“More about the Coming of the Son of Man”
(Matthew 24:29-35)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
September 6, 2020
The Passage
Matthew 24:29-35
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Introductory Comments:
Many times pastors spend hours and hours preparing a sermon, and part of that process is coming up with a clever title for the sermon. Well, after wracking my mind for quite some time and tapping into my creative powers, I’ve come up with this title for this sermon: “More about the Coming of the Son of Man.”
You see, we’re still in Matthew 24 and Jesus is still talking about signs, His return, and major events that comprise the future of our world. I initially had considered teaching this whole chapter but there was just too much heavy content. It would be the equivalent of sitting down and eating an entire cheesecake: it would be enjoyable but you may walk away wishing you had done it a bit slower.
So, today we will pick it up in Matthew chapter 24 starting in verse 29.
Before we go any further, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
As a reminder, as we journey through this chapter of Matthew we need to remember that Jesus is speaking of things that probably apply to both the immediate future of His listeners (such as the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70) and to the far off future, even the future for us.
You might ask, “How could this apply to two things at once?”
Well, think of it this way: I’m preaching a sermon right now, but I’m also preaching a sermon series. The things that I’m saying today are part of both this sermon in Matthew 24:29-35 and the entire series that I’m preaching from the book of Matthew, called “God’s Fulfilled Promise.”
So, as we study this passage, remember the possibility of this dual meaning and application of what Jesus is saying.
In today’s passage, Jesus narrows the focus of His discussion on future things. Today, He is talking more specifically about His return.
Let’s read the passage and then look at two focuses of Jesus in this passage.
Look in your Bibles at Matthew 24:29-35.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Well, Jesus said that His words will never pass away, so let’s look more at His words now.
Let’s notice Jesus’ first focus:
I. Jesus describes to us details about His coming (vv. 29-31) [on screen]
Remember, with me, what Jesus’ disciples asked in verse 3 of this chapter.
Verse 3 says, “While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’” [on screen]
Well, Jesus is finally going to give a little more detail to their questions, although not everything will be cleared up.
So, Jesus says in verse 29 that immediately after the distress (or tribulation) of those days certain things will happen, which we will look at in just a moment.
As we shall see, it appears that at least some of these things must be referring to events that will happen at the end of the world as we know it, unless we hold to the belief that Jesus came back to the earth in A.D. 70, which I do not believe.
So, let’s look at some of these details described by Jesus:
Jesus said that the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the sky will be shaken. Now, this is what we call apocalyptic language.
Often, apocalyptic language is not meant to be taken literally, but figuratively. It’s like saying that your dad is going to rain down fire when he gets home for work. Or, that your plan will fall like a house of cards. These statements are not meant to be taken literally.
So, it’s possible that what Jesus is describing here could refer, at least in part, to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70, while also applying to something else in history.
Perhaps these events are literal and there will be great atmospheric disaster beyond what we can imagine. Or, perhaps Jesus is saying that there will be intense disasters of some sort. Time will tell.
Jesus goes on to describe these events in verse 30. He says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky.
Now, to be clear we don’t know what this sign is.
Some have suggested that this sign of the Son of Man is perhaps a cross or banner of sorts that will appear in the sky.
Others have suggested that since the dwelling glory of God left the people of Israel, that the dwelling (or shekinah) glory of God will return again in a visible way.
Another theory is that the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, will actually come down out of the sky.
Still, others suggest that the sign of the Son of Man is the Son of Man Himself. This understanding is that the sign will be that we actually see Jesus in the sky.
As I’ve said frequently lately, we don’t exactly for sure the answer to what this sign is.
But wait! There’s more! Jesus also says that the people of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.
Now, at this point, we know for sure that those present will see Jesus Himself, not just a sign of Him.
How will He appear? Verse 30 says, “. . . with power and great glory.” He first came humbly and meek. He will return with power and glory!
Well, why will the people of the earth mourn when they see Jesus?
We may have a hint of why in Zechariah 12:10. It says, “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for him as one weeps for a firstborn.”[on screen] They will mourn for Him as one mourns when they lose a child. It seems that the peoples of the earth will realize that Jesus really is Messiah; He really was killed unjustly; He really will judge sin; and He really is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.
In verse 31, we also learn that Jesus will then command His angels to gather His chosen ones from the four winds, or from all over the earth in every direction, accompanied by a trumpet blast, and they will meet Jesus in the sky.
This description by Jesus sounds very similar to what the apostle Paul also describes in 1 Thessalonians 4. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”[on screen]
I believe, pretty confidently, that these events described by Jesus could not have been fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans conquered Jerusalem. I don’t think that Jesus has already come back to the earth. I have to believe that Jesus is talking about something that will happen in the far future for His listeners, and in our future as well.
So, I think that these descriptions by Jesus clearly apply to His return, whenever that may be.
So, church, let us pay attention to these details. Let us not be deceived. Let us see the signs, which takes us to Jesus’ next focus:
II. Jesus directs us to recognize the signs of His coming (vv. 32-35) [on screen]
Jesus gives us a lesson from a fig tree with its changing branches and leaves to help us understand what He is teaching us. Here’s a picture of a fig tree. [show picture on screen]
Jesus is trying to pass on to His hearers, again, that they should look for signs.
Now, most of us don’t have fig trees. In fact, around here we hardly have any trees that have leaves that change color. However, I do know that many of you enjoy going to Northeast Georgia, East Tennesee, or North Carolina to watch the leaves change in the fall. [show picture on screen] When I first came to our church in September of 2017 I was heartbroken and confused as to why so many church members left the church just a few weeks into my time as pastor. Later, I was relieved to learn that you all were just going to see the leaves change color.
When I lived in Kentucky I knew that the change in leaves indicated the fall had arrived and the crocus flowers popping out from the snow indicated that spring was near. [show picture on screen] Jesus is saying the same thing about a fig tree. You can read the signs and tell what is about to happen. This is similar to what He said about labor pains indicating that a baby is about to come.
Jesus says in verse 33, “In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door.”
We must understand, church, that the more and more time passes, the more and more signs we see, the closer Jesus is. We must realize that He will soon be at the door.
This reminds me of the Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat. In the book, the Cat in the Hat lets loose Thing 1 and Thing 2. They make a terrible mess and we learn that mother is about to return to the house. I remember the picture in the book that shows her approaching the door[show picture on screen] The kids and the cat rush to get everything back in order before mother comes in.
Church, we must understand that He is returning! Jesus said, “. . . recognize that he is near—at the door.” We must anticipate His return. We must see the signs that point us to His return.
His imminent return has multiple implications for our lives. His return gives us hope that all of His promises will be fulfilled. His return causes us to be careful in our conduct. His return reminds us of the necessity to share the Gospel with others. His return encourages us to remember that this world will pass away and everything will be made new. His return confirms that we will be able to see our friends and family who trusted Jesus as Lord. His return guarantees and end to sin and its terrible effects. His return brings answers to so many questions. His return settles the end times debates (which I so look forward to). His return wipes away every tear. His return settles every debt. His return heals every disease. His return starts the perfect rest for all of us. And so much more!
He will soon be at the door! He will return!
In case we thought we would make it through this passage without a confusing verse, alas, we have verse 34. Jesus says in verse 34, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.”
Again, there are different theories as to what Jesus means in this verse.
Some say that Jesus was speaking of “this generation” in terms of the people who were there in Jerusalem at the time that He was speaking. This could certainly be possible, but we know that some of those involved passed away before the catastrophic events of A.D. 70 and they certainly passed away before the end times.
Another suggestion is that when Jesus said “generation” he was actually speaking of a certain people, namely the Jewish people. So, this is like saying that the Jewish people will not pass away until all of these things have been fulfilled.
Still, yet, some theorize that what Jesus means is to say that “this generation” is the generation that will be around when those things happen. So, it’s almost like saying “that generation” instead of “this generation.”
These theories do not even cover all the theories concerning verse 34.
There’s also the question of what Jesus meant by “all these things.” Well, Jesus spoke about a lot of different things in His teaching on the Mount of Olives. So, did He mean “all all,” or all of what He just said? We’re not sure.
It’s important to grasp that what Jesus is getting at is that we can be sure that these things that He said would happen will indeed actually happen. Jesus underscores that truth in verse 35, doesn’t He?
Look at verse 35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Jesus wants His hearers to know, and for us to know, that what He has described will happen. His words will hold true; they will never pass away.
Every physical thing in our world will pass away, but His words will not pass away; they are eternal!
Concluding Thoughts:
So, as we hear the teachings of Jesus, we must be awake, alive, and alert! We must trust Jesus and His words. We must be prepared for the future events, while simultaneously looking to His future return!
Listen to this bottom line:
Bottom Line: We must be quick to hear: Jesus’ return is near. [on screen]
(repeat)
I mentioned The Cat in the Hat, so I had to come up with something that rhymed for the bottom line!
To be quick to hear means that we are intentionally listening. Let’s listen to what Jesus has to say, let’s listen for the signs, let’s listen for the return of Jesus, and let’s listen for that trumpet sound when Jesus will return and make all things new. His return is nearer today than ever before!
Challenge yourself this week to live out this passage by taking the following steps:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Wake up. [on screen]
We must be alert, church! We often tell each other to wake up when it comes to political matters, health matters, financial matters, or other matters. Well, folks, it’s time to wake up when it comes to biblical matters.
We must understand what it means to be a part of the kingdom of God. We must realize that judgment is real. We must anticipate the return of Jesus!
We must wake up!
2. Get ready. [on screen]
After we wake up we must get ready. I enjoy getting a cup of coffee in the morning, making a bottle for my 18-month-old, reading my Bible, and doing other things to get ready for the day.
Waking up is just part of what it means to live out your day. In the same way, after we wake up in our faith, let us get ready! Let us prepare ourselves! Let us be poised for spiritual action! Let us put on the full armor of God! Let us submit ourselves to correction, rebuking, and equipping by Jesus Christ and His Church!
Get ready!
3. Get to work. [on screen]
Can you imagine if our personnel committee said to me, “You know, Pastor Matt, we love you and all but you never seem to come to work and do anything!” I could say, “Well I woke up and I got ready! What do you want from me?” Well, that wouldn’t hold much water, would it?
We must get to work and actually do something! Let us live out our faith! Let us shine the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Let us love others! Let us share the message of the hope of the kingdom of God! Let us take the message of the only means of escape from the judgment of God to Bartow and the world!
We were not saved to be passive! We were saved to be active!
Let us get to work!
Closing:
As we conclude, let me encourage you to consider these words from Jesus and consider the challenge revealed to us today by the Word of God.
Wake up, get ready, get to work!
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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