Matthew 24:32-44

Matthew 24:32-35 No one knows when Jesus will return, so be ready for whatever God does

In verses 32-33, Jesus shifts from apocalyptic language to an image from the garden that most people can identify with and understand.  What does he say about fig trees to help us understand that we will know he has come when he comes?

Verse 34 is confusing even to scholars.  We aren’t sure what Jesus meant when he said that “this generation” will not pass away until “all these things” have taken place.  Obviously, the people who lived at the time of Jesus have passed away, but he has not returned.  What could it mean?

• Some people interpret “this generation” to mean “this age” – i.e., this era in human history – but the word is not elsewhere translated in that way.

• Jesus could be saying that his death and resurrection will occur before that generation dies (similar to what he said in Matthew 16:28).  Or he might be referring to the destruction of Jerusalem.  However, neither of those events amounts to “all these things,” since Jesus has just discussed his Second Coming; so this is not a sufficient interpretation.  It is not uncommon for prophetic and apocalyptic material to have multiple layers, so in different places Jesus could be referring to different events or even multiple events that occur at separate times.  However, it would be unwise to argue that none of what Jesus has talked about refers to the Second Coming.

• Matthew often gathers different sayings of Jesus and presents them together in one place, so perhaps this sentence really belongs with the things Jesus said about the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:15-22.

• The Greek word used for “generation” – genea – was also sometimes used by Greeks to mean a family or race (Liddell and Scott), so perhaps Jesus was saying that the Jewish people would not be wiped out before the Second Coming.  This would mean that Jesus is using a different meaning for the word here than when he used the same word in Matthew 11:16 and 12:41.  That is not an extraordinary thing to do, but some people reject this option for that reason.

Although some scholars argue that the whole chapter is mainly about the destruction of the Temple, and others argue that the whole chapter is about the Second Coming, this study takes a more balanced approach that is consistent with the broad mainstream of scholars, including both Catholic scholars such as Harrington (pp. 94-97) and scholars with deep evangelical roots such as H. L. Ellison (1146-1147).  In this approach, Matthew 24:4-14 stands as warning to Christians of all time periods, Matthew 24:15-22 is about the destruction of the Temple, and then Jesus makes a shift toward the Second Coming that becomes clear in verses 27-41.

Since Matthew is mainly concerned about being ready for the Lord whenever he returns (which is the focus of the next passage) and would not have written an obvious contradiction into his Gospel, the third and fourth explanations above are the most satisfactory: Either Matthew has merged material from various sources and verse 34 is referring to the material in verses 15-22, or “this generation” has a meaning that could still make sense in Matthew’s time, such as that it means “this people” – i.e., the Jewish people.

We don’t need to be troubled by the fact that we cannot be sure what verse 34 means.  Nothing here is central to our faith, other than the encouragement that Jesus will return and that we should live our lives in a way that is always ready for him.  We do not need an exact timeline –in fact, in verse 36 Jesus says that even he doesn’t know the exact timeline.  What we do know is that Jesus will be victorious in the end and those who remain watchful and endure will live with him forever.

What do you think about Jesus’s confidence that his people will be able to endure through the suffering and that he will come in the end to gather his people to be with him forever?

Verse 35 says that Jesus’s words will live on even when the universe is no longer in existence.  What does that tell you about Jesus?

Does verse 35 make you want to know more of Jesus’s words, since his words will live on forever?  If so, why?  Would more studying of the Bible help?

Matthew 24:36-44 No one knows when Jesus will return, so be ready

When Jesus was speaking to them, did he know when the Second Coming will occur?

Jesus said he did not know.  As the eternal Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God knows everything the First Person of the Trinity knows (see, for example, Matt. 11:27, and also John 3:35).  But as a human person, Jesus apparently did not know this in his human knowledge, unless he is exaggerating to emphasis the importance of not focusing on timetables but instead on always being ready.

Given that Jesus says that neither he nor the angels know when the Son of Man will come, what do you think you should focus on?

In verses 37-39, Jesus gives an illustration from Noah’s time to explain the attitude we should have toward the coming of the Son of Man.  Jesus is contrasting Noah’s attitude with the attitude of the people around Noah.  What is the point of the story?

In verses 40-42, Jesus gives some examples where one person is “taken” and one person is “left.”  The Left Behind franchise has popularized the idea of the “rapture” as one possible interpretation of these words, but that interpretation reaches far beyond the text of what Jesus actually says.  For an exploration of “rapture” theories, see The Rapture? It’s Not a Pre-Millennial Escape from Tribulation.

How does verse 42 explain the point of verses 40-41?

Throughout this chapter, Jesus has been speaking metaphorically, so verses 40-41 are probably also metaphorical rather than literal.  (The statement applies very well to our own individual deaths.)  Obviously, our eternal salvation is not dependent on whether we literally “stay awake” or fall asleep.  What is the point Jesus is making?

Does this teaching about the Second Coming of Jesus have any relevance in our lives other than if we happen to be alive when the Second Coming occurs?  What does Jesus want us to take away from this for our everyday lives?

The next analogy Jesus offers involves a homeowner (verses 43-44).  What is the point?

A homeowner doesn’t know when a thief might be coming.  What does that mean a homeowner must do in order to be safe?

In verse 44, Jesus tells us to be “ready” (NRSV) or “prepared” (NABRE) for his return, even though we don’t know when he is coming.  How can we be ready?

How might it be useful to consider these questions in terms of our own death?  No one knows when they will die but we all will die someday.  What does it look like to live a life that is always ready for the day when we will meet our Maker?

What would you do differently if you lived your life with a greater focus on being ready for the day you will meet God face to face?

Take a step back and consider this:

This passage challenges us – not to spend a lot of time trying to figure out the signs of the Second Coming, but to live a life that is ready for the day when he comes (perhaps in the Second Coming but more likely when we die).

My Bible Study group explored the idea that we can get ready for God by living the life now that he has called us to live.  This led us to ask: What are the signs that you are living the life God has called you to live?

• One member pointed out that sometimes she knows God wants her to take a new step to become more like him, because it keeps nagging her.  One of the signs that we are living the life Jesus calls us to live is that we are talking with God about the ways he wants to change us and allowing him to make us more like himself.

• Another member described a time when she had to stop trying to make things go her way and just accept that she was called to a season of serving others.  One of the signs that we are living the life Jesus calls us to live is that we are accepting those times of serving as Jesus would, rather than fighting it.

• Another member talked about how important it is to keep growing spiritually, and not think we are done growing.  One of the signs that we are living the life Jesus calls us live is that we are looking for the next small way that God wants to help us be more like him.

What are the signs that you are living the life God has called you to live?  What do you need to do to get ready?

It is a blessing that we can leave to God the timing of the Second Coming and don’t have to try to figure out obscure signs.  We can focus on the interior signs that indicate we are ready for Jesus right now, and not be distracted by a focus on exterior signs of some future event.  Matthew has been very clear about what Jesus is telling us to do right now, in the present.  Here are some examples: Be pure in spirit and pure of heart; be peacemakers; don’t respond to others with anger, but love even your enemies; love God with your whole heart; love your neighbor as much as you love yourself; and, in the next chapter, use the talents God has given you to serve him, not to serve yourself; feed the hungry; welcome the stranger; take care of the sick; etc.  Those are the concerns Jesus asks us to keep our eyes on, not an obscure timetable for his return.

What is one thing you can do in the next week to keep your focus more on what Jesus is calling you to do right now, while you wait for his return?