NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR  SUMMARY

At the beginning of this chapter, we saw how Jesus walked away from the Temple area, thereby finishing His public teaching ministry. It was time now to prepare His disciples and followers for the events to come. As they were leaving, Jesus pointed around at the beautiful and impressive structures that made up the Temple courts and made a startling prediction that it would not be long before all of this would be destroyed. In fact, He said, not one stone would be left upon another.

It must have stunned His disciples into silence because it was not until they crossed the Kidron Valley and Jesus was sitting in a familiar spot on the Mount of Olives that His disciples came to Him, out of hearing of those who followed along, to ask Him privately when all of this would happen. Jesus then launched into a series of warnings about terrible things to come both in their lifetime and in the future.

His disciples must have looked bewildered as He told them about persecution, terror, abominations, betrayal, and death that would follow His leaving. Even false Messiahs would come and try to mislead those who had been given the Good News that He was the true Messiah. But those living at this time should remain faithful and steadfast because His return would be coming soon to sent out His angels to collect all the faithful who were alive and awaken those who were asleep in the grave to meet Him in the air.

Of course, the disciples were confused and wanted to know when all of this would take place. Jesus told them not to worry that just as Noah was given time to build the ark and preach to those around him that God was going to destroy with a terrible flood all the wicked who did not listen and go into the ark, so there would be warning signs before His return. He said to them, only my Father in heaven knows the exact hour when this will take place. It will be like a thief suddenly breaking into a house, so they had to be alert and ready when that moment came.

But there was another thing He wanted them to know, and He illustrated it with a parable about servants that were left in charge of a master’s estate and were told to keep things running and in order until he returned. But as days and weeks and months and years went by, they became more and more careless with his property and the way the lived their lives. Even the head servant became corrupt and began to beat and oppress the other servants. That’s when, Jesus warned, the master suddenly appeared at an hour when it was totally unexpected. As a result of their disobedience to their master’s instructions and their lack of remaining faithful, they were cut off from having any part of his estate and were thrown out into the darkness with all those who had already walked away to live their lives as they wished. It will be a time of anguish and sorrow, Jesus said. Don’t be careless and become part of the crowd that will be left behind when He returns.

But no doubt Jesus could see the worried look on the faces of His disciples, so He continues telling them parables in order to make His return more understandable, and how all those who diligently await His return must prioritize their spiritual life over their physical life in order to be ready. This is the subject of Chapter twenty-five, which we will begin on Tuesday.

Thank you to all of you who have remained faithful in your study of Matthew. You are a blessing to me and I’m sure God is looking on your faithfulness with joy. God bless you richly for your love for His Word.