Studies in Matthew - Waiting On the Return of Christ

I cannot count the times I have been asked the question, “So, what is your eschatological theology?” Christians seem fascinated with the prophecies on the return of Christ, the timing of the rapture, and all the other events scripture has presented to us for the future of the Kingdom of God. I have read many of the great books on the topic and heard many good sermons. And yes, yes, I have my opinion on the topic and if pressed on the matter, could take upon myself one of the labels we Christians have come up with that separate us on the end times. But as I continue to study the scriptures, I have grown into a place in which I believe is of greater importance than taking on a specific label.

The last two mornings I have been studying in Matthew, chapters 24 and 25. This section of scripture finds Jesus addressing the future of the coming Kingdom. He responds to this question of the disciples, as found in Matthew 24:3 that says, As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Jesus responds to the question by explaining many things that will happen. He gives it to them as a warning not to be duped by the many false teachers that will come as seen in Matthew 24:4, And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.” Implied in this warning is the idea that we certainly ought to study the scriptures so we will not be misled.

Wars, famines, and earthquakes are signs of the nearing of the end, but Jesus compares them to the pains of an impending birth of a baby. Jesus warns us that there will be persecution. There will be hatred and betrayals. Lawlessness in increase. Love will grow cold. All things that seem to be happening right now in our land.

Jesus makes a statement that many misinterpret as meaning we can lose our salvation. He says in Matthew 24:13 that "The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” That isn’t a suggestion that the saved might fall away, it is a statement that the true believers WILL come through the troubles of life and shall persevere.

As I study through Matthew 24 and 25, I realized I have become more concerned with what I will do as I wait upon His return, than I am about when He is coming.

Matthew 24:36
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

No one knows the day and hour of His return, yet we continue to see so-called prophets making predictions. The message of Jesus in this section of scripture is not to satisfy our curiosity of prophecy, but it is to tell us what to until He comes. Listen to what Jesus says.

Matthew 24:42
"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

 

Matthew 24:44
"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Jesus proceeds in the end of chapter 24 and in 25 to explain what we need to be doing as we await His return.

Through several parables Jesus gives us our orders. The Parable of the Ten Virgins reminds us to be ready to meet our Bridegroom, Jesus, when the day of the wedding banquet comes. The Parable of the Talents teaches us to be faithful with what God has given us, whether we have a lot or a little, we must not squirrel it away. We are to live as investors of our lives, our money, talents, and time.

Jesus finishes up by making a stark comparison of two types of people. There are those who provide for the sick, the hungry, the naked, and the prisoners. There are those who do not. Listen to what He says to each of these two types of people.

Matthew 25:40
"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

Matthew 25:45
"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.”

The way we treat people is the way we treat Jesus. Salvation is by faith alone, but true salvation will evidence itself in a new person, a person who seeks to meet the needs of others. This is what James means when he speaks of his works is how he shows his faith.

Jesus finishes up with a fearful warning that ought to wake us up to a life of service.

Matthew 25:41-43
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has 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 did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.”

Matthew 25:46
"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Wow. Those are the words of Jesus. They ought to change the priorities of our lives. I love theology. There is nothing wrong with studying scripture, but if all we study it for is to defend our eschatology and our other doctrinal positions, then we’ve missed the message.

We do not know when Jesus will return. Rather than worry about that, we should simply be busy doing what He said to do. We must be prepared for His coming. He tells us here how to do that. Read these two chapters of Matthew and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and guide you. He’s coming back. What will He catch us doing when He comes?

Studies In the Psalms - Psalm 21

This is a psalm of praise from David in response to the victories God gave David. It is a reminder to us to be always mindful of the many answered prayers God has given us. Praise and worship must ever be in our minds and on our lips, as we thank God every day for the good He has given us. Though not on the list of messianic psalms, one can clearly see Jesus in it. Notice the reference to salvation. Notice in whose strength it lies.

Psalm 21:1

O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

We think it is worldly things that will bring us happiness. We want good jobs, nicer houses, cars and boats, the list goes on and on. Many turn to drugs, sex, and alcohol to find the cure for the longing in their hearts, but it is being in the presence of God for all eternity that will finally fill the desire in us. Seek first the Kingdom and then these things will be given as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Psalm 21:2-4
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.  He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.

David goes on to praise God and in this psalm, is a glimpse at the future for the Christian.

Psalm 21:8-12
Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.  You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.  Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.  For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.

The Lord Jesus is coming back and when He does He will swallow our enemies, fire will consume them.

Put your faith in Christ. Sing and praise Him.

Psalm 21:13
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.

Amen!

Why We Need to be Patient

 If there is one quality that is hard for me to attain it is patience. We know that it is an important attribute for the Christian because it is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22. Yet patience is hard and often elusive. Reading in James this morning I find patience back in the conversation, using the example of the farmer, James exhorts us to be patient.

James 5:7-8
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

How long must I be patient? Haven’t we all asked that question? James answers by saying we must be patient “until the coming of the Lord.” In his use of a farmer as our example we can find the reason for being patient. The work of farming is not easy. If a farmer wants to reap a good harvest then he must do many things in the process of farming. Ground must be plowed, seeds sowed, and weeds must be kept out of the fields if the farmer wants to harvest a valuable crop. And the result of the Christian life is that we become the “precious fruit of the earth.”

But there is an important aspect of farming that we cannot forget. While we have work to do in this process just as the farmer does, the farmer is dependent upon God to provide the sun and the rain, which nourish and grow the crops.

God is providing the same things in our lives as well. Our part is to plow up the fields of our lives and work them so that seed of faith the Holy Spirit plants in us can grow. We do this by reading His Word, by spending time in fellowship with God through prayer, and by fellowship with others Christians, who encourage us when we need it and speak truth to us when we need that as well.

But God provides the sun and the rain. And it is in these rainy times, times when it seems as if the light of the sun has forever disappeared behind the rain clouds, that we need patience. God uses our trials and our tribulations to grow our patience.

Galatians 6:9 says “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

God never relinquishes control of the earth and we are always under His watchful eye. Satan is our enemy and he will do everything in his power to bring impatience into our hearts and in that we can become bitter and angry. This is why James goes on in verse 9 of chapter 5 to warn us to “not grumble against one another…” If Satan can get us to fight against each other then the work of the church is hindered. If the work of the church is hindered, then our growth as individuals will be hindered as well.

The Book of Job is the best Biblical story about endurance and faith. It explains how through the troubles of life, even the works of the devil, God grows us and makes us like His Son, Jesus. Job lost almost every thing he had, but in the end God blessed Him even greater than before.

The lesson is this; we have a greater hope that in the end of our days on this earth we shall be blessed beyond compare. Our hope is in the return of Christ. And James says, “The coming of the Lord is at hand.”

James says, “Be patient.” He says, “Establish your hearts.” Life is hard, but we have a sure hope in Christ. When the world seems to be coming down upon you say what Job said, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.” (Job 13:15). As Christians we can “argue” with God through prayer and by the Blood of Christ in which we are made righteous. We will lose any argument with God that attempts to justify ourselves, but we know we have a wonderful advocate who sits at God’s right hand who presents us as pure and intercedes for us. This is good news. This is why we can be patient.

Yes this life will be hard. Jesus does not promise an easy life to those who follow Him. Actually He promises trouble. But we can be patient in Him.

I leave you as I often do with a scripture reading. If you are Christ’s then you can lay hold of this truth as you wait upon the return of Christ.

Job 23:8-10
 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him;  on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.  But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Wait on Him my friend. If you do you shall come out as gold.