Matthew 24

Matthew’s Good News

Matthew’s *Gospel

Hilda Bright

Chapter 24

Jesus tells what will happen to the *Temple 24:1-2

v1 Then Jesus left the *Temple. He was walking away when his *disciples came up to him. They wanted him to notice all the *Temple buildings. v2 But Jesus replied to them. ‘Yes, you see all these buildings. And I am telling you the truth. Not one stone here will remain in its place in the building. Soldiers will throw down every stone.’

Verses 1-2 The *disciples admired the *Temple. They thought that it was very beautiful. They were astonished at what Jesus said because the stones were enormous (Mark 13:1; Luke 21:5). Jesus could see that the *Temple was beautiful. But it had no value unless sincere people went there to *worship God. Jesus knew that the *Jews would oppose the *Romans later. And the *Romans would deal with the *Jews then. There would be war and the *Romans would destroy Jerusalem. They would destroy the *Temple itself completely. Jesus’ words came true in *AD 70.

Troubles will come in the future 24:3-8

v3 Later, Jesus was sitting on the hill called the Mount of Olives. His *disciples came to him in private. ‘Tell us’, they said, ‘when will all this happen? What will be the evidence that you will return? What will be the evidence that this age is ending?’

v4 Jesus answered them. ‘Be careful! Do not let anyone make you believe lies. v5 Many men will say that they have come on my behalf. “I am the *Messiah!” they will say. So, many people will think that is true. v6 You will hear about wars. And you will hear news about other wars. Make sure that you do not become worried. These things must happen. But they do not mean that the end has come. v7 Nations will fight each other. One king’s men will fight against another king’s men. People will be hungry and the earth will tremble in many places. v8 Pain comes before a child is born. And all these events are like those pains.’

Verses 3-4 The *disciples wanted to know when the *Temple would end in that way. They also asked Jesus about when he would return. Matthew used the *Greek word ‘parousia’ for when Jesus will return. It became a special word. It referred to the time when Jesus would return to earth. And that would happen when ‘this age is ending’.

Jesus answered both questions in the next verses (verses 5-44).

Verse 5 Jesus warned the *disciples that there would be many false *Messiahs in the future. They would tell people that God had sent them. Many people said that they were the *Messiah after Jesus died. And there are false *Messiahs even today.

Verses 6-8 Jesus spoke about wars and terrible natural events. Such events might make people think that the world’s end was near. But Jesus said that these troubles were only like the beginning of the new age. They are like the pains that happen before a baby’s birth.

Jesus warns that people will suffer 24:9-14

v9 ‘Then people will hand you over to the authorities’, Jesus continued. ‘They will punish you and they may kill you. People in every nation will hate you because you trust me. v10 At that time many people will turn away from believing me. They will hand each other over to their enemies and they will hate each other. v11 Many false teachers will tell you lies about the future. They will make many people think that they really have a message from God. v12 Because evil things will increase, many people will stop loving me. v13 But God will save anyone who believes him to the end. v14 *Disciples will teach people all over the world about where God rules. They will tell this good news to people in all the nations. Then the end will come.’

Jesus warns his *disciples about four things:

1. Verse 9 *Disciples must expect that people will hate them. The *disciples will suffer wherever they go to tell the good news. They will suffer because they belong to Christ. People will oppose them and they will attack them. People will really hurt them and they may even kill them.

2. Verse 10 There will be confusion in society. People will stop believing God. They will not be able to trust each other, so they will help each other’s enemies.

3. Verse 11 False teachers will say that they are giving God’s messages. But they will only teach their own ideas, because they want to make themselves important.

4. Verse 12 Many people will love God less and less. They will see all the evil things that are happening in the world. And they will allow those evil things to destroy the good in their lives. Then they will stop believing God.

Jesus made two important promises:

1. Verse 13 God will say, ‘Welcome!’ to people when they enter where he rules. But those people must believe him until the end of their lives (Revelation 2:10). ‘To the end’ may also mean until God has finished his work here on earth. Some people will still be alive when Jesus returns.

2. Verse 14 The good news about where God rules will spread through the whole world. *Disciples should share this good news in all nations and then the world’s end will come.

People will suffer in Jerusalem 24:15-22

v15 Jesus continued to speak to them. ‘Long ago God’s special servant Daniel spoke about “the thing that people hate which destroys everything. You will see it standing in the holy place”, he said. (The reader should understand what this means.) v16 You people live here in Judea. When you see this, you should escape to the mountains immediately. v17 If anyone is outside their house at that time, they should not take time to go back inside. They should not take anything from the house. v18 If anyone is in the field, they should not go home to get their coat. v19 In those days it will be terrible for women who are expecting babies! And it will be terrible for mothers who are feeding young babies! v20 Pray that you will not have to escape in winter. And pray that you will not have to escape on God’s rest day. v21 People will suffer terrible things in those days. It will be worse than anything that has ever happened before. And there will never be anything like it again. v22 If God does not make the time shorter, nobody will be alive afterwards. But God has decided to make the time shorter. That is because he pities the people that he has chosen.’

Verse 15 ‘The thing that people hate which destroys everything’ is a description from Daniel 9:27. Everywhere people recognised that the *Temple was the *Jews’ most *holy place. So rulers who defeated the *Jews put something there to represent their own gods in God’s holy place.

‘The reader should understand what this means.’ Matthew probably wanted his readers to think about the reference from Daniel. It described a dangerous situation. So, people should be prepared for a bad time like that. Foreign kings had tried to destroy the *Jewish religion. And by the time when Matthew wrote, the *Romans were already fighting a war with the *Jews.

Verses 16-18 When the first signs of trouble come, people must escape quickly. They must not spend time to try to collect any goods. They must escape as fast as possible. Jesus advised them to escape to the mountains. This was practical advice because the caves there could provide shelter for the people.

Eusebius, a writer, said that Christians left Jerusalem when the *Romans attacked it later. Christians crossed the River Jordan, and they found safety in a city called Pella. The *Jewish writer called Josephus describes other people’s actions. They thought that they would be safe. So they stayed in Jerusalem because the city had strong walls. The *Jews believed that the *Temple would protect them. But Titus, the *Roman leader, camped outside the city for five months. He waited for the people to starve and die.

Verse 19 When this happened, some women would be expecting babies. Other women would have very small children. Jesus warned that it would be terrible for them. Mothers would suffer when they could not feed their children. Josephus said that people in Jerusalem were very hungry during the *Roman attack. One mother even killed her baby and ate it.

Verse 20 In the winter, it was difficult to travel. The weather was bad and the paths were muddy. The river would have filled with water. People could escape only slowly. And *Jews believed that they should travel only a short distance on God’s rest day.

Verse 21 The *Jewish writer Josephus tells how terribly people suffered in Jerusalem. Thousands of *Jews died while the *Romans were fighting them. Their dead bodies were all still in Jerusalem when the *Romans entered the city. (This was 70 years after Christ was born. It happened in the year *AD 70). And they hated the sight of all the dead bodies. Thousands more *Jews became slaves when the *Romans took them as prisoners. The *Romans took many prisoners to other countries.

Verse 22 God controls the events in the world. He does not want people to suffer for a long time. He will not allow anyone to destroy the people that he has chosen. The *Jews were the people that he had chosen. So these words may refer to when the *Romans defeated the *Jews in Jerusalem. But Christians are the people whom God has chosen also. So the words may refer to other times when people suffer too. Many such bad times will happen before the world ends.

Jesus warns about false *Messiahs 24:23-28

v23 ‘At that time someone may speak to you’, Jesus said. ‘ “Look! Here is the Christ!” he might say. “There he is!” someone else might say. Do not believe them. v24 False Christs and false teachers who announce events will appear. They will do great signs and *miracles. They would persuade God’s people to believe wrong ideas, if they could. v25 Take notice! I have told you this before it happens.

v26 Someone may tell you, “He is far out in the desert.” But do not go out there. Or someone may say, “He is hiding inside the house.” But do not believe them. v27 When lightning flashes in the east, people in the west can see it. It will be very bright like that when the Son of Man comes. v28 The vultures (large birds) will always go to the place where there is a dead body.’

Verses 23-24 In verse 5 and verse 11, Jesus warned the *disciples about false *Messiahs and false teachers who announce future events. Many people with false messages came and said that God had sent them. That was before the *Romans defeated the *Jews in Jerusalem. Now Jesus is talking about events that are further still in the future. One day, Jesus, also called the Son of Man, will return to this earth. He will return to earth with power and authority. He will arrive like a king. But people will try to make Christians believe wrong things about him. Before Jesus returns, false teachers and false *Messiahs will even perform ‘signs and *miracles’. False *Messiahs can be people who oppose Jesus the Christ. Sometimes they say that they are Christians. But they teach false things. Christians must be very careful. They must not believe false teachers.

Verse 25 Jesus told his *disciples about this so that they will be prepared. They will be able to guard themselves against what is false.

Verse 26 They must not believe that Christ is out in the desert away from people. But some Christians went there to avoid the evil things in society. Christ is not hiding in the inner room in a house. There are no secrets about him that only special people can discover.

Verse 27 Jesus, the *Son of Man, will come suddenly and with a great light, exactly as a flash of lightning comes. People everywhere will be able to see him.

Verse 28 Vultures are big, black birds that eat dead things. They always gather round a dead animal. They give clear evidence that a dead animal is there. This verse probably means that there will be clear evidence when Jesus returns. Nobody will miss him. Everyone will see him.

The *Son of Man will return 24:29-31

These verses describe how history will end. And how the *Son of Man will come. The language is similar to words in the *Old Testament (Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 34:4; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:31; Zephaniah 1:14-15 and other verses). They describe how God controls everything in human history.

v29 ‘Immediately after those days finish, the days when people need to suffer,

“The sun will become dark

and the moon will not shine.

The stars will fall from the sky,

and the powers in the sky will shake.”

v30 At that time the *Son of Man’s sign will appear in the sky. The people who belong to all the nations on the earth will be sad and weep then. They will see the *Son of Man as he comes on wonderful bright clouds in the sky. He will come with great power and light. v31 He will cause a loud *trumpet to sound and he will send out his servants from heaven. They will gather together the people that he has chosen. They will bring them from one end of the earth to the other.’

Verse 29 The words in this verse come from Isaiah 13:10 and Isaiah 34:4. These signs refer to God’s judgement on *Babylon’s people at first, and on people from all the nations.

Verse 30 In Daniel 7:13-14, we read about when the *Son of Man will come. He will come with great power and wonderful bright light. Jesus used these words about himself when he was answering the high *priest (Matthew 26:64). Zechariah wrote about the *Jews. They would look at the man that they had killed. Then they would be sad (Zechariah 12:10).

Verse 31 *Trumpets are metal musical instruments that you blow into. People used them to call everyone together. They also warned people about danger. When God gave the *Law on *Mount Sinai, the people heard a loud *trumpet. And Jesus said that the loud *trumpet call would be part of this event too. The *Lord will come with a great pure light so that everyone gives him honour. The *Old Testament speaks about a time when God will bring the *Jews together. He will bring them from all the places where he has scattered them. In the same way, the *Son of Man will send his servants from heaven with his message. They will call Christians together from every part of the world. Then they will all be with him.

The lesson from a fruit tree 24:32-35

v32 ‘Learn a lesson from the *fig tree. When its branches become soft and green, the leaves appear. Then you know that summer is near. v33 In the same way, you will see all these things happening. Then you will know that the time is near. God is ready to begin. v34 I am telling you the truth. Some people who are living will not have died until all this has happened. v35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.’

Verse 32 Everybody who was listening to Jesus recognised this common fruit tree. They were always glad to see the new leaves because summer was surely coming.

Verses 32-34 These verses may be a warning about the time when the *Romans would defeat the *Jews in Jerusalem. This would happen in less than 40 years. But Jesus had described different things in verses 29-31. In them, he referred to the time just before he would return to earth at the world’s end. And he spoke about the signs that people will see when the world is ending.

Verse 34 Many of Jesus’ *disciples believed that Jesus would return to earth soon. They thought that they would still be alive then. Christians at Thessalonica did not continue with their normal work because they were waiting for him. Paul had to correct their ideas. They should work in the usual way while they waited, he told them (2 Thessalonians 3:6). Jesus had promised his *disciples that he would return to them (John 14:18). This promise came true when he lived again after he died. And it came true when the *Holy Spirit came at *Pentecost. But Jesus will return to earth with power and wonderful light at some time in the future. The people who are still alive then will see that event.

Verse 35 Everything will end. The sky and the earth will disappear because they are of no more use. But the authority of Jesus will never change. He is always the same (Hebrews 2:17).

Jesus will return, so be ready 24:36-44

v36 ‘Nobody knows when that day or that time will be. Not even God’s servants in heaven know and neither does the Son know. Only the Father knows. v37 You remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be like that when the *Son of Man comes. v38 In the days before the flood, people were eating and they were drinking. They were marrying. And they were giving their daughters to marry young men. They did all these things until the day that Noah entered the big boat. v39 They did not know what was happening. Then the flood came. And the flood swept them all away. And it will be like that when the *Son of Man comes. v40 Two men will be working in a field. Jesus will take one man, but he will leave the other man. v41 Two women will be making flour with a hand mill. And Jesus will take one woman, but he will leave the other woman.

v42 So always be ready. You do not know which day your *Lord will come. v43 You must understand this. Suppose a house owner knew what time in the night a thief was coming. Then he would be awake and ready. He would not let the thief break into his house. v44 So you also must be ready. The *Son of Man will come when you are not expecting him.’

Verse 36 Some people try to work out when the world will end. Sometimes, people say that they know the actual date. Jesus said that the Son would return to earth with power and in that wonderful bright light. But he said that only God the Father knew when that would happen. Jesus was God’s Son. But as a human person, he did not know the date.

Verses 37-39 Jesus gave the example about the people who lived during Noah’s time. While he was preparing the big boat, other people were living ordinary lives. Noah was prepared, but the other people were not prepared. Noah was safe in the big boat, but the other people died in the flood.

Verses 40-41 Jesus explained that he would come and bring judgement. One man who was at work would be ready for Jesus. The other man would not be ready. Two women would be making flour. But only one woman would be ready for Jesus. The other woman would not be ready.

Verses 42-44 The *Son of Man will return. People do not expect a thief to come during the night. And people would not expect Jesus to return. Later, Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica. He repeated what Jesus had said (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

The story about the wise and the wicked servants 24:45-51

v45 ‘Think about a loyal and wise servant. His master has put him in command of the other servants in his house. This chief servant should give food to the other servants at the right time. v46 Their master will return home later. If the chief servant is doing his work properly, then it will be very good for him. v47 I am telling you the truth. The master will make that servant head of everything that he owns. v48 But suppose the chief servant is wicked. Suppose he says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time!” v49 So then he begins to beat the other servants. And he eats and drinks with drunks. v50 The master will come back one day when his servant is not expecting him. He will return. But the servant does not know the time when he will return. v51 Then his master will cut that servant into pieces. He will send him to join other bad servants. They only pretended to serve their master. In that place they will weep and bite their teeth together in pain.’

Verses 45-47 The servant did his work well while his master was absent. The master rewarded him with more responsibility. Christ wants his servants to be loyal like that. They should work for Christ until he returns.

Verses 48-51 This servant thought only about his own happiness. He did not care about the other servants or about his master. But his master would give him a severe punishment when he returned. In the end, the servant would join those who only pretended to serve the master. This is a picture of people who only pretend to live good lives. But they do not please God. ‘Weep and bite their teeth together in pain’ was a way to say ‘They were sad and they regretted past actions.’

gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
AD ~ after the date when Jesus was born.
Messiah ~ the Jews' word for the king who would come and rescue them.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; separate from sin.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
miracle ~ a great thing that only God can do.'Son of Man ~ a name that Jesus called himself. see Daniel 8:17.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
trumpet ~ musical instrument; you blow into a tube.
Babylon ~ a country in the Old Testament. Today it is part of Iraq.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
priest ~ a man whom God chose to do a special work for him. The priests worked in the Temple.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
trumpet ~ musical instrument; you blow into a tube.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Mount ~ a short word for mountain; small mountain.
Lord ~ master; a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we obey them.
fig ~ small soft fruit full of tiny seeds, people eat it fresh or dried.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; separate from sin.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
Pentecost ~ 1. the time when the Jews thank God for their food; 2. the time when God gave the Holy Spirit to the church.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; separate from sin.
church ~ a group of Christians who meet together. A church is not just the building that they meet in. It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.