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 PASSAGE
Matthew 24:1-14
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 us, only to face new deadlines and 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 new 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 Christ 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 as His children. 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.
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?”
KEY WORDS: The Mount of Olives (v. 3)—A mountain ridge along the eastern side of Jerusalem running north and south. It stood about 200 feet above the temple mount across the Kidron Valley.
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.’ ” An troubled 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 could not imagine such a devastating catastrophe. That’s why they equated it with “the end of the age.”
Question 2:
What were your feelings when an important place to you was destroyed?
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. To their way of thinking, if the temple were ever 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, roughly a mile long. 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.
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 Emperor Titus 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 does not 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 did not answer the “when” part of their question. 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 does not merely repeat itself. The end will not 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).
Question 3:
What questions do you have about Jesus’ return?
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.
KEY WORD: Messiah (v. 5)—Transliteration of the Hebrew word for “Anointed One.” The Greek translation is Christos from which is derived “Christ.” Jesus is the true Messiah who liberates from sin and death.
Jesus’s 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 did not necessarily mean that 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 that has swayed seemingly normal people to follow them. Those who have fallen prey to the arguments of false teachers will tell you it is easier to be deceived than one might imagine. The way to stay alert in the face of spiritual deception is to become so familiar with God’s Word that we will quickly recognize false teaching when we hear it. We should determine in advance to avoid the prevalent spiritual charlatans by regularly reading and studying Scripture.
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.” To be alarmed means literally to “cry aloud, scream, and be terrified by an outcry.” 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 in to frightful circumstances.
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.
Wars, famines, and earthquakes are small ripples in the pool of history. They do not signal the end of the age, but they are only “the beginning of labor pains.” The analogy to labor pains helps us understand that part of Christ’s teaching is related to the end times instead of exclusively referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. Since the temple was destroyed near the beginning of the early church, birth pangs would not have been a helpful analogy of things to come. 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 4:
How would you compare current world conditions with other frightening periods of history?
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 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).
As a result of the stress of persecution, these pseudo-Christians will turn on one another, creating ruptured relationships as they “betray one another, and hate one another.” The spiritual vitality of so many will be drained away, and “the love of many will grow cold.” This brings to mind the image of someone blowing on something to cool it off. Unfortunately, the chilling winds of persecution and the increase in lawlessness will cause many who claim Christ to have a spiritual cool down.
But Jesus added, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” To whom exactly was He referring? Does it mean that one must endure to the end to achieve salvation, or that he will endure to the end because he has salvation? The latter meaning is the only one consistent with God’s Word. True believers are “guarded by God’s power” (1 Pet. 1:5), and Christ will continue the “good work” He started in us; in fact, He “will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). He is both “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). We endure because we know the One who holds us and strengthens us. Endurance simply gives evidence that our salvation is authentic.
Christ culminates this section with a pointed challenge, a motivating promise. Verse 14 is about world missions. While Matthew 28:18-20 is Jesus’ commandment to go, evangelize, and disciple, Matthew 24:14 is Jesus’ promise that one generation will succeed in finishing the great task that others have begun. That task is proclaiming the “good news of the kingdom … in all the world.” 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, find salvation in Him, and worship Him.
The gospel message will be “a testimony to all nations,” or more specifically, to all ethnic groupings with cultural and language distinctions. These distinctions make it hard for the gospel to flow naturally from one group to the other. That is why 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 known and praised among the nations. It is a certain promise that God will bring to pass. We must not let persecution keep us from sharing the gospel with the whole world.
Question 5:
Why do you think every generation typically thinks that the return of Christ will happen in their lifetime?
ENGAGE
Identify the scenarios of opposition or persecution that you dread the most.
☐ Verbal confrontation
☐ Isolation from friends/family
☐ Loss of promotion/advancement
☐ Criticism through social media
☐ Public embarrassment
List some practical steps you can take to prepare for that type of persecution.
LIVE IT OUT
Realize. Take some time this week to record your views about the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world. Pay careful attention to the verses studied today that assure us of God’s plan and His care for us.
Memorize. Memorize Matthew 24:8 “All these events are the beginning of labor pains.” Let this verse give you a biblical perspective when you hear of tragic events throughout the world.
Exercise. Review a list of family members, friends, and acquaintances who are not believers. Take practical steps to share the good news with at least one of the people on your list within the next month. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 96). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
When have you been surprised by how difficult something turned out to be?
THE POINT
Expect difficulty when you choose to follow Christ.
THE PASSAGE
Matthew 24:1-14
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 us, only to face new deadlines and 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 new 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 Christ 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 as His children. 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.
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?”
KEY WORDS: The Mount of Olives (v. 3)—A mountain ridge along the eastern side of Jerusalem running north and south. It stood about 200 feet above the temple mount across the Kidron Valley.
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.’ ” An troubled 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 could not imagine such a devastating catastrophe. That’s why they equated it with “the end of the age.”
Question 2:
What were your feelings when an important place to you was destroyed?
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. To their way of thinking, if the temple were ever 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, roughly a mile long. 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.
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 Emperor Titus 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 does not 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 did not answer the “when” part of their question. 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 does not merely repeat itself. The end will not 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).
Question 3:
What questions do you have about Jesus’ return?
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.
KEY WORD: Messiah (v. 5)—Transliteration of the Hebrew word for “Anointed One.” The Greek translation is Christos from which is derived “Christ.” Jesus is the true Messiah who liberates from sin and death.
Jesus’s 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 did not necessarily mean that 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 that has swayed seemingly normal people to follow them. Those who have fallen prey to the arguments of false teachers will tell you it is easier to be deceived than one might imagine. The way to stay alert in the face of spiritual deception is to become so familiar with God’s Word that we will quickly recognize false teaching when we hear it. We should determine in advance to avoid the prevalent spiritual charlatans by regularly reading and studying Scripture.
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.” To be alarmed means literally to “cry aloud, scream, and be terrified by an outcry.” 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 in to frightful circumstances.
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.
Wars, famines, and earthquakes are small ripples in the pool of history. They do not signal the end of the age, but they are only “the beginning of labor pains.” The analogy to labor pains helps us understand that part of Christ’s teaching is related to the end times instead of exclusively referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. Since the temple was destroyed near the beginning of the early church, birth pangs would not have been a helpful analogy of things to come. 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 4:
How would you compare current world conditions with other frightening periods of history?
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 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).
As a result of the stress of persecution, these pseudo-Christians will turn on one another, creating ruptured relationships as they “betray one another, and hate one another.” The spiritual vitality of so many will be drained away, and “the love of many will grow cold.” This brings to mind the image of someone blowing on something to cool it off. Unfortunately, the chilling winds of persecution and the increase in lawlessness will cause many who claim Christ to have a spiritual cool down.
But Jesus added, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” To whom exactly was He referring? Does it mean that one must endure to the end to achieve salvation, or that he will endure to the end because he has salvation? The latter meaning is the only one consistent with God’s Word. True believers are “guarded by God’s power” (1 Pet. 1:5), and Christ will continue the “good work” He started in us; in fact, He “will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). He is both “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). We endure because we know the One who holds us and strengthens us. Endurance simply gives evidence that our salvation is authentic.
Christ culminates this section with a pointed challenge, a motivating promise. Verse 14 is about world missions. While Matthew 28:18-20 is Jesus’ commandment to go, evangelize, and disciple, Matthew 24:14 is Jesus’ promise that one generation will succeed in finishing the great task that others have begun. That task is proclaiming the “good news of the kingdom … in all the world.” 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, find salvation in Him, and worship Him.
The gospel message will be “a testimony to all nations,” or more specifically, to all ethnic groupings with cultural and language distinctions. These distinctions make it hard for the gospel to flow naturally from one group to the other. That is why 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 known and praised among the nations. It is a certain promise that God will bring to pass. We must not let persecution keep us from sharing the gospel with the whole world.
Question 5:
Why do you think every generation typically thinks that the return of Christ will happen in their lifetime?
ENGAGE
Identify the scenarios of opposition or persecution that you dread the most.
☐ Verbal confrontation
☐ Isolation from friends/family
☐ Loss of promotion/advancement
☐ Criticism through social media
☐ Public embarrassment
List some practical steps you can take to prepare for that type of persecution.
LIVE IT OUT
Realize. Take some time this week to record your views about the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world. Pay careful attention to the verses studied today that assure us of God’s plan and His care for us.
Memorize. Memorize Matthew 24:8 “All these events are the beginning of labor pains.” Let this verse give you a biblical perspective when you hear of tragic events throughout the world.
Exercise. Review a list of family members, friends, and acquaintances who are not believers. Take practical steps to share the good news with at least one of the people on your list within the next month. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 96). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]