The Olivet Discourse: Part Seven

Matthew 24:45-51 – “Concerning That Day and Hour” (part 2)

A sermon by Pastor Joe Haynes

Preached on October 6, 2024 at Beacon Church

You don’t know when the Lord Jesus is coming back. So it’s good that you’re here this morning. Last week I said that the great prophecy in Matthew 24 should wake you up. I said that in verses 36-44, the Lord predicts His return from three perspectives that show you the cost of not being ready. I asked you to think about the cost: what it will cost unbelievers when Jesus comes back; what it will cost believers who have unbelieving neighbours when Jesus comes back; what it will cost believers responsible for others when Jesus comes back. I said I wanted to get you to think about the cost of not being ready in order to startle you into wakefulness. This morning I’m going to try again to startle you into wakefulness because these next verses belong to the section we looked at last Sunday. Verses 36-51 belong together. You can see at the beginning of verse 36 that the Lord Jesus says, “Concerning that day and hour, no one knows…” And then you will see near the end of this section, in verse 50, that the Lord reiterates that His second coming will surprise the wicked servant as “a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know…” The mention of “a day and hour” in verse 36, and again in verse 50, form what’s called an inclusio, bookends that contain verses 36-51 as one passage. So you should think of this sermon as part 2 of two sermons on one passage, and be glad that you’re here to hear it.

Why do I say, “glad?” Well this is a portion of Scripture meant to encourage believers and alarm unbelievers. If you really are a believer in Jesus Christ, you will be encouraged. But if you aren’t a believer in Jesus Christ, this should disturb you. But even if that’s you, you should be glad. Because hearing what the Lord says in these verses might save your soul. Look at verses 40-41 with me. The Lord predicts the moment of His second coming as a finality; as the end of the road; as a deadline when time is up. Now as a kid I was told this passage meant you don’t want to be the person left behind. We sang a song at camp that was meant to scare you with the words, “and you’ve been left behind.” Same with the “Left Behind” series of novels! But if you read the novels, or saw the movies, or sang the song, or heard that sort of preaching, you might think that if you end up “left behind,” well, you still have time: You think you have a second chance to get it right; you still have time to repent and put your faith in Jesus. But you know what? They were wrong. Don’t take it from me. Take it from Jesus.

In verse 39, Jesus says unbelievers in the days of Noah were “swept away” by the flood, and that “so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” So in verse 40, when Jesus says “one will be taken and one left,” it means one will be taken away, like when the flood swept unbelievers away to their deaths. Just look: “the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken...” Swept away and taken are parallel. The one who is left is blessed. Which means the second coming is final. It isn’t 7 more years. That’s why you should be glad to be here. This is your second chance today! So what do these next verses say about you? In these verses, the Lord predicts two futures for two servants that clarify your own duty until Christ comes. But quickly, first, verse 45 identifies the faithful and wise servant; verses 46-47 predict his reward; and verses 48-51 predict the punishment if he is a wicked servant. So consider.

Consider your calling (45)

The Lord Jesus asks a very simple question here that Matthew wrote down in order to make you want to put up your hand and say, “Me!” "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?” (Matt. 24:45 ESV). Of course, the Lord is painting a picture, an allegory. The picture here is taken from the ancient Roman custom in which a man might put a trusted slave in charge of his household. Like a manager. And a good household manager could get promoted to run all of his master’s affairs.[i] We are talking about the household of Jesus Christ. He’s the Master, He’s talking to His disciples, and He asks a question: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant…?” (Matt. 24:45 ESV). Every single one of those disciples wanted to be that guy! Every single one of them wanted to hear Jesus say, “You are my faithful and wise servant!” So when you read this, doesn’t it make you want to be that servant too? Well there was one disciple sitting there who turned out to be a wicked servant: Judas. But this question is meant to make you consider your calling as a Christian.

Like Paul asked those believers in Corinth: “Consider your calling brothers…” (1 Cor 1:26). When God saved you, where did He find you? What did He save you from? Where were you headed? What would your eternal destiny have been if He didn’t choose you by grace? Are you in Christ Jesus right now? Is He your Saviour? Is He your Lord? Are you His servant? Now I know that verse 45 implies a calling with responsibility that is directed primarily at those called to be “ministers.” Another word for “minister” is a “steward.” A “steward” is someone entrusted with looking after what belongs to his master. The apostles were stewards. Paul said that people should regard the apostles “as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God,” (1 Cor. 4:1). But all Christians are stewards. Peter said that “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…” (1 Pet. 4:10). So while verse 45 is most relevant to those who pastor and oversee churches, every Christian needs to feel the Lord’s question pull at your heart because every Christian is called to serve the Lord Jesus with whatever He has given you.

But look what this “faithful and wise servant” is called to do for His master’s household: he feeds them. That’s what Jesus literally trained His apostles to do so that they would understand their ministry when the time came. When Jesus fed the five thousand, Jesus “broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds,” (Mat 14:19); and when He fed the four thousand, “he took the loaves and the fish, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds,” (Mat 15:36); and later He told Peter, “feed my sheep,” (Joh 21:17)—not talking about literal food but about spiritual food. This is what “faithful and wise” pastors do: they give God’s Word to God’s people. They preach and teach what is written in Scripture. They nourish and nurture the household of God with food for their souls. Jesus said, “It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'," (Matt. 4:4). And in Mat 13:52, this is what Jesus said a pastor does, “a scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven” brings the things of the Bible that he finds by studying and feeds them to God’s household. Look again at verse 45: ministers are “set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time.” If you are a Christian, this your ministers are commanded by the Lord to feed you the Bible, and you are required to eat.

But if you are a Christian, you also have been entrusted with gifts in order to serve. Some of you are gifted to teach. The church needs women who can preach and teach for women; people to teach young people and children; small group leaders to teach small groups. To give them their food at the proper time. But every Christian is given some gift, some resources, some abilities with which to serve the Lord Jesus by serving the people of His household, His church. At the proper time. As Charles Spurgeon wisely said, this applies to “any servant of Christ whatever his calling may be, doing the work that his Master has appointed him, just as he would wish to do it if he knew that his Lord was coming at that moment to examine it…”[ii] This applies to you too. Are you a faithful and wise servant? If Jesus is your Saviour, He must be your Lord—but are you serving Him? Look at verse 49. It says the wicked servant “beats his fellow servants.” We’ll come back to that, but notice the household Jesus is describing is a household full of servants. That’s what the church is. The household of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all its members are His servants. So consider your calling. Are you part of Christ’s “household?” Who is the faithful and wise servant? Is it you? Didn’t you know you were saved to serve Jesus?

Jesus said, in Mat 4:10, “'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" (Matt. 4:10) Romans 12:11 says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Consider your calling. Well I said, the Lord predicts two futures for two servants that clarify your own duty until Christ comes. So first, consider your calling, and then…

Consider your reward (46-47)

In verse 45, the Lord asks “who is the faithful and wise servant…?” And then you need to consider the reward He predicts for those who serve Him well. Two things you need to see here are what the faithful servant does, and what the Lord does for the faithful servant. So first, see what the faithful servant does: “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes,” (Matt. 24:46 ESV). The faithful servant serves the Lord faithfully. The faithful servant keeps serving the Lord faithfully. The faithful servant will still be serving the Lord faithfully on that day when Jesus comes back; in that very hour when the Lord returns. That’s what his Lord will find him doing; that’s what her Lord will find her doing. But how can you make sure that’s what you will be doing? Well, that’s the point. Since verse 42 says “you do not know on what day your Lord is coming,” and verse 44 says, “the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect,” the only thing you can do to make sure you’re ready when He comes, is keep serving Him.

But that’s the calling isn’t it? Being saved wasn’t a one time deal. Being saved is forever. And if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, that He died for your sins and covered you with His righteousness, and brought you into God’s family, and gave you a place with Him and included you in those who share His inheritance in glory, well then who you are now is defined by your new relationship with Jesus. He is your Saviour and you are saved. He is your Lord and you are His servant. He is yours, but you are also His. Jesus said “if anyone want to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” (Mat 16:24), and that’s what real Christians keep doing until we die, or He comes back. Be sure your master finds you “so doing when he comes,” (46). But the Lord doesn’t just remind you of your calling here. He reminds you of your reward.

“Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions,” (Matt. 24:47 ESV). Are you this faithful servant? Then this is what the Lord will do for you. He will reward you for being faithful with a little and give you so much more. He will give you greater honour, greater responsibility, greater opportunity to serve Him, and greater joy in doing so. You need to see there is an echo here from the creation of Adam and Eve. In Gen 1:26, when God said, “Let us make man in our image after our likeness,” God also said, “And let them have dominion over the fish… the birds… the livestock…” over everything on earth. God placed Adam and Eve over all His possessions, all His Creation. But in “the new world,” (Mat 19:29) Jesus is the second Adam, the dominion is His, and those who serve Him now will be His stewards then.

Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel,” (Matt. 19:28 ESV).

Be glad for this encouragement! Take it to heart that if you are in Jesus Christ, your future is glorious. But I said, the Lord describes two futures for two servants that clarify your own duty until Christ comes. So first, consider your calling, then consider your reward. But if you are not His servant…

Consider your punishment (48-51)

In verse 45, the Lord asks “who is the faithful and wise servant…?” If you say, “Not me,” I beg you to think carefully about these next verses. But if you presume, and take for granted that you are one of the Lord’s servants—but then if you see yourself being described in these verses, this may be your last chance to consider the punishment Jesus predicts and repent before it’s too late. You need to see three things here: how the wicked servant thinks, what he does, and what the Master does to him. First, see how he thinks: “But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed…',” (Matt. 24:48 ESV). He sees what He thinks of as his master’s delay as an opportunity to sin. He thinks the time he has is a chance to please himself. Are you this wicked servant? Do you look for opportunities to sin, thinking you will get away with it? Is that what you think your time is for?

Second, see what the wicked servant does: “…And begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,” (Matt. 24:49 ESV). He does two things. First, it says “he begins to beat his fellow servants.” Leaders who abuse their fellow Christians don’t start that way. They get that way. When the people they are supposed to serve don’t give them what they want; when the flock becomes a frustration, the shepherds become abusive. Any shepherd who fails to feed the Lord’s sheep is an abuser at least in the sense that he starves God’s people of the food they need. But it doesn’t usually stop there. They also make their ministry a way to get what they want from people. So do you serve God’s people, or do you use God’s people? Second, it says, “he eats and drinks with drunks.”  This is a sad irony given that the Lord’s servants are supposed to be feeding His household! The wicked servant isn’t interested in true spiritual food! He has no appetite for the Word of God. He craves other food, and finds the fellowship he wants not in the church but in the world. Are you a wicked servant?

Third, see what the Master does to the wicked servant:

…The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know  51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (Matt. 24:50-51 ESV)

Let me ask you now, while there is time: Are you just acting the part of a Christian? In your heart do you think of the time you have as opportunity to sin? Do you see people in church as a way to get what you want? Do you have no appetite for sound, Gospel-centred, preaching and teaching of the Bible? Do you prefer the company of unbelievers, and prefer to fill your mind with the words of the World instead of the Word of Jesus Christ?  In other words, are you a hypocrite? Well if you are, you should be glad you are here this morning to hear what will happen to you if you don’t turn and repent while there is time. On a day and at an hour when you least expect it, your time will run out. The Lord will suddenly appear, and you will be caught. You will be “cut in pieces,”—slaughtered like the enemy you are. But that won’t be the end. Look closer at verse 51. After you are killed, then you will be “put with the hypocrites” in Hell. Revelation 20:13-14 predicts the day when the dead will be raised in order to be judged for what they have done. Then, if their names are not written in the Book of Life, they are thrown into Hell. And what does Jesus say here in verse 51? In that place where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”—weeping and gnashing forever, for all the chances you had to repent—all the chances you wasted, all the times you rejected Jesus as Saviour, and refused to humble yourself and ask Him for mercy. So just stop. Bend. Yield. Humble yourself. Turn. Kneel. Beg. Pray. Ask for mercy and He will give it.

I shared this with the church this week and it seems good to share it again now. Paul Tripp said it so well, and I want you to listen carefully like your life depends on it:

God will not turn his back on a sinner who comes to him with confession that is free from excuse or blame-shifting. He always greets the humble in heart with the fullness of his forgiving and restoring mercies. God has always been a God of grace, his people have always been in need of grace, and he has always reminded them of his willingness to respond to them with grace when grace is needed.[iii]

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  (Matt. 11:28-30 ESV)

These verses have great encouragement for real believers but a frightening wakeup call for hypocrites. If you believe in Jesus Christ this morning, as Saviour and as Lord, be glad for the blessing that is yours when Your Lord returns. But if you are a hypocrite, be glad for this wakeup call: repent right now. Confess your sins, the evil in your heart, and your lack of faith. There are only two possible futures. Will you rule with Christ in the new world? Or will you suffer His wrath forever in Hell? Hear the Lord’s question this morning: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant…?” What is your answer?