Matthew 24-25: Be Ready

Jesus warns his disciples about the destruction of the temple and signs preceding the end times, emphasizing that no one knows when he will return except the Father. Through powerful parables about ten virgins, talents, and separating sheep from goats, he teaches the importance of staying alert, using our gifts wisely, and caring for "the least of these" as we would care for him directly.

• The disciples admire the temple buildings, but Jesus predicts their complete destruction
• Wars, famines, earthquakes, and false prophets will precede the end times
• No one knows the day or hour of Christ's return, not even the angels
• The parable of ten virgins teaches readiness for the bridegroom's unexpected arrival
• The parable of talents shows we must use what God has given us, not hide it in fear
• In the final judgment, how we treat "the least of these" is how we treat Jesus himself
• A wise person contemplates death to gain perspective on what matters most in life

"Have you given thought to your death? Have you given thought to what happens after you die, and are you making decisions now that will stand the test of the end times?"

Chapters

• 0:00 Jesus Predicts Temple Destruction
• 1:39 Signs of the End Times
• 4:27 Stay Alert, No One Knows
• 7:16 Parable of the Ten Virgins
• 8:45 Parable of the Talents
• 11:01 Separating Sheep from Goats
• 13:06 Final Thoughts on Death

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Welcome back to the Outloud Bible Project podcast. This is Mike and we're in the book of Matthew. Last time we checked in, jesus was pronouncing some woes over surrounding towns and regions that did not respond to his teaching and his miracles. Jesus is very focused on what is to come. He knows his time on earth is short and he wants to prepare his people for it and beyond. This kind of puts Jesus on a different wavelength than everyone else, and this becomes very evident here in these chapters. Let's see what Jesus thinks about the end times and what we're supposed to do about them here in Matthew 24 through 25 in the New English Translation. Matthew 24 through 25 in the New English Translation.

Speaker 1: 0:57

Now, as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings and he said to them do you see all these things? I tell you the truth. Not one stone will be left on another, all will be torn down. See what I mean? There's kind of a killjoy right now. Hey, jesus, look at all these cool buildings, aren't they beautiful? Yeah, they're all going to be torn down.

Speaker 1: 1:23

Jesus is on a different wavelength. All right, we'll keep going as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said tell us when will these things happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Jesus answered them. Watch out that no one misleads you, for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ, and they will mislead many. You'll hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you're not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come, for nation will rise up in arms against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of birth pains. Then they'll hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You'll be hated by all the nations because of my name, and then many will be led into sin and they'll betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many. And because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations. And then the end will come.

Speaker 1: 2:47

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken about by Daniel, the prophet, standing in the holy place. Let the reader understand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, the one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days. Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath, for then there will be a great suffering, unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

Speaker 1: 3:33

Then, if anyone says to you, look, here's the Christ or there he is, don't believe him, for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Remember, I've told you ahead of time. So then, if someone says to you, look he's in the wilderness, do not go out. Or oh, look he's in the inner rooms, do not believe him. For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west. So the coming of the Son of man will be Wherever the corpse is there, the vultures will gather Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They'll see the Son of man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Speaker 1: 4:44

Learn this parable from the fig tree. Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But as for that day and hour, no one knows it, not even the angels in heaven, except the Father alone. No one knows it, not even the angels in heaven, except the Father alone.

Speaker 1: 5:21

For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of man will be, for in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It'll be the same at the coming of the Son of man. Then there will be two men in the field, one will be taken and one left. There will be two women grinding grain with a mill, one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this if the owner of the house had known what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, because the Son of man will come at an hour when you don't expect him. Who, then, is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. I tell you the truth the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave should say to himself, my master's staying away a long time and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two and assign him a place with the.

Speaker 1: 7:01

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of the virgins were foolish and five were wise. And when the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them, but the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout look, the bridegroom's here, come out to meet him. And then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out. No, they replied, there won't be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. But while they had gone to buy it.

Speaker 1: 7:55

The bridegroom arrived and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. Later the other virgins came too, saying Lord, lord, let us in. But he replied. I tell you the truth I don't know. You Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour, for it's like a man going on a journey who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two and to another one, each according to his ability, and then he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money in it.

Speaker 1: 8:55

After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I've gained five more. His master answered Well done, good and faithful slave, you've been faithful in a few things. I'll put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master. The one with the two talents also came and said oh sir, you entrusted two talents to me and say I've gained two more. His master answered Well done, good and faithful slave. You've been faithful with a few things. I'll put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

Speaker 1: 9:36

Then the one who had received the one talent came and said sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you didn't sow and gathering where you didn't scatter seeds. So I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what's yours. But his master answered evil and lazy slave. So you knew that I harvest where I didn't sow and gather where I didn't scatter. Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers and on my return I would have received my money back with interest.

Speaker 1: 10:14

Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten, for the one who has will be given more and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have even what he has will be taken from him and throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he'll sit on his glorious throne, all the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He'll put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left, and then the king will say to those on his right come, you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Speaker 1: 11:05

For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me. And then the righteous will answer him Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you, a stranger, and invite you in? Or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the king will answer them. I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me. Then he'll say to those on his left depart from me. You accursed into the eternal fire that's been prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you didn't receive me as a guest, naked and you didn't clothe me. Sick and in prison and you didn't visit me. Then they too will answer Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick, in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed? And then he will answer them. I tell you the truth just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me. Then these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Speaker 1: 12:49

So yeah, jesus is a bit dark and heavy here in these chapters of Matthew. He's thinking a lot about death and the end time and it reminds me of a proverb in the book of Ecclesiastes. I just recently got done presenting an out loud Bible experience on Ecclesiastes, so the verses are a little fresh in my mind. But Ecclesiastes 7.4 says, a wise person thinks a lot about death. See, that's not to be macabre or morbid about it, it's just that a wise person understands the brevity of life and the significance of the eternal, and so looking forward to well, what happens after death and what happens in the end times gives you a perspective that you need to make decisions that matter most now. Have you given a thought to your death? Have you given a thought to what happens after you die, and are you making decisions now that will stand the test of the end times? That's the Thinking Out Loud thought for the day.