Today’s passage: Matthew 25:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Traditionally, when it was time for the wedding celebration to start, the wedding party would go through the main street in the town with the bride and bridegroom in the evening with their torches/lanterns lit.  They did this to alert the town when the week-long party was about to begin.
  • The ten virgins are the bridesmaids.
  • They all give the outward appearance of supporting the marriage and the bridegroom.
  • Only half of them are actually prepared for his arrival.  The oil represents salvation.
• When he arrives, they realize their error and seek to rectify it…but it’s too late.
  • These are professing believers who are not truly saved.
  • They may acknowledge the truths of the Gospel, but have not repented and submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. How can a person say they are a Christian but not truly be one?  In what way(s) is that possible?
2. What does it mean to be saved?  What does a person believe?  What part does repentance have in our salvation?
3. Are you ready?

Today’s passage: Matthew 24:32-51

Helpful thoughts:

• There are/will be signs of the times…but those who reject Jesus Christ will not heed them.  The world will continue to move forward as if nothing is wrong.
• “This generation” is not the generation of the disciples in Matthew 24.  It is the generation that sees these end times.  The events of the end leading up to Christ’s return will not take very long.
• This world will pass away. (See Revelation 21:1) But, Jesus’ words will never pass away.
• The wise servant, the true follower of Jesus Christ, will be found to be serving when Christ returns because that servant is serving continually, not waiting for the master to arrive in order to look good.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the truth that Jesus’ words will never pass away help you to properly measure the value of anything this world has to offer?
2. After reading the illustration of the Master’s servants, what do you think it means to be ready for His return?  What do Christians do, how do they live, regardless of the time of Jesus’ second coming?

Today’s passage: Matthew 24:15-31

Helpful thoughts:

• The abomination of desolation is recorded in Daniel 9:27.  This is the work of the Anti-Christ at the mid-point of the Tribulation, bringing on what is called the Great Tribulation.
• When Jesus truly returns at the end of the Tribulation, it will not be mysterious.  The world will know.
• This passage speaks of the elect being on the earth during the Tribulation, which calls into question the idea of the rapture occurring BEFORE the Tribulation begins.  However, we know from other scripture that others will put their faith in Christ DURING the Tribulation.  So, this passage does not necessarily speak to the timing of the rapture at all.

Questions to consider:

1. How can the fact that Jesus knows exactly what is going to happen in the end give you confidence?
2. Why are signs and wonders not to be taken automatically as indicators of God’s blessing?
3. How are we to remain confident in the truth when others would want to show us alternative information (False doctrine)?

Today’s passage: Matthew 24:1-14

Helpful thoughts:

• Matthew 24 and 25 are commonly referred to as the Olivet Discourse.
• The disciples were admiring the awe-inspiring Temple.  Jesus promise of its destruction came to be less than forty years later in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed it.
• The disciples still were uncertain about the timing of Jesus’ rule and reign as King.  They were about to learn of an end times that they previously thought they were already taking part in.
• Notice two times in this passage, we are told that these events are not the signs of the end.
  • Verse 6, “But the end is not yet.”
  • Verse 14, “Then the end will come.”
    • So, all of these things written in verses 4-14 should be expected throughout the church age and into the tribulation, until Christ comes again.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the hope of Christians for enduring these difficulties that can arise?
2. What is the message that goes around the world that keeps people from going astray, stumbling, believing false teachers and betraying one another?  What message must we continue to hold dear and proclaim?
3. How does the Gospel message accomplish this?  How does it give us hope and help?

Today’s passage: Matthew 23:1-39

Helpful thoughts:

• This chapter contains Jesus’ final public sermon.
• Phylacteries are boxes that are worn on the head of Jewish men for prayer.  They contain parchments with verses from the Law.  They are a literal way to apply Deuteronomy 6:8.  The Pharisees wore large ones solely to impress people.
• A proselyte is a convert.  Jesus questions to what these new believers are being converted.
• Even after all of these “woes”, Jesus shares His desire to care for these people.

Questions to consider:

1. What are the marks of great leadership shared in this passage?
2. What are the marks and the goals of hypocritical and poor leadership?
3. What was the consequence for those who chose to follow in the way of these leaders in Matthew 23?
4. Who was all included in Jesus’ call at the end of the chapter?  Who had the opportunity to repent?

Today’s passage: Matthew 22:34-46

Helpful thoughts:

• Again, the purpose of these questions given to Jesus is to trip Him up…didn’t work.
• The Pharisees had to get in a huddle to decide what questions to ask AND how to think about the answers.  They also had to meet to decide how to answer questions.  They were driven by fear of man.
• Jesus’ question to them is most important of all.  Who is the Christ?  Their answer signifies what they were looking for in the Messiah…a king.
• The Scripture Jesus quotes is from Psalm 110.  In this passage, David addresses the coming Messiah as his Lord, as Divinity.

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul and mind?  Are these three kinds of love or one kind of love that is comprehensive?
2. In what way would it make sense that the whole Law and Prophets hangs on loving God and loving our neighbors?
3. How do these two commandments point us to our need for the Messiah who did more than just reign as a king?  Why do we need a savior?

Today’s passage: Matthew 22:23-33

Helpful thoughts:

• The argument of the Sadducees is, since all the men can’t have one wife at the same time, there can be no resurrection.
• The Sadducees were the wealthiest, most politically successful of the Jewish sects.  So, they were also the least liked among the Jewish people.  They prided themselves on being true to the OT and specifically the Pentateuch.
  • Therefore when Jesus basically told them, “You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” It was a direct hit on their credibility and pride.
• Along with the resurrection, the Sadducees did not believe in angels.
• Jesus teaches about marriage and our future here:
  • Marriage is wonderful.  But it is not eternal.  The purposes for marriage will no longer be needed in the resurrection.
  • We will be LIKE the angels (We will not BECOME angels) in that, we will be glorified, spiritual, eternal and joyfully serving the Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. Where are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob right now?
2. What will our relationships be like after we see Jesus?  How will they all be better?  Who will be in our “family”?
3. If the Sadducees did not believe in life after death, what would have become major temptations for them?
4. How does thinking about eternity change how we think about “today”?

Today’s passage: Matthew 22:15-22

Helpful thoughts:

• The Pharisees’ attempt to butter up Jesus before they ask this question about taxes is perhaps their most ironic and self-condemning statement in the Gospels.
• The Pharisees sent their disciples to do their bidding, most likely attempting to catch Jesus off guard with a question from regular people.  They didn’t want Him to have the chance to prepare Himself by seeing them come His direction.
• The Herodians were loyal to Herod and Rome.  These people would not have been united with the Pharisees or the Sanhedrin…until they had a common enemy.  Herod would certainly not have liked the events of the “Triumphal Entry”.
• Notice, the Pharisees’ disciples and the Herodians asked Jesus if it is lawful to “pay” taxes and Jesus responded that they must “render” to Caesar what is Caesar’s.  The first word is like “giving” and the second (the one Jesus used) is more about “owing”, as in paying the government what is due to them.
• Jesus didn’t mince words.  He calls them hypocrites and answers their question quite directly, causing them to marvel.

Questions to consider:

1. What makes the attempted flattery at the beginning of this passage so ironic? How were the Pharisees conducting themselves?
2. How might this interaction between the Pharisees and the Herodians be a foreshadowing of the events to come?  The ends are about to justify the means…
3. How much of a say did these Jews in Judea have in how Rome governed them?  If Jesus told them to pay their taxes do you think we should as well?
4. Why do you think the Pharisees’ disciples and the Herodians response was simply to be marveled and leave?  What is it about the simple truth being spoken that is so shocking?

Today’s passage: Matthew 22:1-14

Helpful thoughts:

• This parable continues from the previous chapter.
• If you are thinking, “Why wouldn’t the invited guests come to the wedding?” That was the reaction desired.
• Perhaps even more amazing, there was a second call.  The guests refused to come and the king asked them all a second time.  This would have been incredibly gracious and humble.
• The fact that the final guest mentioned did not have a response when asked about his clothing suggests that the guests were given provision.  All the other guests, who were also invited and brought in off the street, were properly dressed.  This man chose not to “put on” the wedding garments.

Questions to consider:

1. After the last few days of reading, who do you think the originally invited guests were?  Who are the rest who have now been invited? (Hint: We are in this group!)
2. What was represented by the wedding garment?  What do we “put on” that makes us properly “attired” for the Kingdom of Heaven?  Whose righteousness is given to us?
3. Should we expect everyone who hears the Gospel to believe?  What does many are called and few are chosen mean?