Ready or Not, Here I Come!--Part 2

Signs of Christ's Return

Ready or Not, Here I Come!--Part 2
by
John MacArthur
All Rights Reserved

(A copy of this message on cassette tape may be obtained by calling 1-800-55-GRACE)
Matthew 24:43-51 Tape GC 2374

Introduction

Every Christian lives in anticipation of Christ's second coming. Theologian Oscar Cullmann said that the Christian exists in a tension between what is and is to be (Salvation in History [N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1967], p. 172). We have already experienced salvation, but we have not experienced the fullness of salvation--the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23). We have already received the power of the Holy Spirit, but we haven't yet seen the fullness of that power, which we will experience when we are in heaven. We have already received eternal life, but we haven't participated in the resurrection of the dead. Thus we live in a tension. We look back to the cross and look forward to the second coming. We live near the last days, but don't live in the last days. We look at what God as already done and await what has not yet come to pass.

The writer of Hebrews portrayed our anticipation of the second coming this way: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28). Peter wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:3-4). We have been born again, but we haven't entered fully into our inheritance. First John 3:2 says, "It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." We have received Christ, but we aren't completely like Him yet.

Thus Christians live between what is and is to be. Our hearts are filled with anticipation for Christ's return. But that's not true for those who don't know Christ. Anyone who hears about Christ's second coming but isn't ready for it should live in fear of it. Paul wrote, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Cor. 5:11). Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." For some, the second coming of Christ brings thoughts of hope and future glory, but for others, it brings fear and dread of eternal doom. Those of us who know the Savior love His appearing, but unbelievers fear His appearing.

Review

I. PINPOINTING THE LORD'S RETURN (v. 36)

II. PREPARING FOR THE LORD'S RETURN (v. 37-51)

In Matthew 24:36 Jesus warns that the exact time of His return is unknown. In verses 37-51 He tells us three attitudes we should have with respect to His return.

A. Alertness (vv. 37-42)

Lesson

B. Readiness (vv. 43-44)

1. The unknown element (v. 43)

"But know this, that if the householder had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into."

The phrase "but know this" is in contrast to what Jesus said in verse 42: "Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." The phrase "that if" shows Jesus is talking about something contrary to fact. The term "watch" refers to one of four three- hour periods during the night. The Jews divided the night into time periods going from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., 9:00 P.M. to 12:00 midnight, 12:00 midnight to 3:00 A.M., and 3:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. "Broken" into" is translated from a Greek word that means "to dig through." In those days, thieves broke into homes by digging through mud walls or tile roofs.

The Lord was saying this: If a man knew when a thief was coming--not the exact minute or hour, but the general time frame--then he would surely be ready for him. In the New Testament, Christ's second coming is often likened to the coming of a thief (Luke 12:35-40; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; and 16:15). That's not because Christ is like a thief; it's because He will come suddenly and unexpectedly. And when when a thief breaks into a home, he generally takes everything. That's what will happen when Christ returns. He will burn everything that cannot stand the test of judgment.

The Lord is coming unexpectedly. He will come suddenly at a time when no one will be watching for Him. It's hard to imagine that because you would think that after the rapture, people would anticipate Christ's return. But sin blinds people. "The mystery of iniquity" (2 Thess. 2:7) will reach its apex in the end times. People will try to explain away the signs preceding Christ's coming. They will become very hostile toward God. Some people who initially said, "Christ will come soon" will eventually change their mind and say, "He isn't coming." It's possible that once the signs of Matthew 24 are over with, things will settle into some modicum of normality long enough for people to think nothing else will happen. And that's when Christ will come--when people least expect Him. However it happens, people won't be ready for the moment.

2. The unquestionable exhortation (v. 44)

"Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

There are some people who will watch the all the signs preceding Christ's return, and then try to receive Christ at the last possible moment. But the Lord won't allow for that. He said, "You don't know when I'm coming, and I'm not coming when you think I am." Scripture doesn't tell us exactly how much time will occur after the tribulation and before the sign of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:29-30). Somehow the world will be lulled into thinking that Christ won't come immediately. But that's when Christ will come in His final fury and glory.

The point of Jesus' analogy in Matthew 24:43-44 is simple. If a man knew a thief was coming, he'd be ready. And if you know Jesus is coming, you better be ready. Since we don't know when Christ will return, we need to be ready all the time.

The Reward for Those Who Are Ready

In Luke 12, Christ gave the same warning about His return in different terms. He said, "Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and ye yourselves like men that wait for their lord; when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to eat, and will come forth and serve them" (vv. 35-37). When the Lord comes back, if you've been faithful, He will sit you down to eat and serve you. The faithful Christian may not know when He's coming, but he's ready.

It's one thing to be alert and say, "I'll recognize the signs preceding Christ's coming." It's something else to be ready with a prepared heart by receiving Christ as your Savior. Let's look at the next element necessary for the Lord's coming.

C. Faithfulness (vv. 45-51)

1. The criteria (vv. 45-47)

a) The responsibility to be obedient (v. 45)

"Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?"

Here Christ gives a parable. The lord represents God, and the servant represents every man and woman in the world. We have all been given a great responsibility. It's as if the Lord said, "Manage everything I gave you in creating you in My image--your intellect, will, emotions, and talents-- and all the other good things I have given you. Use them all for serving Me." We are like the servant who is told to manage all the goods in a house and to dispense food to everyone at the right time and place.

Everything we have was granted to us by God. We are accountable for how we manage all those things. Hell will be populated not only by the devil and his angels, but also by those who wasted the privileges God gave them. And those who misuse what God has given them will be condemned, as was the man who embezzled the king's money in Matthew 18.

b) The reward for being obedient (v. 46)

"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing."

When the Lord returns, He will bless the servants who are doing what He wanted them to do. Those who are obedient give evidence of being believers. Doing the will of God is always the mark of true salvation. True Christians will be found making the most of their stewardship.

c) The result of being obedient (v. 47)

"Verily I say unto you that he shall make him ruler over all his goods."

When the Lord returns, He will allow His faithful servants to manage over everything He possesses. Have you ever wondered what we will be doing in the millennial kingdom and in eternity? We will sit with Christ on His throne and rule over everything He possesses (Rev. 3:21). So what a person does during his short life on earth will determine whether he will rule in eternity with Christ or be dominated by the demons in hell. The person who is proven faithful to God will be rewarded.

2. The condemnation (vv. 48-51)

"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

When the Lord returns, He will unmask unfaithful stewards. They will be those whose oil lamps weren't trimmed (Matt. 25:7-8), who buried the talent entrusted to them instead of investing it (Matt. 25:18). They will be cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30).

a) Fatal procrastination

The word "evil" in the phrase "evil servant" speaks of those who are evil in nature. According to verse 48, such people will say, "My lord delayeth his coming." Even though they may observe the signs of Christ's coming, they will wait until the last possible moment to turn to Christ. Instead of using their resources for others, they will squander them on themselves. They will abuse others and indulge themselves, living a party life-style.

You may have heard people say, "I'll watch for the rapture. Once it happens, I know I'll still have a little while left to live in sin. I'll watch for the signs of Christ's return, the abomination of desolation, and all the events of Revelation 6--18. Then when I see the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, I'll start being careful because I don't know exactly what will happen after that. Then I'll repent of my sins. In the meantime, I can enjoy myself." But Matthew 24:50 warns, "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of." Don't try to slide into the kingdom at the last minute. If you won't give your heart to Christ now, what makes you think you give it to Him in the future?

Some people say they will receive Christ when they feel ready. But if they don't want to receive Him now when sin is still being restrained by the Holy Spirit, why should they want to receive Christ when sin is completely unrestrained? The world will become worse than it has ever been. Those who enjoy gratifying their lusts now will want to gratify their lusts even more during the tribulation. Anyone who wants to put off receiving Christ until just before His return will be unsuccessful in their attempt. Christ Himself said clearly that no one knows the day or hour of His return. Many people probably waited until the floodwaters were up to their knees before they started banging on the door of Noah's ark. But by that time it was too late.

b) False piety

Not all unregenerate people will live overtly sinful lives. Verse 51 says there are others who are hypocrites--people who pretend to be religious. Both those who live in sin to an excessive degree and those who are religious phonies will think Christ has delayed His coming--and both will ultimately end up in the same place. Hell is for all categories of unregenerate people.

Matthew 24:51 specifies the fate of those found to be unfaithful servants at Christ's return. The Lord will cut them asunder. The word translated "cut" (Gk., dichotomeo) means "to dichotomize." That word is used in the Septuagint in Exodus 29:17 to speak of sawing sacrificial animals in half. In Matthew 24:51 the Lord is illustrating the deadly seriousness of God's judgment. The person who tries to get away with doing whatever he wants and receiving Christ at the last possible moment will pay a severe price. He will be cut in half, spending the rest of eternity weeping and gnashing his teeth with other unbelievers. The book of Matthew mentions several times the weeping and gnashing of teeth that will go on in hell (8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:30). That's a vivid description of the unrelieved torment of eternal hell.

Conclusion

How are we to be prepared for the unexpected and sudden coming of Christ? We are to be alert, ready, and faithful. We need to be watching for the signs, ready for His coming, and faithful to the Lord's Word and the stewardship He has given us. In 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 Paul writes, "[You] yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." At the tribulation and prior to the Lord's return, people will say that peace is at hand and that all will return to normal. But that's when sudden destruction will come upon them, just as labor pains come upon a woman about to have a child. They will not escape. They will find themselves facing God and judgment.

Paul continues in verses 4-5, "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all sons of light." The day of Christ's return will not take us by surprise because we won't go through the tribulation. God "hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 9). We are children of the light, and God will remove us from the world before darkness breaks loose. We don't have to worry about the tribulation. But those who aren't ready before the rapture will go through the tribulation. And if they still aren't ready at the end of the tribulation, sudden destruction will come upon them when they least expect it. I hope you're ready for the Lord's return.

Only the Devils Say There's No Hurry!

Commentator William Barclay relates this story illustrating the danger of procrastination:

"There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and ruin men. The first said, `I will tell them there is no God.' Satan said, `That will not delude many, for they know there is a God.' The second said, `I will tell men there is no hell.' Satan answered, `You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin.' The third said, `I will tell men there is no hurry.' `Go,' said Satan, `and you will ruin them by the thousand'" (The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2 [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], p. 317).

There is a hurry. Paul wrote, "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Rom. 13:11-12). Each day, we move closer and closer the the second coming of Christ. Are you ready?

Focus on the Facts

1. Describe the tension all Christians live in (see p. 1).

2.What does the reality of the second coming bring thoughts of to those who are saved? To those who are not saved (see p. 1)?

3.In the New Testament, Christ's second coming is likened to the coming of a thief. Why is that (see p. 2)?

4.For what are we accountable to God (see pp. 3-4)?

5.What will happen to those who are good stewards of what God has given them (Matt. 24:46-47; see p. 4)?

6.What will happen to those who are found to be unfaithful servants (Matt. 24:51; see p. 5)?

7.What are two characteristics that will mark the unsaved people of the end times (Matt. 24:48-51; see p. 5)?

8.Some people say they will receive Christ when they feel ready. What is wrong with their logic, especially if they go on to live through the tribulation (see p. 5)?

9.What did Paul say would happen someday at the end of the tribulation and prior to the Lord's return (1 Thess. 5:2-3; see p. 6)?

10.What exhortation does Paul give in Romans 13:11-12 (see p. 7)?

Pondering the Principles

1. Luke 12:35-36 says in regard to the second coming, "Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and ye yourselves like men that wait for their lord." That speaks of the necessity of being prepared at all times for Christ's return. On a scale of 1-10, how ready are you mentally? How ready are you spiritually? What can you do to be more prepared? Those are questions you'll want to ask yourself frequently in the future. That's because having an attitude of preparation will have a positive, cleansing effect on your life- style.

2.Get together with another Christian and ask yourselves this question: If I had only twenty-four hours left to live on this earth, how would I use it? This activity will give insight into how you can become a better steward of your time and other resources God has given you. Arrange to do it today!

Added to the John MacArthur "Study Guide" Collection by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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