Jesus Prophesies His Return
Matthew 24
SONGS & SURPRISES
Troublesome times are here, filling men's hearts with fear – Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake
Humbling your hearts to God saves from the chastening rod – Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake
Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon – Many will, many will meet their doom
Trumpets will sound trumpets will sound – All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies
Going where going where no one dies, heavenward bound
Surprises – some are wonderful – some are not.
The phone rings – someone in your family was missing but they’ve been found. And they are OK.
The phone rings – someone calls to tell you your father-in-law has died , only 57 years old, and you have to tell his
daughter your wife.
In the business world, bosses don’t like surprises. But if there is a surprise, bring a solution with you. And for sure, don’t
hide anything. Get it out there as soon as it’s known.
Everyone wonders about the end of the world – don’t we – even those who say they don’t believe in God wonders, what if
it’s true . . . . there is a God and there is and end.
Jesus makes a statement about buildings being demolished and the disciples were triggered – how’s this all going to end?
What is this all about? Jesus tells them what the events will be leading up to the establishment of His kingdom.
Why did he tell the disciples this information? Not to foretell like a soothsayer, but to forewarn and prepare these
followers of His (OR US), – SO THAT they (OR WE) wouldn’t lose their (OR OUR) heads and hearts in an evil time
and a strange time. Not to satisfy their (OR OUR) curiosity but to fortify them (AND US) against coming trials.
WHEN? No one knows exactly, but there will be “signs of the times!”
Let’s set the stage with a couple of questions:
1) How much time have you spent thinking about the end of the world as we know it and Jesus returning to earth for
His followers?
This question challenged me. Very little. I should not obsess over it, but I should think about it and say a prayer every
day.
2) How much preaching and teaching have you heard about the end of the world as we know it and Jesus returning
to earth for His followers?
As a teenager I sat through an entire sermon series on the book of Revelations. It was very confusing. What I remember
is the preacher thought the “rider of the white horse” wasn’t Jesus, while popular opinion was that it was Jesus. Nobody
got upset because everyone knew that no one totally understood the book.
1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he
responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, (Truly I say to you) they will be completely demolished.
Not one stone will be left on top of another!” 3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him
privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”
3) What year was the temple destroyed and why?
70AD due to Jewish insurrection. Herod started the temple complex in 20BC, and it wasn’t totally finished until 64AD.
The temple was constructed of white limestone blocks 37.5’L x 12’H x 18’ W. Some of the remaining foundation blocks
weigh 400 tons.
Image coming to Jerusalem and seeing this massive white building – and for Jesus to say it would be torn down.
The disciples ask so when are you coming back – maybe thinking – whenever the temple is destroyed, logical thought.
Note: By their question, they had finally began to somewhat understand that Jesus was leaving them, but returning.
Now we begin to wrestle with, when is Jesus coming back? The answer is, we don’t know the exact day and time, but we
are told a lot of things will happen and we will see a culmination of events.
CAUTION: People have studied and made guesses for centuries. I’m going to get this WARNING out now. People get
obsessed with this and instead of “making disciples of all nations and baptizing them” (Jesus’ last instruction) they
theorize, they study, they buy book after book (The Late Great Planet Earth), there are magazines (Prophecy in the News)
that try to tie out current events, there are conferences about it, on and on.
My take is – people are out there without Jesus at all, let’s spend most of our time on that. Take a period of time and
study, do a deep dive, about the second coming of Jesus, then get to making disciples. >> Back to it.
IMPORTANT: Two ways to read this – you can do the deep dive as we discussed, and maybe you’ll want to at
some point. Or, you can read this as ending of story of God, it seems to be a bumpy ending, but if you are a
believer, it’s a victorious ending. It’s a great, wonderful ending. (You can read Revelation that way, too.) It’s a
victory story – God redeems the world he created and rescues his followers.
SLIDE Signs
Years of time have come and gone – Since I first heard it told, – How Je-sus would come again someday.
If back then it seemed so real, – Then I just can’t help but feel – How much closer his coming is today.
Signs of the times are everywhere. – There’s a brand-new feeling in the air.
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky, – Lift up your heads, redemption draweth nigh!
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They
will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but
the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10
And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will
deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who
endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole
world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
4) V4-14 What things are listed that will happen between Jesus’ prophecy and the end of the age?
False messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes – but there will be more, this is the beginning. Also
persecution of Jesus followers. AND, the whole world will hear Jesus’ good news.
15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes
desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A
person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return
even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that
your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world
began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person
will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
Something will be put in the temple in Jerusalem to desecrate it. Terrible things happen, BUT God stops the destruction
before it goes to far.
23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and
false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25
See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’
don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east
and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a
carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
QUESTION: What is the warning here? More lies, more false messiahs. And the statement that Jesus will come
suddenly and WE WILL KNOW IT’S HIM!
29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall
from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming
will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see
the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels
with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest
ends of the earth and heaven.
5) V29-31 What is going to happen?
The heavens, the sky, will do strange things – primarily darkness – lots of falling stars – THEN JESUS RETURNS!
AND GATHERS HIS CHOSEN ONES (living and buried)!!
Daniel 7:13-14 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He
approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the
nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will
never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is
near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I
tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will
disappear, but my words will never disappear. 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.
Generation – not referring to the disciple’s generation – many things had to still happen – (differing opinions)
QUESTION: What can we know about Jesus’ return? The “season” > there are lots of markers we just worked thru.
Wow, we will know the season if it happens in our lifetime, and we remember these signs, and we are looking out
for it.
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.
QUESTION: What are we to do? Keep watch!
What does that look like day to day for us? As we are following Jesus and making disciples and baptizing disciples – we
keep in our mind and in our prayers the thought, the mindfulness, that we are WAITING AND WATCHING
EXPECTANTLY! Maybe you pick a time every day and look at the sky and say, “Lord Jesus come!”
SLIDE Wait and Watch Expectantly
My generation grew up with a lot of sermons and a lot of songs about Jesus’ return. One more >
Some day my Lord will come, he’ll come for me – He’ll call me His very own and I’ll be going home to stay – with him
There will I be set free from harm, rom sin and grief – Free from war, free from pain, free from all the things that bind me.
Some day my Lord will meet me, reach out His hand to greet me,
I’ll walk with Him every step of the way – when he comes to take me home, on that day!