Toronto UBF Bible Study : YOU ALSO MUST BE READY

Bible Study Materials

YOU ALSO MUST BE READY

by Joshua Lee 04/23/2023

Message

YOU ALSO MUST BE READY

Matthew 24:31-51

Key Verse: 44

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

We thank and praise God for our Lord Jesus’s prophecy that the Son of Man will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory, while the sun is darkened, the moon does not give light, the stars fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies are shaken. All the nations will mourn, but those who belong to him will participate in his glory. After giving this amazing prophecy, Jesus tells how the people of the world will live at the time of his coming and how his people are to be prepared and ready for his coming.

Jesus says in verse 32, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.” After such a great prophecy, Jesus utters the word “learn.” We all know the importance of learning. To learn means to not just listen but to get the message. What does Jesus want us to learn through the parable of the fig tree? In Luke’s gospel 31:29, it says, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.” It is a common and simple lesson using trees, which is characteristic of parables. The coming out of tender twigs and leaves notifies that summer is near. What does that mean? It’s time for harvest. Harvest in the gospel of Matthew speaks of judgment. In Matthew 13, at the time of harvest, the weeds are collected to be burned and the wheat is gathered to be stored in a barn. It speaks of the Lord’s coming to deal with the good and the bad. It is as obvious as the signs that summer coming. And then Jesus says, “Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.”

Then let’s think of why Jesus did not come for the last 2000 years. The reason God has waited for these two thousand years is, first of all, because he is allowing sin to run its reckless course and so to ripen to the point where it will be fully, finally, and forever harvested. Revelation 14:15, 16 says, “Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, ‘Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.” Another reason is found in Romans 11:25, in which Paul says, “I do want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.” We are to humble ourselves in the profound plan of God.

Consequently, Jesus says verses 34 and 35, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” In 2 Peter, scoffers will come and say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” Their claim is that since the beginning of creation, generations have come and gone and will continue. Yet, according to Jesus, there will be the last generation of this world that will see all these things. Jesus says in Revelation 22:13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” He began and he will end. Heaven and earth were created and will disappear. But Jesus himself and his words will be forever. The prophetic words of Jesus concerning his second coming and his subsequent judgment are certain and true.

Then Jesus says in verse 36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Until now, Jesus had spoken about the signs of the end of the age, so that the people, particularly the people of the very generation, might know it is near, right at the door when they see all these things. However, the exact day or hour no one knows, except the Father. We will think of this later.

In Mark and Luke, right away Jesus said, “Be on guard! Be alert” (Mk 13:33) and “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighted down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life” (Lk 31:34). Here in Matthew before saying “Therefore keep watch”, Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew noting about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” No one knows what will happen tomorrow. No one can be sure of how people will live in future generations. But Jesus says with certainty that the people at the coming of the Son of Man will live like the people in the days of Noah. Just before the flood came, they were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage. It is good to eat well and work hard. Eating to live is right but living to eat is wrong as if their god is their stomach. Marriage is holy to be ordained by God. It is beautiful and great for a man and a woman to love God and love each other, being united into one and to live for God’s mission for the glory of God. Marrying refers to the people who get married, giving in marriage refers to the families who give their young people to be married. However, in Noah’s time the view and meaning of marriage was distorted. This kind of life went on and on. People were so engrossed with such a life that they had no room for God and for God’s word. They had no spiritual life at all, only a physical life. It became their routine. Noah, as a preacher, delivered God’s message for 120 years, warning them of the impending judgment. It is really surprising that no one took the message seriously. They did so until Noah entered the ark, and the door of the ark was shut. It was too late. The flood came and took them all away. Millions of people were swept away, great and small, all sorts of people, even so called believers. So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. People do not learn from the fig tree or from history. Rather they’ll be fussing around with their computers and they’ll be analyzing the universe to try to explain scientifically why everything is going haywire: why there are earthquakes and why there are all kinds of movements in the heavens; why the tides are all messed up, why the moon goes out and why the sun is not working properly and why daylight has been shortened; why there is blood in the seas and there’s bitterness in the fresh water. They’re going to be trying to figure all this out sociologically, scientifically, rationally. But they’re not going to look to the truth of the Word of God.

Luke also wrote in Luke 17:26, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will be in the days of the Son of Man…Then the flood came and destroyed them all.” Yet in Matthew’s gospel Jesus expressed it this way, “they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” This is a strong expression, yet it is true. Those who had not come to the ark rejecting Noah’s message of judgment were all swept way. Jesus says continually, “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” What a dreadful day it will be!

Jesus continued, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left”, What a separation! Humanly close relationship cannot keep two together. Here it seems that “taken” is about taken in judgment, which is related to verse 39, “…the flood came and took them all away” and the other left into the kingdom. In our case, two working in a same office, classroom, or restaurant, one will be taken and the other left. Those who have life with God and those who do not will be separated. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said, “I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” Such separation can happen even between a husband and a wife. It will happen at any place on earth whether in the day time zone or night time zone. In Luke, Jesus said this after saying, “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” So this separation is between those who try to keep his life and those who lose his life.

Then Jesus says in verses 42-43. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.” “Keep watch” “stay awake”, or “be on the alert.” These descriptions are used to describe for those who guard at night. One clear characteristic of Christian life is to guard. Believers are, in a sense, guards. Jesus said in Revelation 16:15, “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” What a shame it will be to believe for a lifetime but not to be able to escape from the flood of destruction! Paul said in Romans 13:11-12, “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” “Armor” is a military term. Without armament anyone is vulnerable to be fatally wounded. And Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” Our faith should be alive and our love for God and our neighbours true and our hope firm and steadfast.

And Jesus says in verse 44, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” How important it is to be ready in life! It is really embarrassing and frightening to face a certain situation, especially a critical time, and not be ready. But when one is prepared and ready, he or she can overcome obstacles and accomplish certain things. As for students, through preparation for exams they learn a lot and finally pass each test sufficiently. To be prepared and be ready for each exam or each task is great. As for our Sunday messengers, they can grow more and more through their wholehearted message preparation to be ready for the worship service. It is by God’s grace that I serve Sunday worship service through my message. I confess that I can sustain my spirit and have strength to serve God’s ministry through this preparation and readiness. I pray that our growing leaders may take more and more this blessing. In this passage, Jesus says about the unknown day or hour of his coming four times: in verse 36, “No one knows about that day or hour” in verse 42, “because you do not know on what day your Lord will come”, in verse 44 here, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” and one more time in verse 50, “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.” I believe that it is God’s wisdom that we may be prepared and ready for each week and for each day. If you worship God wholeheartedly and write testimony sincerely, it will be good preparation for that week. One of the most important words of the Bible I should apply to myself is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” This is truly great promise of God. It is really a beautiful struggle to check whether I truly seek his kingdom or my kingdom at each time. It is a matter between God and me. If I have any worry or anxiety or fear, I cannot seek his kingdom first. God wants us to fully trust in him and seek his kingdom first and experience his provision et each time. God wants us to live by his blessing not by own effort in continuous fear and anxiety, and sometime in pride. If we listen to God’s word and pray to him and are ready for each day for his coming, how great that life would be! We can form an excellent daily life pattern or a lax and bad daily habit. One’s daily life carries him or her to the end. God wants us to know the secret of the blessed daily life which is ready for his coming each day, learning readiness in life more and more. Let’s prayerfully say, putting each one’s name before Jesus’ words, “You also must be ready.”

Then Jesus says in verses 45-47, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” It is truly a wonderful life to love Jesus and feed his sheep. How great it will be if we are found in that when Jesus comes again.

Then Jesus says in verses 48-49, “But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying a way a long time, and he gen begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.” We are to pay attention to who are wicked and what is wickedness. It is complacency in one’s own miscalculation or assumption that Jesus will not come soon, not this year, not this month or not today. That is wickedness before God. Complacency is the worst enemy in our preparation for the Lord’s coming. We are to be alert and more awakened when everything goes smoothly and well. I heard that one of biggest problems in Europe is how to deal with many church buildings which are empty. We know that such a thing happened not in a day. It is the result of several centuries of complacency of Christians. They were so blessed humanly in security and material abundance, but became spiritually bankrupt. We remember Jesus’ words in Luke 18:8, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” William Barclay records the interesting story of three apprentice demons who came before Satan. And he sent them to the earth to do their apprenticeship. And the first apprentice demon said, “I will tell people there is no God.” And Satan said, “It won’t work; they know better.” And the second apprentice demon said, “I will tell people there is no hell.” And Satan said, “It won’t work; they know better.” And the third demon said, “I will tell people there is no hurry.” And Satan said, “You will gain many souls.” May God have mercy on us to watch out for any complacency in life, particularly in our expectation of our Lord Jesus’ coming.

Jesus says continually, “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of it. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” In Luke 12:46, “…He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” We wonder how the gentle and gracious Jesus says this. But we believe that Jesus tells the truth, what will truly happen.

May we learn readiness in life, especially be ready for his coming. May we keep his words in our hearts, “So you also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

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