Hope Amidst Chaos

Matthew 24:1–35 CEB

1 Now Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to point out to him the temple buildings. 2 He responded, “Do you see all these things? I assure that no stone will be left on another. Everything will be demolished.” 3 Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” 4 Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the Christ.’ They will deceive many people. 6 You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. 7 Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in all sorts of places. 8 But all these things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end. 9 They will arrest you, abuse you, and they will kill you. All nations will hate you on account of my name. 10 At that time many will fall away. They will betray each other and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. 14 This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come. 15 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this), 16 then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 17 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. 18 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 19 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 20 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. 21 There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 22 If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short. 23 “Then if somebody says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘He’s over here,’ don’t believe it. 24 False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. 25 Look, I’ve told you ahead of time. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert,’ don’t go out. And if they say, ‘Look, he’s in the rooms deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it. 27 Just as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming of the Human One. 28 The vultures gather wherever there’s a dead body. 29 “Now immediately after the suffering of that time the sun will become dark, and the moon won’t give its light. The stars will fall from the sky and the planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Human One will appear in the sky. At that time all the tribes of the earth will be full of sadness, and they will see the Human One coming in the heavenly clouds with power and great splendor. 31 He will send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four corners of the earth, from one end of the sky to the other. 32 “Learn this parable from the fig tree. After its branch becomes tender and it sprouts new leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that the Human One is near, at the door. 34 I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until all these things happen. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

Hope Amidst Chaos

Let's say your GPS stops working while you're traveling in the middle of a big city. It's supposed to be your calm guide through the streets, but then it starts instructing you to make a U-turn in the midst of a major intersection or turn left into a construction site.

You're feeling confused and frustrated in the midst of all the chaos it is causing you. That's when you remember you have a dependable companion in the passenger seat—let's call him Fred. Fred, your co-pilot, is a seasoned veteran who has navigated the craziness of city driving many times.

While you try to make sense of the muddled directions from the broken GPS, Fred calmly leans in and says, "You know, life can be a lot like this GPS. It could send mixed signals, making the road look chaotic. In spite of everything, we have access to a unique GPS system—the GPS of God. God's system is reliable and will never let you down, unlike the GPS in your automobile.

When things look hopeless, he says, remember that God is there to provide direction and encouragement. Having a heavenly GPS that can see the big picture and guide us through the twists and turns with a feeling of purpose is like having a personal angel on your shoulder.

We are living in some very chaotic times. Turn on the news and we read about the war in Israel and Gaza. We hear about attacks on are military in Syria, Iraq, and near Yemen. We learn about the anti-Israel protests. He hear about Jewish people here in the US and other nations being attacked.

We hear more and more about the craziness of the push to embrace transgenderism at younger and younger ages. Biological males are able to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of biological females. Chemicals are being used to castrate males before they’ve even gained an understand what it means to be a male. Chemicals are being used to render young females infertile. They are having irreversible surgeries based on how they are feeling today.

We have witnessed entire denominations who once embraced the Gospel sell-out to the culture. The United Methodist Church has divided and split. Most of the United Methodist churches in our area have bought their freedom from the false doctrine being embraced so that they can be true to what is taught in God’s Word. They have in most cases joined the Global Methodist Church which is true to the Bible. This has happened with the Episcopal Church, Presbyterians, and Lutherans. These once Biblically based churches have capitulated to the culture and walked away from the truth of God’s word. Let there be no doubt that what we are witnessing is an entire repudiation of God’s Word.

This is breeding more and more chaos in the Church and the world around us. This chaos can stir panic, hopelessness, and a desire for answers.

Those first disciples faced similar things as to what we are witnessing around us. The Jews were longing for a Messiah in the shape of King David. A political leader who would ride in to the rescue. I feel like here in the US that many have that same belief. In ancient Rome they had the cult of Caesar. Caesar was viewed as deity. The president today can be viewed in a very similar way. Many are willing to overlook many aspects of a person’s life if they are saying things that benefit them.

If they opening of this passage they Disciples pointed out the temple buildings and Jesus tells them that nothing that they see will be left standing. They temple was the center of worship for the Jews. Looking back at history we know that Jesus prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed by Rome.

When someone starts prophesizing, people want to know when it is going to start. The disciples came to Jesus and asked him.

Matthew 24:3 CEB

3 Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”

Recognizing the Signs

The big day is almost here. Many of the guys have been waiting all year for it. It’s not Thanksgiving or Christmas. The big day is the opening of rifle season with the goal of getting that big buck. Some have been out exploring the woods. Some have been sitting in tree stands for archery season, but dreaming about the big one.

They are looking for signs. The rut is in full swing. Signs and sounds abound. Hunters have their favorite spots because they have been looking for the signs. They recognize the game trails. They’ve had game cameras out.

Jesus in answer to the disciples tells them Matthew 24:4 “4 Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

There are a great many deceptions in the world today. Many of those deceptions move into the church and people buy into them hook, line, and sinker. Let me give you three examples that we see today:

1 - Prosperity Gospel:

According to the Prosperity Gospel, often known as the "health and wealth" or "name it and claim it" theology, God rewards faithfulness and positive confessions with financial success, physical health, and overall prosperity. Critics contend that this doctrine distorts biblical concepts, reduces God to a heavenly vending machine, and ignores the reality of Jesus' and many historical figures' suffering and sacrifice.

2 - Doctrinal Compromise:

Some are concerned about doctrinal compromise inside the church, in which key biblical principles are minimized or changed to adapt to societal trends or popular ideas. This might emerge in a variety of ways, such as a weakening of the exclusivity of Christ for salvation or a reluctance to embrace biblical moral and ethical principles.

3 - Entertainment-Centered Worship:

There is rising concern regarding the trend toward entertainment-centered worship services, in which the emphasis is often on generating an emotionally charged experience rather than developing true discipleship and spiritual progress. According to critics, this practice may prioritize entertainment over biblical preaching and the depth of spiritual connection.

Matthew 24:4 CEB

4 Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you.

Jesus was emphasizing that many would come in Jesus name, meaning coming as sent from God claiming to be the one true Messiah. Jesus said to not be deceived.

There are a lot of signs, Jesus highlighted a number of them. In Daniels prophesy were read about some of these as well.

Wars and Rumors of Wars (Matthew 24:6-7):

It seems as there has always been armed conflicts. I have lived during the era of the Vietnam War, Cold War, Desert Storm, Iraq War, War on Terror, and the Afghanistan War. Plus a host of other wars and conflicts.

Natural Disasters (Matthew 24:7):

There have been some very significant earthquakes in my life time. A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 off the coast of Japan triggered a massive tsunami, leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster and causing widespread destruction.

Huricane Katrina. One of the most powerful hurricanes in U.S. history, causing catastrophic damage and flooding in New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck Haiti in 2010, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and resulting in a humanitarian crisis.

Yearly we witness the fires in California. Crippling floods.

Persecution of Believers (Matthew 24:9-10):

We see that happening around the world. Our neighbor to the North in Canada there have been examples of preachers being imprisoned for preaching the truth of the Gospel.

Unlike never before, the Gospel is being preached around the world. Technology has increased the ability to get the message of Jesus into nations that are closed to missionaries.

Jesus says that after these things happen that “the end will come.”

Matthew 24:15–22 CEB

15 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this), 16 then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 17 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. 18 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 19 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 20 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. 21 There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 22 If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short.

Endurance and Faithfulness

Jesus is stating that there will be a period of great suffering. We are in essence citizens of two countries. We live in the world but not of it. Jesus in his great prayer for us to the Father said in John 17:14–16 “14 I gave your word to them and the world hated them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. 15 I’m not asking that you take them out of this world but that you keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world.”

As Christians we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We are His children. Michael Green in his commentary on this passage quoted from Shakespeare History is not ‘a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing’. It is, in a real sense, his story. He made this world. He came to dwell in it. He will return at the end of history to wind it all up. [1]

Paul in his second letter to that young Pastor, Timothy wrote: 2 Timothy 2:11–13 “11 This saying is reliable: “If we have died together, we will also live together. 12 If we endure, we will also rule together. If we deny him, he will also deny us. 13 If we are disloyal, he stays faithful” because he can’t be anything else than what he is.”

Paul is emphasizing the importance of endurance and perseverance in the Christian journey. This endurance includes remaining faithful to Christ in the face of trials, persecution, and challenges. It implies a steadfast commitment to following Jesus despite difficulties.

Matthew 24:27–35 CEB

27 Just as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming of the Human One. 28 The vultures gather wherever there’s a dead body. 29 “Now immediately after the suffering of that time the sun will become dark, and the moon won’t give its light. The stars will fall from the sky and the planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Human One will appear in the sky. At that time all the tribes of the earth will be full of sadness, and they will see the Human One coming in the heavenly clouds with power and great splendor. 31 He will send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four corners of the earth, from one end of the sky to the other. 32 “Learn this parable from the fig tree. After its branch becomes tender and it sprouts new leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that the Human One is near, at the door. 34 I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until all these things happen. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

The Glorious Return of Christ

Jesus is going to return.

This is what Christians hope for. The world is moving steadily toward a big day when Jesus will return. We won't disappear suddenly. We won't be destroyed in a big nuclear disaster. We won't ruin the Earth by being careless with the environment. But this world won't last forever. Jesus will come again, not to suffer this time, but to rule. When he comes, it will decide what happens to everyone (39–41). That's the main point of this chapter. In the end, we will see Christ as he really is. It's not about getting rewards or punishments. Matthew doesn't encourage us to focus on detailed expectations about the end times or the idea of the rapture. Instead, he keeps telling us to focus on the King, who will come back one day to be crowned. And that's something to be excited about. It's something no vision of the future in any religion or philosophy can compare to. It's good news. [paraphrase 1]

Religious leaders will come and go, some will succeed, and others will fail. But the teachings in the Bible will always stay the same. Believe in it, follow it, and stick to it—no matter what other people might say or do. Your Bible is like a light from God in this world that can sometimes feel dark.

Peter wrote 2 Pet 1:19-21

2 Peter 1:19–21 NKJV

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Christ’s return is the ultimate triumph over sin and death. He defeated it on the cross and His resurrection.

The return of Christ represents the ultimate triumph over sin, death, and all forms of darkness. Believers will witness the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

When Jesus returns, it will be the grand culmination of God’s story and His redemption of his creation. Jesus will be bringing closure to the story of creation and redemption. Every promise made by God will find its consummation.

How are we to live?

We are to live with purpose. Jesus is going to return. That hope challenges in how we live our lives today. Our actions and choices should be influenced by that hope.

We should live with eager anticipation, not passive waiting. Christmas is coming. Kids in particular have that eager anticipation for Christmas morning. They are counting down the days until Christmas arrives

We should be the same, eagerly awaiting that day. Actively engaged in the work of the kingdom not sitting around passively waiting. It will be the glorious return of Christ. We will see Him face to face. That should get us excited.

As we move on from this period of reflection, let us remember to carry with us the essential message of hope in the midst of the chaos of everyday life. Our faith in Christ serves as a rock-solid foundation for us in a world that is often filled with uncertainty and challenges. Imagine it as a strong anchor that holds a ship stable in a storm; it does the same for us even when the waves of life are crashing all around us. This idea of hope is more than just a pleasant sentiment; it should serve as a compass for how we conduct our lives, how we interact with other people, and how we tackle difficult situations. A sense of purpose and direction is bestowed upon us when we are aware that the promise made by Christ guarantees that we will reach our ultimate goal.

Imagine a little boat that has become trapped in the middle of a rough sea. The wind is howling nonstop, and the waves are crashing with ferocity. But even in the midst of all this chaos, there remains a reliable anchor that is keeping the boat from moving. Even though he is surrounded by the fury of the storm, the captain is able to keep his composure because he believes in the power of the anchor. In a same manner, our hope in Christ acts as an anchor that cannot be shaken when we are confronted by the storms of life. It is not wishful thinking to believe that the storms will pass; rather, it is a profound and unwavering conviction that, regardless of how terrible the chaos may be, our Savior is our anchor, and that He will secure us in His promises.

So, as we leave this place of worship and go back into the world, let us not forget to be people who inspire hope in others. Let us tell others around us the peace and security that comes from our faith in Jesus Christ, the anchor that won't move no matter how rough the waters of life get. By doing so, we offer a lifeline of peace and strength to others, reminding them that our Savior is unmoved in the midst of the chaos, and that His promises may be relied upon.

1 - Green, M. (2001). The message of Matthew: the kingdom of heaven (p. 250). InterVarsity Press.