Text:

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.

37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 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. 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.

40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left

42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 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. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 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.

The Kingdom of God is at its best with its COMMUNITY IS FIGHTING FOR UNITY.

Overall Commentary: 🌎

Jesus is in the middle of His final public discourse. After this, He will "show" more than "tell" about what the King came to do and what the future holds. In the last section of Matthew 24, Jesus focused on what the near and far future will look like. Now, He pivots to talking about the King's ultimate victory.

The Church unifies around the Return of the King.

Commentary

This article lays out the three primary ways people approach this text:

A Basic Overview of “How It All Ends” 🔚 🔭🙌

Quick summary: While the three main views of the end times differ, they all end similarly: Christ Wins. In Christian theology, eschatology refers to the study of the “last things” or the end times, focusing on the return of Christ, the final judgment, and the ultimate destiny of humanity. There

Brandon CannonBrandon Cannon

⬆️⬆️⬆️ For all you Bible nerds, I included books you can read and charts. You're welcome. 😂

Verse 36-42: Surprise!

Isn't Jesus God? I thought God was "All-Knowing." This passage can be confusing because God is omniscient. Because of this, how can Jesus not know what's going on? The hypostatic union of Christ (fully God and fully man) was ratified at the Council of Chalcedon. It was here that the early church agreed that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. However, there were times when Jesus limited His "fully God" side to maintain His presence on Earth. An example of this is when He sometimes got hungry and slept. Exactly how this worked is a mystery, but it did. Some scholars believe this was true only while Jesus was on Earth. Now that He is in Heaven, He knows all things.

• Does this mean the Father is Greater than the Son?: No. This shows the full extent of fellowship in the Godhead. This is not a leading role but a partnership role. All three Persons of the Trinity are involved in the salvation and second coming.
• "Son of Man": This is a title Jesus used when speaking of Himself from the Book of Daniel. He is calling Himself the Messiah.
• Controversy Alert: Does this mean our days will be like Noah's? While it is true that the state of humankind will become more evil, we cannot infer this from this passage. We can infer it from other passages, such as 2 Timothy. This passage talks about how the people during Noah's day went along with life and made plans until the flood began. This will be the same when Christ returns.
• "One taken and one left..." Does this mean the rapture?: Not necessarily. Scholars have debated this topic for a long time. Jesus is making the point that it will be sudden, and the second coming will happen while people are going on with their lives. This doesn't directly prove or disprove the theory of the rapture.

Verse 42-44: Guard Against Complacency.

• Why is Jesus described as a burglar?: The point is not to say that Jesus is doing anything unethical. The fact is that we should always be watching and being vigilant. You wouldn't go to bed if you knew someone was trying to break into your home. You would be ready for them. This is what Jesus is saying. Be ready, and don't take it for granted.
• Why does it say we will "least expect it?": Jesus appears to be saying there will be a sense of not looking for Christ's coming when He comes. Some think this could mean that Christ will come during a time following a great difficulty. People have either given up or will think He is no longer needed. This is not the case. We can see this in our current culture. Many do not talk about the second coming of Christ anymore because they are so busy enjoying their life now or trying to get ahead. This text does not indicate that we shouldn't live our lives, but it does remind us that this life is not all there is.

Verse 45-51: Not If, but When.

• A Faithful Servant: The goal of each Christian is to be faithful to what God has given us to do. Our job is not to reach the world. Our job is to be faithful, ready, and reach OUR part of the world for Jesus.
• An Evil Servant: The most significant error of the evil servant was in no longer trusting the master to do what He said. When the master delayed, they took advantage of their opportunity for their gain. This could easily be us. We must guard against this and stay faithful.
• "weeping and gnashing of teeth": In the New Testament, it symbolizes great anguish.

Top Takeaway- The King Will Return.

There are so many ways to view the end times. One of the most fascinating parts of Eschatology (the End Times Doctrine) is that it is still evolving. People are still looking at it and trying to determine its meaning. However, the most significant point is that all viewpoints agree that Christ will return. We must rally and unite around this truth. Let's celebrate that He WILL come no matter how or when you think He will come. Then, we can stay faithful together.

Message Notes

Further Resources for Deeper Study

• Blue Letter Bible: Cross-Reference/Word Studies/Translations
• How to Cross-reference passages. Let the Bible interpret the Bible.
• BibleHub.com: So. Many. Tools.
• Bible Study Notes
• Matthew Henry Commentary
• Principles of Ministry

End Times Research:

Below are some great websites to do your own "End Times" Research:

• GotQuestions.org:This site provides many articles on end-times topics from a generally evangelical perspective. It covers various eschatological views, including pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, amillennialism, and more.GotQuestions.org
• Bible.org:Bible.org offers in-depth articles, theological papers, and Bible study resources on eschatology. The site leans toward a dispensationalist perspective but includes content from various viewpoints.Bible.org
• Blue Letter Bible:This site provides commentaries, articles, and tools for studying end-times prophecy. It includes resources from different theological perspectives and is known for its verse-by-verse study tools.Blue Letter Bible
• Ligonier Ministries:Founded by R.C. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries offers resources from a Reformed perspective. It includes articles, sermons, and teaching series on end-times doctrines, particularly from an amillennialist viewpoint.Ligonier Ministries
• The Gospel Coalition:This site offers articles, videos, and podcasts on various theological topics, including eschatology. It presents content from a broadly evangelical and Reformed perspective.The Gospel Coalition
• End Times Prophecy Report:This site focuses specifically on end-times prophecy and current events in light of biblical prophecy. It includes various articles and analyses from a premillennial, pre-tribulation perspective.End Times Prophecy Report
• CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry):CARM provides a range of articles on end-times topics, including different eschatological views. It is known for its apologetics focus and represents a Reformed perspective.CARM.org