Big Idea:
Being a faithful and wise servant, means you are prepared for the coming judgment. You are obeying Jesus’ commands to make disciples, and you are a good steward with all that he has provided you. Christ’s return is your hope and you are ready for the coming kingdom.
Matthew 24:45-51
For sake of context, we will read all of chapter 24
“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? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 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.
Discussion Questions
- Read Matthew 13:38-40; Matthew 28:19-20 When is the end of the age? And what is the age that he is referring to?
The phrase “the end of the age” appears in our passage in verse 3. Some translations say “end of the world”.
- What are some of the things mentioned that will happen before the end of the age? What is the single sign that Jesus said would bring about the great tribulation?
The single sign can be found in verse 15. See also Daniel:
- 9:25-27
- 11:21, 31
- 12:11
- Read Revelation 12:11 Explain what this means, “loved not their lives unto death.” Can this be said about you? Talk about the kind of commitment to Jesus one must have to die for the testimony of him? Are we prepared for this kind of persecution?
Additional context: when answering this question, also keep in mind the “tribulations” and difficulties to come. As the days grow later, keeping a Christian testimony will become increasingly more difficult.
Also read Luke 14:26, John 12:25 and Revelation 2:8-11
Take a moment and read what the Lord of glory will be like and look like on that day when he appears. Read Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:7,8; 13-16; Revelation 19:11-16 What do all these verses say about Jesus? How does he rule? Talk about reverence and the fear of the Lord, what should that look like on a daily basis?
If final judgment is going to come upon the earth, how then should we be using our time, money, energy? The disciples gave up everything for the sake of the kingdom. Think through all the obstacles keeping you from doing this. Does that mean we all quit our jobs, quit going to school, ect.?
This entire series has been about the cost of following Jesus, talk about what Jesus means when he says, “blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” Is Jesus talking about obedience? If so what are we to be doing before Christ comes back?
What happens if the servant isn’t faithful?
Prayer Focus
Spend time praying through Revelation 22:14-21.
Next Steps
The coming of Christ is going to happen in the future but what are you doing today to prepare yourself for it. We may or may not be that generation that sees these things and most likely death will happen first for most of us. James tells us we are not promised tomorrow. Think through things you may need to reprioritize in your life and think through important gospel conversations that you may need to have and be like the verse says, “a faithful and wise servant.”