Matthew 23-24

What I Noticed Today (Matthew 23-24)

Matthew 23

In verses 1-12, Jesus had just finished answering questions from the religious leaders and was still in the temple. He turns to the crowd and the disciples and refers to the religious leaders as those who sit on Moses’ Seat (teachers of the law) as hypocrites.  They preach, but they do not practice what they preach.

• They place heavy burdens on the people but not on themselves.
• They make a show of their positions (large phylacteries, long tassels, seats of honor, and being called by their titles).

Jesus said, you have one Father who is in heaven and one teacher who is Christ. The greatest among them will be the servant, and whoever exalts themselves will be humbled.

In verses 13-36, Jesus pronounces seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees for being hypocrites.

• Woe 1, Verse 13. They refused to accept Jesus, and this kept others from accepting His message.
• Woe 2, Verse 15. They worked to make converts to Judaism and forced them to follow their traditions and, in so doing, kept people from seeing the truth of the Gospel.
• Woe 3, Verses 16-22. They were deceptive and dishonest when swearing oaths.
• Woe 4, Verses 23-24. They were meticulous about their tithing but neglected the more important matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
• Woe 5, Verses 25-26. The Pharisees were focused on outward issues but neglected in the inward condition of their hearts that were filled with greed and corruption.
• Woe 6, Verses 27-28. They appear righteous on the outside but, in reality, were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
• Woe 7, Verses 29-32. They piously said if they had lived in the times of the prophets, they would never have been involved in the shedding of their blood, but Jesus knew they were already plotting His death.

In verses 33-36, Jesus condemned them, saying He had sent them prophets, wise men, and scribes, and they had persecuted and even killed them beginning with Abel (the first killed in Genesis 4:8) through Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1).

In verses 37-39, Jesus laments the judgment that will come to the city of Jerusalem because they have killed the prophets. Jesus concludes by saying they will not see him again until they say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (which occurs when Christ returns to earth to begin His Millennial reign).

Matthew 24

Matthew 24-25 is Jesus’ fifth discourse.

In verses 1-2, Jesus had just spoken of the desolation of the temple. As they left the temple, the disciples pointed out the building, and Jesus said not one stone would be left upon another.

In verse 3, reaching the Mount of Olives, the disciples then asked Jesus: 1) when will this happen, 2) what would be the sign of His coming, and 3) what would be the sign of the end of the age.

In verses 4-14, Jesus answered the disciples were describing the first half of the Tribulation period.

• There will be false messiahs (vv. 4-5).
• There will be wars and rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes (vv. 6-7).
• These are the signs of the beginning of the Tribulation period (birth pains, v. 8).
• Believers will be persecuted, hated, and killed. Many will fall away (apostasy) due to the persecution (vv. 9-10).
• There will be false prophets who will deceive many (v. 11).
• There will be lawlessness (v. 12).
• BUT, the one who endures and survives will be saved (v. 13).
• AND the Gospel will be preached throughout the world (v. 14).

In verses 15-28, Jesus describes the second half of the Tribulation period.

• The abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel (Daniel 9:27) occurs in the middle of the 70^th week or at 3-1/2 years (v. 15).
• Those in Judea should flee to the mountains (v. 16).
• They must flee quickly, leaving everything behind (vv. 17-19).
• Pray that it does not come in winter or on a Sabbath (because a Sabbath’s day journey Less than ½ mile) would not get them to safety (v. 20).
• The Tribulation will be the worst in the history of mankind (v. 21).
• The tribulation will be so severe that no one will survive unless the days of tribulation are shortened (v. 22).
• There will be false prophets and false messiahs that will arise and lead even the elect astray (vv. 23-26).
• The coming of the Son of Man will be sudden coming from the east to the west (v. 27).
• Vultures will hover wherever there is a corpse (v. 28).

In verses 29-31, the second Advent of Christ is described.

• The sun and moon’s light will be darkened. A great heavenly upheaval will occur (v. 29).
• The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the clouds of heaven in power and glory, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn (v. 30).
• The Son of Man will send His angels to gather the elect from all over the world (v. 31).

In verses 32-35, Jesus gives the parable of the fig tree. When you see leaves and buds on the fig tree, you know harvest is near. So likewise, when the first half of the Tribulation begins, you know that the coming of the Son of Man is near.

In verses 36-44, Jesus says no one knows the day or the hour of the return of the Son of Man. Even the Son does not know, only the Father.

Just as the wicked were removed from the earth in the days of Noah, so will the wicked be removed when Christ returns.

In verses 45-51, Jesus describes the faithful servant who is found working when the master returns. If the servant thinks the master is delayed in coming and engages in sinful behavior, he will be cut off along with the hypocrites in a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Matthew 25-26