Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind
If you want to know about the future, people will line up at your door.
Economists like to give financial forecasts.
Political analysts will predict who might win the next election.
Sports reporters will predict which team will win the championship.
But who can tell us what things will be like at the end of the world? No one is qualified to tell us about this all-important subject—except the perfect, sinless Son of God. And that’s exactly what Jesus did in a section of His teaching called the Mount Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25.
Jesus didn’t tell us everything about the end times that may satisfy our curiosity, but He told us what we need to know—and what He taught impacts the way we live today. So, ask the Lord to prepare your heart to hear clearly from His Word as we examine His teaching in this study.
Cliff Lea
Cliff has been the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Leesburg, Fla., since 2007. He and his wife Suzy are the grateful parents of five sons and three daughters-in-law.
How “Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind” supports the Discipleship Plan (see page 129):
Engage with Scripture. Speculation abounds about the end of the world, but it is only as we study God’s Word that we gain proper insight about the end times and the return of Christ.
Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind
Session 1Stand Strong to the End Matthew 24:1-14
Session 2Know What’s Coming Matthew 24:15-22
Session 3Watch for Christ’s Return Matthew 24:23-31
Session 4Trust God’s Timing Matthew 24:32-41
Session 5Keep Serving Faithfully Matthew 24:42-51
Session 6Stay Prepared and Ready Matthew 25:1-13
1
Stand Strong to the End
Question 1:
When have you been surprised by how difficult something turned out to be?
THE POINT
Expect difficulty when you choose to follow Christ.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Many of us looked forward to leaving high school behind with all its challenges, only to experience a whole new set of challenges. When we graduate, we leave the seemingly endless projects, exams, and schedules behind, only to face new stresses in the workplace.
When I was a college student, I lived next door to someone who began attending my church. When he became a Christian, I tried to encourage him in his faith, but after a couple of months, I noticed he became distant from everyone at the church. When we talked, he admitted he had become disillusioned because he still struggled with temptation. He assumed Jesus would shield him from the struggles of life. When I reminded him that trials are part of the Christian life, he seemed intent on staying discouraged.
Unfortunately, difficulties don’t leave us when we choose to follow Christ. Jesus never glossed over the challenges we face. When He spoke of His return, Jesus also spoke of the hardships we face—difficulties that would even increase! Thankfully, however, we do not face them alone.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 24:1-3
1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” 3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The temple in Jerusalem was quite impressive. It was considered an architectural marvel in the Middle East. Even though the disciples had just been in the temple, they were wowed by the structure and called it to Jesus’ attention. Mark recorded in his Gospel that “one of his disciples said to him, ‘Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!’ ” (Mark 13:1).
Jesus responded with words surely no one was expecting: “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down” (v. 2). An eerie quiet likely fell on the group. This could not have been an easy thing for the disciples to hear. Because the temple was the center of political and religious life for Israel, the disciples couldn’t imagine such a devastating catastrophe. That’s why they equated it with “the end of the age.”
In the disciples’ minds, they were essentially asking one question, assuming the temple’s destruction and the coming of Christ would trigger a single event: the end of the age. If the temple were destroyed it surely must signal that the world was ending abruptly. This created a great teaching moment for Jesus. By that time they had arrived at “the Mount of Olives,” a ridge east of Jerusalem. The mount rises about 200 feet above the city. As they looked down on Jerusalem and the temple, it provided the perfect setting for such a fascinating topic of teaching.
Question 2:
What do you wonder about when it comes to the end times?
As we move forward in Matthew 24, we may wonder: Is Christ describing a fulfilled event in history or a future event to come? The answer is both. Most interpreters contend that Jesus was partially describing the historical account of the Roman destruction of the temple. Jesus’ words came to pass with precision about forty years later. The Romans raided Jerusalem in AD 70 and set fire to the temple. Jesus said, “Not one stone will be left here on another”; some historians speculate that the stones in the temple may even have been pried apart to collect the gold leaf that melted as the temple burned.
While Christ offered comfort to His disciples for the difficult time ahead, He also looked far beyond the temple to the end of the age. One challenging feature to Jesus’ teaching in the coming verses is that He doesn’t sharply distinguish between when He was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and when He was referring to the end times. With that in mind, notice that Jesus didn’t answer the “when” part. If we were to know the exact timing, it would cut off any sense of urgency and need to depend on Christ in our lives. He wants our focus to be on Him.
Jesus’ knowledge of these events reminds us that God has prior knowledge of all things. History doesn’t merely repeat itself. The end won’t be a series of haphazard collisions and accidents. God has a plan that He governs with a definite course and direction. We can live at peace as the world approaches its end because our loving Father has a perfect knowledge of “the end of the age,” and Jesus has promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Matthew 24:4-8
4 Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.”
Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question is the longest answer given to any question asked in the New Testament. The first part of Jesus’ response (vv. 4-8) contains warnings of several characteristics of the period before Christ will return. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that the destruction of Jerusalem didn’t necessarily mean the end of the world had arrived. The signs mentioned in these verses are general in tone, marking a gradual progression toward the end.
Deceivers. Jesus warned of false messiahs. “Watch out that no one deceives you.” This conveys the idea of having certainty in detecting the counterfeit messiahs. Most of us are surprised when we hear of a smooth-talking cult leader who sways seemingly normal people to follow him.
An increase of international conflict and war. “Wars and rumors of wars” will keep on coming, no matter the season of the earth’s history—and they will continue as long as sin rules this world. The times facing believers will be unsettling, challenging days. How should we respond? “See that you are not alarmed.” Jesus told us to prepare in advance to say “no” to our tendency to fear. We are to trust God for our future instead of caving to fear.
An increase in natural disasters. Natural disasters like “famines and earthquakes in various places” and a variety of other destructive signs will become even more pervasive than they previously were. Although people in the Old Testament viewed famine as a sign of God’s judgment (Deut. 28:23-24), these events will not be evidence that God has abandoned us. Instead, they are proof that God’s plan is unfolding according to His will.
Just like labor pains in the process of birth, these events will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus returns in power and glory.
Question 3:
How should we evaluate world events in light of these verses?
Matthew 24:9-14
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Jesus painted a bleak picture of what believers would experience as the last days approach. For one thing, hatred will only grow toward those who follow Christ. Hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus warned His disciples: “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). The world may hate us, but when our affections are set on Christ, we are not as concerned with the world’s opinion of us.
Persecution will make a person either stronger or weaker. We can endure because of Christ with us and the sure hope we have of a future with Him, but not all will endure. Those who truly know Christ will persevere to the end, but “many will fall away.” Unfortunately, many even today
Question 4:
When have you seen someone overcome fear so that others could come to know Jesus?
may claim to be Christian, but their hearts have never been transformed by the salvation, forgiveness, and grace of Christ. “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us” (1 John 2:19).
Jesus culminates this section with a pointed challenge, a motivating promise. The gospel is about God’s rule and reign. The aim is to proclaim this gospel so that all the nations might know King Jesus and worship Him. The gospel message will be “a testimony to all nations,” or more specifically, to all ethnic groupings. We must be intentional in taking God’s good news to the ends of the earth. No person, group, or force can stop God’s stated purpose to be praised among the nations. We must not let persecution keep us from sharing the gospel with the whole world.
Question 5:
What are some ways this passage encourages our sharing of the gospel?
Engage
FEAR OR FAITH?
Look at the list of warnings Jesus gave in Matthew 24:4-14. Circle the three that you would be most frightened to experience.
False MessiahsWarsNations in conflictFaminesEarthquakes
Being handed over to be persecutedBeing killedBeing hated by all nations
Friends falling awayChristians betraying and hating one another
Lawlessness multiplyingLove growing cold
Write out an honest prayer to God about your fears. Ask Him to increase your faith in Jesus to help you endure well to the end.
My Prayer:
“I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:20
LIVE IT OUT
We should expect difficulty when we choose to follow Christ. Choose one of the following applications:
Consider. Remind yourself each morning of God’s prior knowledge of that day. We read in Psalm 139:16 that God knows all our days before even one of them comes to pass. This truth can see us through many tough times, including the turbulent end times.
Practice. Persevere in your prayer life. Paul tells us to devote ourselves to prayer (Col. 4:2). The Lord tells us not to allow difficulties to alarm us. Sometimes we live a fear-focused life. Prayer is a marvelous focus-shifter. Continue to call out to God even when the pressures of life begin to mount.
Speak out. Embrace your role in world evangelization. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel will get to the nations before He returns. Whether you serve as one who sends, prays, or goes—or a mixture of all of them—God has a role for you in reaching the nations.
Life is full of transitions, and they each come with their struggles. The Bible tells us of another big one to come—and thankfully Jesus has not left us unprepared! [LifeWay Adults (2020). (p. 78). Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
If you want to know about the future, people will line up at your door.
Economists like to give financial forecasts.
Political analysts will predict who might win the next election.
Sports reporters will predict which team will win the championship.
But who can tell us what things will be like at the end of the world? No one is qualified to tell us about this all-important subject—except the perfect, sinless Son of God. And that’s exactly what Jesus did in a section of His teaching called the Mount Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25.
Jesus didn’t tell us everything about the end times that may satisfy our curiosity, but He told us what we need to know—and what He taught impacts the way we live today. So, ask the Lord to prepare your heart to hear clearly from His Word as we examine His teaching in this study.
Cliff Lea
Cliff has been the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Leesburg, Fla., since 2007. He and his wife Suzy are the grateful parents of five sons and three daughters-in-law.
How “Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind” supports the Discipleship Plan (see page 129):
Engage with Scripture. Speculation abounds about the end of the world, but it is only as we study God’s Word that we gain proper insight about the end times and the return of Christ.
Christ’s Return: Living with the End in Mind
Session 1Stand Strong to the End Matthew 24:1-14
Session 2Know What’s Coming Matthew 24:15-22
Session 3Watch for Christ’s Return Matthew 24:23-31
Session 4Trust God’s Timing Matthew 24:32-41
Session 5Keep Serving Faithfully Matthew 24:42-51
Session 6Stay Prepared and Ready Matthew 25:1-13
1
Stand Strong to the End
Question 1:
When have you been surprised by how difficult something turned out to be?
THE POINT
Expect difficulty when you choose to follow Christ.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Many of us looked forward to leaving high school behind with all its challenges, only to experience a whole new set of challenges. When we graduate, we leave the seemingly endless projects, exams, and schedules behind, only to face new stresses in the workplace.
When I was a college student, I lived next door to someone who began attending my church. When he became a Christian, I tried to encourage him in his faith, but after a couple of months, I noticed he became distant from everyone at the church. When we talked, he admitted he had become disillusioned because he still struggled with temptation. He assumed Jesus would shield him from the struggles of life. When I reminded him that trials are part of the Christian life, he seemed intent on staying discouraged.
Unfortunately, difficulties don’t leave us when we choose to follow Christ. Jesus never glossed over the challenges we face. When He spoke of His return, Jesus also spoke of the hardships we face—difficulties that would even increase! Thankfully, however, we do not face them alone.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 24:1-3
1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” 3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The temple in Jerusalem was quite impressive. It was considered an architectural marvel in the Middle East. Even though the disciples had just been in the temple, they were wowed by the structure and called it to Jesus’ attention. Mark recorded in his Gospel that “one of his disciples said to him, ‘Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!’ ” (Mark 13:1).
Jesus responded with words surely no one was expecting: “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down” (v. 2). An eerie quiet likely fell on the group. This could not have been an easy thing for the disciples to hear. Because the temple was the center of political and religious life for Israel, the disciples couldn’t imagine such a devastating catastrophe. That’s why they equated it with “the end of the age.”
In the disciples’ minds, they were essentially asking one question, assuming the temple’s destruction and the coming of Christ would trigger a single event: the end of the age. If the temple were destroyed it surely must signal that the world was ending abruptly. This created a great teaching moment for Jesus. By that time they had arrived at “the Mount of Olives,” a ridge east of Jerusalem. The mount rises about 200 feet above the city. As they looked down on Jerusalem and the temple, it provided the perfect setting for such a fascinating topic of teaching.
Question 2:
What do you wonder about when it comes to the end times?
As we move forward in Matthew 24, we may wonder: Is Christ describing a fulfilled event in history or a future event to come? The answer is both. Most interpreters contend that Jesus was partially describing the historical account of the Roman destruction of the temple. Jesus’ words came to pass with precision about forty years later. The Romans raided Jerusalem in AD 70 and set fire to the temple. Jesus said, “Not one stone will be left here on another”; some historians speculate that the stones in the temple may even have been pried apart to collect the gold leaf that melted as the temple burned.
While Christ offered comfort to His disciples for the difficult time ahead, He also looked far beyond the temple to the end of the age. One challenging feature to Jesus’ teaching in the coming verses is that He doesn’t sharply distinguish between when He was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and when He was referring to the end times. With that in mind, notice that Jesus didn’t answer the “when” part. If we were to know the exact timing, it would cut off any sense of urgency and need to depend on Christ in our lives. He wants our focus to be on Him.
Jesus’ knowledge of these events reminds us that God has prior knowledge of all things. History doesn’t merely repeat itself. The end won’t be a series of haphazard collisions and accidents. God has a plan that He governs with a definite course and direction. We can live at peace as the world approaches its end because our loving Father has a perfect knowledge of “the end of the age,” and Jesus has promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Matthew 24:4-8
4 Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.”
Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question is the longest answer given to any question asked in the New Testament. The first part of Jesus’ response (vv. 4-8) contains warnings of several characteristics of the period before Christ will return. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that the destruction of Jerusalem didn’t necessarily mean the end of the world had arrived. The signs mentioned in these verses are general in tone, marking a gradual progression toward the end.
Deceivers. Jesus warned of false messiahs. “Watch out that no one deceives you.” This conveys the idea of having certainty in detecting the counterfeit messiahs. Most of us are surprised when we hear of a smooth-talking cult leader who sways seemingly normal people to follow him.
An increase of international conflict and war. “Wars and rumors of wars” will keep on coming, no matter the season of the earth’s history—and they will continue as long as sin rules this world. The times facing believers will be unsettling, challenging days. How should we respond? “See that you are not alarmed.” Jesus told us to prepare in advance to say “no” to our tendency to fear. We are to trust God for our future instead of caving to fear.
An increase in natural disasters. Natural disasters like “famines and earthquakes in various places” and a variety of other destructive signs will become even more pervasive than they previously were. Although people in the Old Testament viewed famine as a sign of God’s judgment (Deut. 28:23-24), these events will not be evidence that God has abandoned us. Instead, they are proof that God’s plan is unfolding according to His will.
Just like labor pains in the process of birth, these events will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus returns in power and glory.
Question 3:
How should we evaluate world events in light of these verses?
Matthew 24:9-14
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Jesus painted a bleak picture of what believers would experience as the last days approach. For one thing, hatred will only grow toward those who follow Christ. Hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus warned His disciples: “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). The world may hate us, but when our affections are set on Christ, we are not as concerned with the world’s opinion of us.
Persecution will make a person either stronger or weaker. We can endure because of Christ with us and the sure hope we have of a future with Him, but not all will endure. Those who truly know Christ will persevere to the end, but “many will fall away.” Unfortunately, many even today
Question 4:
When have you seen someone overcome fear so that others could come to know Jesus?
may claim to be Christian, but their hearts have never been transformed by the salvation, forgiveness, and grace of Christ. “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us” (1 John 2:19).
Jesus culminates this section with a pointed challenge, a motivating promise. The gospel is about God’s rule and reign. The aim is to proclaim this gospel so that all the nations might know King Jesus and worship Him. The gospel message will be “a testimony to all nations,” or more specifically, to all ethnic groupings. We must be intentional in taking God’s good news to the ends of the earth. No person, group, or force can stop God’s stated purpose to be praised among the nations. We must not let persecution keep us from sharing the gospel with the whole world.
Question 5:
What are some ways this passage encourages our sharing of the gospel?
Engage
FEAR OR FAITH?
Look at the list of warnings Jesus gave in Matthew 24:4-14. Circle the three that you would be most frightened to experience.
False MessiahsWarsNations in conflictFaminesEarthquakes
Being handed over to be persecutedBeing killedBeing hated by all nations
Friends falling awayChristians betraying and hating one another
Lawlessness multiplyingLove growing cold
Write out an honest prayer to God about your fears. Ask Him to increase your faith in Jesus to help you endure well to the end.
My Prayer:
“I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:20
LIVE IT OUT
We should expect difficulty when we choose to follow Christ. Choose one of the following applications:
Consider. Remind yourself each morning of God’s prior knowledge of that day. We read in Psalm 139:16 that God knows all our days before even one of them comes to pass. This truth can see us through many tough times, including the turbulent end times.
Practice. Persevere in your prayer life. Paul tells us to devote ourselves to prayer (Col. 4:2). The Lord tells us not to allow difficulties to alarm us. Sometimes we live a fear-focused life. Prayer is a marvelous focus-shifter. Continue to call out to God even when the pressures of life begin to mount.
Speak out. Embrace your role in world evangelization. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel will get to the nations before He returns. Whether you serve as one who sends, prays, or goes—or a mixture of all of them—God has a role for you in reaching the nations.
Life is full of transitions, and they each come with their struggles. The Bible tells us of another big one to come—and thankfully Jesus has not left us unprepared! [LifeWay Adults (2020). (p. 78). Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]