Future Hope

Future Hope
Matthew 24: 36 – 44.


I. Introduction.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent—the beginning of the Christian calendar. I don’t know how long we have observed Advent as a church, but I do know that I didn’t grow up with Advent. In my home church, we called this season of the year Christmas…or the Lottie Moon Offering for Foreign Missions.

This might be a new experience for you if you didn’t grow up observing Advent. You may wonder if Advent is Baptist. It’s not Baptist. It’s Christian. Christian churches of many different denominations observe Advent.

Basically, the season of Advent is based on the word “advent.” Just as the word “advent” means “coming,” we observe the season of Advent as a way to anticipate the coming of Jesus at Christmas. We are not going to rush into Christmas. We are going to spend four weeks anticipating the fact that Christmas is coming.

It is good for us to anticipate the coming of Christmas, because Christmas is not just a break from work and school. Christmas is the holiday we observe to celebrate the first coming of Jesus.

The first coming of Jesus was very simple in all its outward appearances. He was born in the small, insignificant town of Bethlehem. He was born to simple parents—an unmarried carpenter named Joseph and an unmarried virgin named Mary. Jesus spent his first night on earth in a stable, sleeping in a feeding trough, because there was no other place for him. Yet, this simple birth was part of God’s plan. In this simple birth, God signaled to all the world that at last there was true Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

Christmas is not the end of the story of Jesus. In the birth of Jesus, God announced Hope, Peace, Joy and Love for the world. In the life of Jesus, God accomplished this new kind of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

The life of Jesus began at a stable in Bethlehem. It led him to a cross in Jerusalem, where Jesus voluntarily gave his life in order that we might have salvation and forgiveness of sins. Jesus’ story continued three days after his crucifixion. Jesus rose from the grave in order to prove that he is in fact the Unique Son of God and to offer us the Hope of eternal life. Yet, the empty tomb was not the end of Jesus’ story. Jesus ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.

The story of Jesus does not end with him in Heaven… Today, we are waiting for the Second Advent—the Second Coming—of Jesus on earth.

As we begin the season of Advent, we have two reasons to anticipate. We anticipate Christmas Day as the day God first announced true Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We anticipate the Second Coming of Jesus as the day when God will bring all his plans to completion.

Matthew 24 is one of the places in Scripture where Jesus spoke to his disciples about his Second Coming…


Read Matthew 24: 36 – 44.

36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39 and they knew nothing 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.
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43 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.
44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.(NIV)

To put this Scripture in context, we need to remember that Jesus is nearing the end of his earthly ministry. He is in Jerusalem with his disciples, and he knows the cross is near. Yet, this does not cause Jesus to be cautious in his teachings. In fact, it is just the opposite. Jesus has just finished teaching in the Jerusalem Temple. In this teaching, Jesus condemned the religious traditions of the Jews. He told them that they were majoring on minor things. They are focused on upholding the Old Testament Law instead of doing the things that are pleasing to God. Jesus even criticized the Jewish religious leaders. He said their leaders are merely hypocrites who do things for show. He said they were nothing more than painted tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled with death and decay on the inside. Then he ended his Temple speech by calling the Pharisees a “brood of vipers.”

When Jesus and his disciples left the Temple, Jesus invited them to look at the beautiful buildings of the Temple complex. “Get a good look, because these beautiful buildings will not last forever. The Temple will be completely destroyed one day. There won’t even be a single stone on top of another stone.”

This led the disciples to ask Jesus two questions. Matthew 24: 3, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

I think it is important to interpret this as TWO questions instead of ONE question, because this will affect the way we interpret the rest of Jesus’ teaching.

For example, if the disciples asked only ONE question, then Jesus only answered ONE question. If this is the case, then we should associate the Second Coming of Jesus with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. There is a problem with this…The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. If the Second Coming of Jesus and the destruction of the Temple are the same event, then we have missed it. It happened over 1900 years ago!

However, if the disciples asked TWO questions, then Jesus answered TWO questions. On one hand, he answered a question about when the Temple would be destroyed. On the other hand, Jesus answered a second question about the signs of his Second Coming.

For this reason, I interpret Matthew 24: 4 – 35 as a description of the events leading up to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. Jesus warned them about false messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions and the “abomination that causes desolation (Matthew 24: 15).”

In that same context, Jesus tells the disciples to flee into the mountains. This is another reason why I interpret Jesus’ answers as answers to two questions. When the disciples see the signs of destruction coming, they are to escape into the mountains. It is possible to escape the destruction of the Temple. It is NOT possible to escape the Second Coming of Jesus. The Second Coming of Jesus is God’s final judgment. Some people might escape the destruction of the Romans. But, no one will escape God’s judgment.



II. No One Knows When Jesus Is Coming.

In verse 36, Jesus gives us two more clues that he is answering a second question. First, he tells us that no one knows about that day. That seems like a strange statement to make after giving a list of signs. Second, Jesus begins to describe “that day.” In the previous passage, he has described “those days” (plural). Now, he is describing “that day” (singular).

The destruction of the Temple was something which could be predicted. The Second Coming of Jesus can NOT be predicted. It is known only by the Father…And the father has not shared his plans with the angels in Heaven or even with Jesus himself.

It bothers us to think that Jesus does not know the time of his Second Coming. After all, Jesus is divine. Does this statement cause us to question the divinity of Jesus? Of course not. Rather it demonstrates the nature of the Incarnation. When God sent his Son to earth, Jesus took on every aspect of humanity.


III. The Second Coming Is a Day of Judgment.

Jesus tells us that his Second Coming is a Day of Judgment by comparing it to the flood in the days of Noah.

In Noah’s day, people were eating and drinking, dating and getting married. They were living in rebellion against God and gave no thought to God or to God’s plans for their lives. Then the floods came and took them away.

Immediately after comparing the Second Coming of Jesus to the flood, Jesus made a strange reference to what will happen to people at the Second Coming. Matthew 24: 40 – 41, “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.”

Some people read this as a reference to a Secret Rapture—that all Christians who are living in the end times will be raptured out of this world and will escape any kind of suffering associated with a Great Tribulation. However, Jesus does not tell us which person will be taken and which person will be left behind.

Notice what Jesus says in Matthew 24: 38 – 39, “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing 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.”

When the floods came, the wicked were TAKEN in judgment, and Noah’s family was left behind. Perhaps Jesus has the same thing in mind here. In the final Day of Judgment, there will be one ultimate Coming of Jesus. All the world will see as the Son of man comes on the clouds in power. The wicked will be taken into judgment. The faithful will be left behind to receive God’s blessings.

We should not get bogged down in who will be taken and who will be left. Jesus doesn’t make that clear. Instead, we should recognize that the Second Coming of Jesus will be a Day of Judgment for all who do not follow Jesus as Lord.

Just as in the days of Noah, in the days of the Second Coming of Jesus people will be minding their daily responsibilities. Some people will be working in the field. Some people will be working in their homes. Some people will be at play. The judgment of the Second Coming will be swift and unexpected.



IV. Be Ready.

In fact, Jesus continues to emphasize how unexpected his Second Coming will be by telling us the first of five parables. In this first parable, Jesus compares the Second Coming to the work of a thief.

Thieves do not announce when they plan to rob your house. In fact, thieves depend on the element of surprise. If you are not ready, the thief will catch you unawares and rob you of all your valuables. BUT…If you are expecting the thief to come, you will be there with shotgun in hand to protect your valuables.

Now Jesus is not a thief. He is not a lawbreaker. He does not plan to break into your home and take your possessions. But, Jesus is coming at a time we cannot predict. There are no signs to read and get ready. There is no time to relax and hope we can get ready once the final signs have been accomplished. Jesus is coming.

The truth is that everything that needs to happen has already happened. God sent his Son, Jesus. Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins. Jesus rose again on the third day. Jesus ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Everything is complete. Jesus could come at any time. All that is left is for us to Be Ready.




V. Conclusion.

In the next two parables (Matthew 25), Jesus continues to teach us about his Second Coming.

In one parable, he tells the tragic story of five foolish virgins who were not ready for the coming of their Lord. These five virgins were unprepared, because they thought they would have more time. No one should assume we have more time. We need to live as if Jesus might return today.

The next parable is about three slaves who receive money from their master before he goes out of the country. At first, they think he will only be gone for a short trip. But, his trip is much longer than they expected. Because of the delay in his return, one slave was not prepared. The other two slaves were prepared. They continued to work faithfully throughout their master’s delay.

So Jesus is telling us to be ready. Be ready for Jesus to return today. Be ready for Jesus to return next year. The time might be short. The time might be long. But, our job is the same. Be Ready.

When Jesus returns, he will take us to be with him in Heaven for all eternity. In some ways, we can think of this as God’s reward. Placing faith in Jesus as Lord assures us that we will be with him in Heaven. In other ways, this is what we were created for. We were created for a relationship with God that is experienced better in Heaven than on earth.

And when we get to Heaven, we will have a job to do. We are not going to sit around on clouds and play harps all eternity long. God is going to give us work to do.

This work will involve two things: Stewardship and Worship.

Stewardship means that we will have the responsibility of taking care of someone else’s possessions. Heaven is God’s creation as he originally intended it. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve to take care of the creation. That creation was marred when sin entered. But, in Heaven, there is no sin. It will be God’s creation at its finest, in all its perfection. And our job will be to take care of God’s creation.

Worship means that we will be constantly praising God. We will celebrate what God has done in creation…Celebrate what God has done in history…Celebrate what God has done to provide salvation through Jesus…Celebrate what God has done to save me…And celebrate what God has done to sustain my life.

If Stewardship and Worship will be our Heavenly jobs, what do you think our earthly jobs ought to be? The same!

The only way to be ready for the Second Coming of Jesus is to get busy doing the work we were created to do.

The creation does not belong to us…It belongs to God. Your physical resources do not belong to you…They belong to God. Manage God’s possessions in ways that are pleasing to God. That is different from taking care of yourself and your family.

Worship God. Don’t try to take credit for the good things in your life. Give all the thanks…Give all the praise…Give all the credit to God alone.

We hope for a future in Heaven. But Jesus tells us to get busy in Stewardship and Worship now as we prepare for his unexpected Second Coming.