolish bridesmaids were not ready and prepared for the arrival of the groom, the wise were prepared and they took their oil and their lamps and lined the procession. Since the bridegroom was delayed, the people slept. Then at midnight, a cry was heard. "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" 

In v.7-10 of today's passage we read, "7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise,;Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut."

The disciples expected the Lord Jesus to set up His Kingdom, immediately. They didn't understand that the Rapture would happen, and then the seven year Tribulation and then He would set up His millennial kingdom. The unprepared bride's maids had no oil for their lamps and the stores were closed. So, when the bridegroom came, the foolish who were unprepared did not enter into the wedding feast.

When the foolish virgins realized they could not buy oil at such an hour, they asked those prepared for the moment for some of their oil. We can't borrow someone else's relationship with the Lord and expect to spend our eternity in heaven. No, God requires that we have our own relationship with Him. God requires that we come to the place of brokenness and we see our need for the Savior. And we turn to Him and we trust in the gospel of the Lord Jesus. We come to the place where we trust in Christ as our Savior.

In v.11-13 of today's passage we read, "11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" 12 But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

To be exposed to the truth of Scripture and to not respond positively to it from our hearts is to welcome a heart that is not responsive to God. It is possible to know the truth and to never enter into a personal relationship with the Lord. This was the problem with the foolish religious leaders of Israel. Many today turn to God when life has gone south for them. Once God delivers them from their problems they tend to forget Him. Many believe in the Bible but not in the God of the Bible. Our faith must go deeper than doctrine. Knowledge is worthless unless it leads to the surrender of self to the Almighty God who desires for the best there is.

It was the lack of oil which caused these foolish bride's maids to hear the Lord Jesus say, "I do not know you." If we have not been born of God's Spirit, we are not known by Him. Oil is frequently used as a symbol in the Bible of the Holy Spirit. Kings and priests were anointed with oil as a sign of their consecration. The supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit is to woo sinful man into a personal relationship with God the Father. Once we trust in the crucified Christ, it is at that moment that we are made alive to God. This happens once the Holy Spirit makes His home in our spirit. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our once dead spirit that makes us members of the family of God.

Matthew 24:45-51

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45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, "My master is delaying his coming," 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ~ Matthew 24:45-51

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 24 which is entirely about the End Times. When we began our relationship with God by believing that His Son is our Savior and invited Him into our lives, we entered the antithetical world of servanthood. Faithfulness is one of the most essential characteristics of a servant. In today's passage the posture of the servant is accentuated. Since, being a servant doesn't come natural to any of us, we must be trained by God through His abiding Word and His abiding Holy Spirit.

In v.45 of today's passage we read, "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?"

The Lord Jesus draws our attention to a household whose master is away and the household is waiting for him to return. The master has appointed certain servants and given them responsibility during the time of his absence. In like manner, the Lord made us, having believed on Him as our Savior, masters over the spiritual activities in this world. He expects us to feed others the truths of the Gospel.

In v.46-47 of today's passage we read, "46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods."

The only activity mentioned here is that of feeding the household. As servants of the God of the Bible, we have the responsibility and important task of feeding the household at the proper time. Feeding the people of this world is the first essential for the believer who is watching for his master's return. Watching means to feed and be fed by the Word of God. We must eat and be nourished before we can feed others the truth of God. This is basic and fundamental for the believer in Christ. If we do not eat, we do not survive, and we perish. 

In his first letter Peter exhorts us in 1 Peter 2:2 "crave the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby." It is through  the Word of God that we feed and are established in the faith. In Hebrews 4:12 we discover there is power in the Word of God, a power to change our hearts to the point of being burdened about the spiritual destiny of others. Before we can be used of the Lord to help others, we must first go through the surgical ministry of God's Word for ourselves.

In v.48-51 of today's passage we read, "48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

In this parable there are two kinds of servants: The faithful and the faithless. The faithful are those who are fed by the Lord. It is by His Word that we determine what the Lord is for us. This is what will determine our blessedness when the Lord Jesus returns to take us to be with Him for eternity. The servant of the Lord, after having been fed by the Lord, naturally shares the truth with others. When we are being nourished by the Lord, we will become masters of the secrets of life. Then, when the Lord returns to set up His millennial kingdom, He will grant us authority to rule with Him in the kingdom He will set up. 

The faithless servant is the one who fails to be fed by the Lord. As a result, he will not be engaged in a way to be able to feed the household of God. Since there is antagonism in the faithless servant, he will not act as a proper servant who longs to bring honor to his master. As a result, the faithless servant misappropriates his anger and he will beat those whom he should be blessing. Since he does not see himself blessed of the Lord, he will not be in the position to bless others. Blessed people bless others. Those who fail to be blessed, curse others. 

When we feed on the Word, our souls become more stable and alive. Whenever we take the Word of God seriously we will always experience the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. A life wherein we are in pursuit of Him. When we reject God's truth, we will began to drift from our moorings, and soon it will be quite apparent that we have lost our grasp on life. When we lose hope of the Lord's coming there will no longer incentive to feed others. This is why our pursuit of God through prayer and the reading of His Word is so important.

When we watch for His coming, we will feed on the Word of God. The fuel behind this feeding will alway be our personal relationship with Him. We will know Him experientially on a daily basis. We will be found interacting with Him continually. This is what qualifies us for teaching others. We never give the truth away to others until we have received it from the Lord for ourselves first. We live in a world where there is widespread delusion because few really pursue the Lord and thus feed on His Word regularly. They fail to see the power in the Word of God. God tells us to hide His Word in our hearts and to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within us. All of this is contingent on our craving the Word of God.

Matthew 24:36-44

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36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. ~ Matthew 24:36-44

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 which is a short study given by the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Olives to His disciples about the End Times. There are few topics that elicit as much interest, discussion and debate in Christians circles as the study of the End Times. Trying to understand all of the theology involved is quite a task. Today's passage is set during the time after the Rapture of the Church. The emphasis here is for those left on the earth after the Rapture has taken place. All prophetic passages like this have in common one thing and that is the command of the Lord to "watch." 

In v.36 of today's passage we read, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, He did not know when His second coming would take place. Now, that He has ascended to the Father in heaven, I believe, He knows the day and hour. For those who will find themselves in the Tribulation, once they have seen the abomination of desolation, as spelled out in the the books of Daniel and Revelation, they will be able to count three and a half years and know when the Second Coming will happen. They will be able to do this because in the middle of the 70th seven in Daniel 9:27 the abomination of desolation will occur in the newly built temple in Jerusalem. 

In v.37-39 of today's passage we read, "37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."

These verses draw a vivid parallel between the days leading up to the Flood and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. Just as in Noah's time, when life carried on as usual until the floodwaters began to rise, many will be surprised when the end comes. Life is often a series of routines and daily tasks that, while comfortable, can lull us into complacency. This passage challenges us to look beyond the immediacy of our daily routines, urging us to invest in the eternal by pointing sinful man to his need of the Gospel. 

In v.40-42 of today's passage we read, "40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

The word translated "taken" here in v.40-41 is a completely different word from the word "took" in v.39. The word in verse 39 includes the sense of being "taken away," while the word here in v.40-41 brings the idea of being "welcomed or received." The point is that believers in the Lord Jesus are not taken away into judgment. Believers will be taken away from judgment. We are taken away from the judgment of God which will be poured out on the earth during the Tribulation.

Obviously, the key word in this passage is "watch" used four times in its broader context. The Lord Jesus warns us to "remain alert." The very last generation will see all of these things come to fruition because they heeded the Lord's command to "remain alert." And, for us who will not be on the earth during the Tribulation, we must engage, now, in the "snatching of the unsaved from the fires of Hell" as we are encouraged by Jude the half-brother of the Lord Jesus. 

In v.43-44 of today's passage we read, "43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Every generation lives with the reality that the Rapture of the Church could happen at any moment. When it does happen, Christians all over the world will disappear. Then the seven year Tribulation will begin, ending with the Lord’s Second Coming and His judgement upon all the unbelievers who refused the free gift of salvation. After these things, the Lord Jesus will establish His earthly kingdom for a thousand years and He will reign through peace and righteousness. And, even after man has come to know this perfect environment, many, will yet at the end of it all, reject the Lord Jesus. Then, the very end will come and Satan and his followers will be cast into Hell for eternity. The very first sin ever committed, pride, that condition that inaugurated all sin, will finally be defeated.

Only those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus as their Savior will escape the wrath of God to come. Believers become recipients of God's grace only after we have admitted that we are ruined by sin and we turn to Him for help. There has never been a cry that He has ignored. Those who resist God's grace will be hardened in their hearts. The Lord Jesus will declare those broken by their sin as perfectly righteous, because they trusted in His righteousness. The effect of entering into a personal relationship with God through Christ will be seen in our heart for those who have yet to become the forgiven.

Matthew 24:32-35

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32 Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. ~ Matthew 24:32-35

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 where in context the disciples have asked the Lord Jesus how they would know that the end had come. Of course, the disciples had no idea that they would not be on the earth when the end arrived, but the Lord Jesus, nevertheless, answered their question. He answered their question for the benefit of those who will be on the earth during the Tribulation and when the end comes.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near."

Once again the Lord Jesus utilized a parable to help His disciples understand His teaching. A parable is an allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach a truth, often making use of concrete objects as the symbolic representation of an abstract meaning. Parables confirm whether we are true seekers of the truth or not. Through the parable of the fig tree the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples that before the fig tree produces its leaves it swells with sap in its trunk and its branches produce leaves. That is when we know that Summer is near. In like manner, those on the earth during the Tribulation will be able to know when the end will come by the unusual events that will take place at that time.

In v.33-34 of today's passage we read, "33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." 

"These things" here refer to those unusual events that will happen during the Tribulation. "This generation" refers to those who will be living on the earth at that time who will witness these events. When the sun will darken, when the moon loses its light, when the stars fall from the sky, the end will be eminent. These will be the signs of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to this earth when His feet will touch the Mount of Olives.

Now, the Rapture of the Church is different than the Second Coming of Christ. The Rapture is described in 1 Corinthians 15, John 14, and 1 Thessalonians 4, among other passages. And in each case it is the Church taken out of the world, and taken to heaven. The Lord Jesus doesn't come to earth. In addition, there is no mention of the judgment of God upon sinful man in the passages describing the Rapture. The Lord Jesus will come in the clouds and believers on the earth at that time will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord. This is why the Lord Jesus said what He did in Revelation 3:10 which reads, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." 

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

The purpose of God's Word has aways been to undergird the faith of His people. During that time at the end when it might appear that the Bible will be proven wrong and events appear to be going in a different direction, God will fulfill His Word. It has always been the case that when it seems that God's Word is not true and cannot be trusted, it ends up being true and trustworthy. God's words represent His definition of things, and, His Word will endure for eternity. Sadly, we live in a world full of people who are trying to change the definitions of everything. In this we see the continued rebellion of man against the definitions of God.

For many years Naval astronomers have observed the motion of the earth, in relation to the heavens, to accurately measure time. All clocks in the world have been set in relation to these very meticulous measurements. It was God who made the Master Clock of the Universe! He set the heavens in motion and mankind learned how to use its wonderful accuracy. As marvelous as this Great Clock is, the story does not end here.

In the early 2000's, scientists discovered that time can be measure by light. Now, time is measured by counting the number of times mercury ions vibrate in a second. Optical frequencies regularly oscillate at one million-billion times per second. By using lasers and mercury ions, scientists have harnessed the most precise measurement of time. Optical clocks only slip by one second every 30 billion years it is estimated! 

The God of all of creation has given us a book that we might know Him, to really know Him. His word, the Bible is the most substantive resource in this world. If we do not spend meaningful time in it, we lose. It is God's Word that keeps us from capsizing in a world of torrential waters. We must be diligent to not let anyone or anything turn us aside from spending time in the Word of God searching for God Himself. Investment in the Word of God for ourselves must be our top priority. Life is not about figuring out the mysteries of prophecy. No, this life is about figuring out the mystery of God.

By nature God demands that man be perfect, but no man is perfect. Enter the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In it, we learn that God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to be perfect on our behalf. Through Christ it is possible for sinful man to be forgiven by God. Through God's forgiveness He now grants the believer a personal relationship with Himself. This message hinges upon the veracity of God's Word. And, just as sure as Summer follows Spring, the Word of the Lord will come to pass. For us who are learning to be defined by the God of the Bible, we are being convinced that He is trustworthy. Trust is most important throughout the Bible, appearing 186 times. And, our trust in Him is the natural outflow of our faith in the God of the Bible.

Matthew 24:29-31

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29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ~ Matthew 24:29-31

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 where the Lord Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with His disciples. In that context He was teaching in response to their question about when He was to return to this earth. The reality that He was about to leave had started to set in for these twelve followers. It was Wednesday evening of the passion week before the Friday when the Lord Jesus was crucified. 

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

As the Seventieth Seven of Daniel 9:27 comes to its end, abnormalities in the sun, moon and stars will occur. They will come in a flurry just before Christ returns. This will happen after evil has finished its course on the earth. The coming of the Son of Man in a cloud with power and great glory will be very different than the first time He came in a manger in humility and lowliness. This will not be the case the second time He returns. Previous to His second appearing, volcanoes will erupt and tidal waves will arise. The havoc on the earth at that time will be the result of the heavens being shaken and the lights will be turned off. The Lord Jesus will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. 

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

The climax of all of human history will be the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, with great power and great glory. At the Second Coming, the angels will be engaged in the gathering of God's people to Himself.  The sign of the end will be return of the Son. This will be the fulfillment of Daniel 7:13-14 which reads, "13 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." 

In the Book of Daniel, the title "Son of Man" describes the coming Messiah who will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. The designation "Ancient of Days" provides a description of God the Father. The Lord Jesus will come as the conquering Messiah approved of by His Father who is in heaven. The Lord Jesus is referred to as the "Son of Man" 82 times in the New Testament. It was the primary title the Lord Jesus used when referring to Himself. The only use of "Son of Man" in a clear reference to the Lord Jesus, spoken by someone other than the Lord Jesus, came from the lips of Stephen as he was being martyred in the Book of Acts.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 we read, "5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you." 

The Lord Jesus Christ will come in flaming fire, accompanied by His mighty angels. He will return to deal out judgment on those who proudly resisted His grace. But He will also come to be glorified in His followers. And, according to 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." There are at least 300 plus Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the first coming of the Lord Jesus. 

In Revelation 6:12-14 we read, "12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." 

In the seven year Tribulation, judgments will come out of seven seals, seven seals that stretch across the seven years. When we get toward the end of the Tribulation and we come to the sixth and seventh seals, the judgments intensify. The sun will go out. The whole moon will become like blood which hardens into blackness. The stars of the sky will fall to the earth as a fig tree casts its ripened figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky will split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. The sky will roll up like a scroll. Every mountain and island will be moved out of their places. This describes the awful end.

The sad part of this is that there will be people who lived through the Tribulation, who heard the gospel preached all over the world. These will have seen one third of Israel repent, Gentiles from every tongue and tribe and people and nation will repent, and come to faith in the Lord Jesus. They had been warned again and again that the Lord Jesus was coming in judgment. And even when it comes down to the end, there will be those who will still blaspheme the God of heaven. If you think that somehow you can just kind of wait around until all that starts and come to Christ at the end, you may end up with them. Today is the day of salvation. Cry out to the Lord now if you haven't already.

Matthew 24:23-28

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23 Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There!" do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. ~ Matthew 24:23-28

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 which centers in on the End Times. This chapter is in response to the disciples question in Matthew 24:3, "What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" As we have mentioned before, Matthew 24 is divided into three parts. The first fourteen verses describe the first three and a half years of the Tribulation and v.15-31 describe the last three and a half years of the Tribulation. Matthew 24 corresponds with Revelation 6-19 which describes the Tribulation in detail. The purpose of the Tribulation will be to offer the nation of Israel a last opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah.  

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

These words of the Lord Jesus will be for those who will be living on earth during the Tribulation or as the Old Testament prophet Daniel describes it, the seventieth seven of Daniel 9. During that time there will be world-wide religious deceit. The false messiahs and prophets will serve the anti-christ who will openly rule and reign on this earth at that time. They will perform signs and wonders causing many to believe in the lie. Those not defined by God's Word will be deceived. With the emphasis on what will be seen, the Lord informs His hearers to evaluate out of the posture that is informed by the Word of God. We have not yet entered into this time of tribulation, but the birth pains have come. Wars, rumors of wars, disease, disasters, and famines abound. And, the persecution of God's people will be on the rise. Therefore, we must be about our Father's business, looking for those who have yet to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, praying for them at every opportunity and sharing the gospel with them every chance we get.

In v.25-27 of today's passage we read, "25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."

Even though many will come proclaiming to be the savior of the world, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will be obvious. At the end of the Tribulation He will appear in the sky. His appearance will be like the striking of the lightening, obvious and powerful. Previous to His appearing, volcanoes will erupt and tidal waves will arise. The havoc on the earth at that time will be the result of the heavens being shaken. The Lord Jesus will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. The main difference between the rapture of the church and His Second Coming will be obvious. At the Rapture, the Lord Jesus will appear in the sky but He will not descend to the earth. At the rapture of the church, we will be raised to meet the Lord in the air. At His Second Coming, He will physically come to earth, specifically at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. When His feet touch the Mount of Olives at that time there will be a tremendous earthquake in Jerusalem.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

A better translation of the word translated "eagles" here is "vultures." Just as it is easy to find the carcass of a dead animal due to the circling vultures, the Second Coming will be obvious to all on earth at that time. The climax of all of human history will come with the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, with great power and glory. 

According to Revelation 6 the people of the earth at that time will say to the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb." 

After the opening of the sixth seal, there will be a great earthquake, the sun will turn black, the moon will turn blood red, the stars will fall out of the sky, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, and every mountain and island will be removed from its place. At the moment He returns fear will grip all the unsaved upon the earth. 

The brain does something interesting when we experience fear. It tries to find the quickest way out of the discomfort. But, the problem is the unforgiven will not be able to escape their court date with the truth. The truth is we were all conceived sinful. And, as a result, for those who lack God's forgiveness for the penalty that was created by sin, they will be held accountable to pay that penalty. The payment will last for an eternity because it will never be enough to satisfy the truth.

Deceived totally by the devil, the unsaved will reach a point where they will not be able to believe. They will be defined by unbiblical fear to the point that they will be driven away from all that is true and loving. They will sadly feel at home with isolated darkness, but, darkness is not a place anyone would consider home. Isolated, and all alone, there will be no one present with the unsaved in eternity. This aloneness will not warrant relationship with anyone. They will experience an eternity of the closing in of the madness. Sadly, this will be where unbiblical fear will lead those with an unwilling heart.

All of this underscores the fact that salvation is a free gift for the taking. Of course, it came at a great cost for the Lord Jesus. He laid down His life for anyone willing and humble enough to receive His free gift. When man yielded to the sinful desires of Lucifer, it resulted in the disordering of our loves. When we trust the Lord Jesus, we are enabled to see love anew, and, our loves are rendered to what God intended them to be. For all of eternity, it will be His love for us that will capture our hearts in such a way that we will fully exist for His glory. No one will be able to hide from God. No one will escape the horror of the inequity of their sinfulness but it doesn't have to be that way. While there is yet time, let's pray for the unsaved and let's share the gospel with them as often as there is time.