పాత నిబంధన పాఠము: యెషయా 2:1-5; పత్రిక పాఠము: రోమా 13:11-14; సువార్త పాఠము: మత్తయి 24:36-44; కీర్తన 18.

సిద్ధపరచిన వారు: రెవ. కూరపాటి విజయ్ కుమార్ గారు
ప్రసంగ పాఠమును చదువుకొందాం: మత్తయి 24:36-44

December 1st 2024

Advent 1_  Mt. 24:36-44

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

THINK

The Day and Hour, Why is this important? The Day of the Lord is about God punishing His people.

What will happen if Christ comes right now? End for everything.

Jesus is omniscient, how could he say that He doesn’t know the hour and the day of the Judgment?

What must we do as Christians for His coming?

Be ready: Christ may return at any moment, so we should be prepared. Be faithful: We should use the time God gives us wisely and faithfully in Christ’s service. Don’t expect to know: No one can know the exact time of Christ’s return, not even the angels in heaven.

EVALUATE

Who are the characters in the story? Angels, Son (Jesus Christ), God the Father, Noah, Son of Man, People, Two men, Two women, Thief, The owner of the house.

What are the objects in this story? Heaven, People in the days of Noah, Flood, ark, Field, Mill, Soil.

Where did this conversation happen? Jesus left the temple and walked away when his disciples approached him to call his attention to its buildings. ““Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings? ”replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?””, Mk 13:1-4.

Temple: After Solomon’s temple was destroyed, Zerubbabel and Ezra built this temple (Ezra 6:15). Herod the Great (who ruled when Jesus was born) greatly expanded and improved it. This temple was the center of Jewish life for almost a thousand years—so much so that it was customary to swear by the temple (Matthew 23:16), and speaking against the temple could be considered blasphemy (Acts 6:13).

Mount Olives: The Mount of Olives is a ridge in Jerusalem that appears in the Bible in connection with many events, including: David ascended the Mount of Olives while fleeing from his son Absalom. He wept as he went up, and told his companions that he would soon return to God’s dwelling place, (2 Sam 15:30). The Mount of Olives was a place of great significance for Jesus, as it was where many important events in his life took place. It was one of his favorite places to pray, and he often retreated there to minister to the multitudes, Luke 21:37, Luke 22:39. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, descending from the Mount of Olives, Mt 21:1-10. Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives on the day before the crucifixion – in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, Acts 1:9-12; According to the Bible, Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives during his Second Coming: Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would return from the Mount of Olives, Zechariah 14:4-5.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Who are the disciples here? Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mk 13:3).

Jesus answered. Why do disciples were eager to know the timing and details of the Messiah’s return? Particularly they want to know when the destruction of the Jerusalem temple will happen and the establishment of God’s kingdom. They were curious about when the prophesied “end times” would occur and what signs would precede it.

What is the problem? Disciples want to know what will be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age?. Did Jesus tell them about this? What did he say?

What events occurred in this story?

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (36; Mark 13:32,33). How could Jesus say this? Do you think that Jesus doesn’t know the exact day and hour of his coming? Jesus is omniscient, how could he say that He doesn’t know the hour and the day of the Judgment? Please think Father on the right hand and on the other hand people, angels, and the Son. The son placed Himself into one category with creatures because of His human nature. In the previous verse, Jesus asserted his divinity (35), and now Jesus asserted his humanity. Remember, Jesus in his earthly ministry kept aside his omnipotence and omnipresence and omniscience. As a human Jesus lowered himself to a level below the coordination with the Father. Christ did it for us. How he did it must remain a mystery to our feeble understanding. We cannot comprehend this.

How can the day of Jesus’ coming be both completely un known, and at the same time be known to the day according to Daniel 12:11? It is a secret to angels and people till today.

Why Jesus is not saying the exact day and hour of the Lord? Instead of trying to figure out when it will happen, Jesus urges us to be ready. All Christians have to be ready to welcome Him. And the others have to be ready to face the ultimate reality of the true God. Why it is a secret? The focus should be on living a life of readiness rather than speculating about the precise moment of his return. Knowing the exact date wouldn’t necessarily strengthen our faith or change our actions, and that’s why Jesus encourages people to be constantly prepared for His return, living righteously.

Peter heard Jesus’s words with his own ears, and Jesus’ words must have made a lasting impression on him. Let us hear Peter’s description of the Last Day in his own words read 2 Peter 3:6–13.

2 Peter 3:6–13, By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Why He is coming? The history is divided into two ages — a present, evil age that God would soon replace with a new age because the old age is spoiled by the Satan and the demons, and by idolatry, sin, injustice, exploitation, sickness, enmity between nature and humankind, violence, and death. God values ​​human free will, and He does not force anyone to be His child on His side. The vehicles of grace Let us listen to His Word, which is being revealed through Him. People must know the true God, and must Him ask for forgiveness from God. God wants to see that people have asked Jesus to forgive their sins. He encourages us to be ready for His coming with transformed lives, with the certainty of being forgiven by Christ.

But, Since the beginning of the Christian church, those that make it a practice to predict the exact date of Christ’s coming to judgment, Have to think carefully about it. What will the coming of Jesus be like?

Instead of giving the exact time of His coming, Jesus describes the state of mankind at that time. It is compared to the days of Noah before the flood (Gen 6:11-13). People had been warned of the coming of the cataclysm. The building of the ark emphasized the warning. And still the people held to their careless mode of living.

What the world will be like at His coming? Read, V.37,38. Jesus explained what He meant by the days of Noah. It means life centered around the normal things: eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. In the days before the flood, people lived in carelessness. As the time for the Lord’s judgment drew near, people were busy spending their time in feasting and pleasure-seeking. Instead of understanding the sanctity of marriage, people were only concerned with satisfying their desires. The sanctity of the marriage vow was turned into a pile of garbage.

And Luke said in 21:34, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. It signifies a weighing down, a burden by the objects mentioned. The hearts of the people are conceived as being weighed down by surfeiting that they are unable to resist the forces oppressing them and become their willing tools. The danger of materialistic principles, Mt. 6:25.

In its being, the judgment was sudden and unexpected, though the “general” indications had been announced to them but the “precise time” was not being made known by God. They were regardless of the Lord’s judgment which was coming upon them. God warned people before he poured out his wrath upon them. God gave them 120 years of grace. Noah preached to the people of that time about what was coming (Hebrews 11:7). They did not believe Noah and were content with their wickedness and idolatry. Their hearts were hard and their ears dull. No one repented, and no one cared to seek God. They ignored the warning and were caught by surprise when his judgment descends. That is why, from our point of view, the Last Day will come like a thief.

Jesus said that the world will be much the same before He returns. He warned us to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Second Timothy 3:1–4 gives us a clear picture of the state of the world before Jesus comes and most likely also describes the world in the days of Noah. That verse says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” It is becoming increasingly obvious that, to understand what the world was like in the days of Noah.

How Jesus warned His disciples to be ready for an unexpected coming? (40-44). Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Jesus says, For the guilty cannot escape, even if he be associated outwardly with the innocent, with the believer. One will be accepted as a believer, the other will be rejected as an unbeliever. No time for preparing to receive the Lord. They shall be taken as they are. Those who knows the Lord,  shall be received by the Lord. Many misunderstood these examples. This is not talking about rapture or not promoting Premillennialism. In the days of Noah, who was taken? The wicked people who were swept away in the flood. Who remained on earth? Noah and his family.

If this passage teaches about rapture, why God to take us? Therefore: Since the exact time is unknown faithfulness is required, watch, be on your guard, do not even for a day, an hour, or a moment, relax your vigilance. Like a thief in the night His day is coming.

Matthew 24:43 is a Bible verse that uses the metaphor of a homeowner and a thief to illustrate the importance of vigilance and being prepared for the return of Jesus Christ: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. The verse emphasizes that because the return of Christ is unpredictable, believers should remain constantly prepared. The verse conveys the idea that believers should be watchful and ready, even in the midst of everyday distractions and life’s trials. The believers of the last days cannot take a chance. A state of unremitting watchfulness is required of the followers of Christ in which they are aware every minute of the seriousness of the situation: The Son of Man is coming, a stern and implacable Judge upon the unbelievers that left His warning unheeded, a merciful and kind Judge upon the believers that were always ready for His coming. The verse compares the return of Jesus to a thief in the night, who catches a household by surprise. The thief’s advantage is that he’s never expected at a specific moment. If the homeowner knew exactly when the criminal would come, he could simply wait until then to be ready. Since the homeowner cannot know the time, he must stay awake at all times of the night.

The point is not that followers of Christ must literally avoid sleep out of fear of His return. They need to be ready because the exact moment in question will not be known. All people should live in a state of constant preparedness for the return of the judge. Even if Christ’s return is many years away, it’s common to meet an unexpected end to earthly life (James 4:13–14).

Those who read or hear Jesus’ words should not delay in trusting Him for their salvation from sin (John 3:16–18; 2 Peter 3:3–7). Those who have already trusted Him should not carelessly lapse into sinful living as if the judge will not return at any moment.

The verse conveys profound truths about anticipation, alertness, and careful stewardship in our spiritual lives. It echoes warnings against complacency. We must be ready because His coming for us is without warning.

Was the problem solved? Jesus solved the problem.

LEARN

  1. What is the main theme of this lesson? Be ready: You should be ready by continuing to live and witness as Jesus taught. Don’t be nervous: Jesus’ return will be a good thing, and You should not be nervous or sleepless about it. Live in anticipation: You should live in anticipation of the return of Christ. Be faithful: You should be faithful in your calling as a witness to the kingdom. Don’t try to predict: You should not try to predict the day and time of Jesus’ return, as God will confound all efforts to do so. Be watchful.
  • What sin does the lesson teach us to confess? The days of Noah were a reminder of the unfaithful lives of many in Noah’s generation. Sin of carousing, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life (Lk 21:34). 2Timothy 3:1–4 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
  • Where do we see the love of God in this lesson? In Jesus’s warning, we can see God’s love. The grace of God in Christ continues to this day. According to the Bible, God’s delay in the Second Coming of Christ is a demonstration of his patience, mercy, and desire for all people to be saved. 2 Peter 3:8-9, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”.
  • What does God teach us to do in this story? Jesus teaches that people should be ready and stay awake in anticipation of his return, even though no one knows the exact day or time it will happen. The passage also teaches that people should live and witness as Jesus instructed in the Gospel of Matthew. Be ready: People should be prepared for the return of Christ by living and witnessing as Jesus taught. Stay awake: People should be on alert. Expect the unexpected: The return of Christ will be a surprise, even though it’s a good and joyous thing. The timing is beyond comprehension: The timing of Jesus’ return is beyond human comprehension. The wicked will be taken away: When Jesus returns, he will take away the wicked and remain with the faithful. Respond: People can respond to the needs of others with their testimony and activity.

LEAD

  1. What would be a good situation in which you could share this message? A good situation to share Matthew 24:36-44 would be during a sermon or Bible study focused on the theme of being prepared for the return of Jesus, especially when discussing the uncertainty of the timing and the importance of living a life of faithfulness and vigilance regardless of when that day might come; this could be particularly relevant during Advent season in a Christian church.

Some 40 years after Jesus said this, there was a widespread Jewish revolution against the Romans in Palestine. Ultimately Roman soldiers crushed the rebels. In AD 70 Jerusalem was leveled, including the temple – just as Jesus said would happen.