Ready or Not, Here He Comes | Matthew 24:32-51

We’ve all played a game of hide-and-seek. Of course, in hide-and-seek, one person is “it”—they are the seeker. They close their eyes and count while the other players hide. When the seeker finishes counting and goes to find the hiders, what does he yell? “Ready or not, here I come!” 

Well, in our house, everything is competitive—and I mean everything, including hide-and-seek, which means I have heard every excuse in the book:

• “Wait… I didn’t know we were playing!”
• “You counted too fast! I didn’t have time to hide!” 
• And my favorite…“I’m not it…I don’t play by those rules!”

It’s one thing to be found unready when you’re playing hide-and-seek, but Jesus warns that your eternal destiny depends on whether you will be ready when He comes. God’s Word says that most will not be. Are you?

1. The Context: Christ Instructs Every Generation to Be Prepared

To rightly interpret and apply Jesus’s teachings in Matthew 24:32-33, you must first understand the broader context of this sermon, known as the Olivet Discourse.

On the Tuesday before his crucifixion, as Jesus left the Temple for the final time, His disciples marveled at its beauty and magnificence. In response, Jesus made a shocking prophecy, “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.” 

Later that day, Jesus and His disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and ascended the Mount of Olives. There, the disciples asked Him privately, “When will all these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 

Jesus answered the second part of their question. He described the signs of His second coming—false teachers and deceivers, wars and rumors of wars, and natural disasters—and He warned them of the Great Tribulation that will precede His second coming.

But He ignored the first part of their question. Instead, beginning in Matthew 24:32, He told them not to worry about when He would come, but to always be prepared for His coming. Rather than a timeline, He gave them a warning. 

Now, to understand Christ’s teaching, we must apply a sound hermeneutic that considers the full scope of God’s sovereign plan. In context, Jesus is primarily addressing a future generation, particularly the believing remnant of Israel, who will endure the Great Tribulation and witness His Second Coming.

Even as Jesus speaks of end-time events, He reveals patterns that echo throughout the Church age. His words are as relevant to us now as they will be for those in the last days: Be alert. Be faithful. Be prepared.

Well, how do we do that? First, we are to understand the times and anticipate Christ’s return.

2. Understand the Times and Anticipate Christ’s Return

Although Jesus did not give the disciples a timeline for His return, he did not rebuke them for asking. He urged them to understand the times and live with constant anticipation. 

In the Middle East, most trees are evergreens, so the fig tree may be easily recognized by its bareness in the winter. Its large leaves appear late in the spring as a sure and conspicuous sign that summer has nearly arrived. Jesus used this familiar image to teach His followers to discern the signs of the times as His return draws near. 

Jesus then makes a statement in verse 34 that has puzzled many interpreters: “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.” 

The meaning of both “this generation” and “all these things” has been debated, but when viewed in the broader biblical context, they provide insight into Christ’s teachings.

Some of “these things”—such as the destruction of the Temple—were fulfilled in the first century. Others will occur during the future Great Tribulation. Still others represent patterns that repeat throughout the Church age. So, “this generation” likely refers both to Jesus’s immediate audience and to the future generation that will witness the complete unfolding of these prophetic events.

But here is the point: Christ’s return was near then; it is nearer now, and it draws ever closer. In this context, “nearness” does not refer to a specific amount of time, but to the fact that nothing else must happen in God’s redemptive plan before Jesus returns. 

Still, if His return is so near, some wonder, why hasn’t He come? The apostle Peter answered that question in 2 Peter 3:8-9: “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”

God’s timing is not like ours. Do not mistake His divine mercy for delay or failure. Christ has not returned yet because God is giving more time for more people to repent and be saved. Therefore, we are to live in a state of constant readiness.

3. Live in a State of Constant Readiness

To underscore the seriousness of this warning, Jesus tells a set of three parables that have been called “Commands to Perpetual Vigilance.” In them, Christ describes people who are caught unaware, unprepared, or unrepentant—and each faces the devastating judgment of being shut out of the kingdom.

Jesus introduces these parables in verse 36 by stressing the unexpected nature of His return: “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone.” 

There is much that could be said about why Jesus chose, in His incarnation, to limit His own omniscience regarding the time of His return. But that is not His emphasis here. His point is clear: since no one knows when He will return, everyone should be ready at all times. Yet, He also makes clear that most won’t be. Why?

• The Unaware are Distracted by Life

There will always be something to fill your schedule. Many of those are good things. But when good things replace the best things, they can distract you from recognizing your need for a Savior until it’s too late.

Remember, Jesus is not referring to the rapture of the Church in Matthew 24:40-42, but to His Second Coming. In this context, the one taken is the unbeliever. He is taken to judgment. The one left is the believer, and he is left to enter the Kingdom.  

But hear this—the same principle holds true today. You don’t know when your end will come. Do not be caught unaware because you have been too distracted by life to respond to Christ’s invitation. 

• The Unprepared Delay Obedience

In Matthew 24:43-44, Jesus said: “But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

By comparing Himself to a thief who comes in the middle of the night, Jesus emphasizes again that His return will be unexpected and unpleasant for the unprepared. Interestingly, both Peter and Paul borrow this imagery in their epistles to underscore the unexpected nature of Christ’s return. 

But notice this: Jesus indicates that the homeowner could have been ready.

• The Unrepentant Defy the Master

In Matthew 24:45-51, the Master (representing Christ) appoints a servant to oversee his household while he is away. The servant is to care for others and steward the Master’s resources in his absence. The wicked servant, however, determines that his master will not return soon and consciously decides to rebel by mistreating others and indulging in reckless, sinful living. 

This is not a picture of a Christian who stumbles. This is someone whose rebellion reveals the condition of their heart. Someone who knowingly rejects Jesus to pursue selfish and sinful ambitions, living as though the end will never come.  

The result is sobering. The Bible vividly depicts the eternal judgment that awaits him. It is the destiny that awaits anyone who rejects Jesus. The Bible says that a person will be cut into pieces and cast into hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  

If you have defied the Master and rejected Jesus, living as though you are the lord of your life, it is not too late. You still have time to repent, to place your trust in Jesus, and to be found faithful in the end.

• The Faithful Dutifully Seek and Serve the Lord

Jesus has told us what it looks like to be found wanting. But what does it mean to be found faithful? In this parable, Jesus teaches that the faithful dutifully seek and serve the Lord. 

In Matthew 24:46-47, He says, “Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” 

So, what distinguishes the faithful servant?

1. The Faithful are Redeemed
2. The Faithful are Ready
3. The Faithful are Rewarded

As we enter these summer months, I want to challenge you to intentionally use this time to prepare to one day meet Jesus. In your discipleship guide this week, I’ve included three application questions. I encourage you to prayerfully consider them and answer them honestly:

1. Think about your life over the last year. If Christ returned today, what would you wish you had done differently? 
2. The Lord has given each of us an essential set of jobs or responsibilities that He has called us to do as His servants. Take some time to list out the primary jobs God has given you. Are you currently being faithful and wise over each of these? 
3. Is there a step you need to take in your spiritual life that the Lord has consistently put on your heart recently? What has been holding you back? 

If you will prayerfully and sincerely reflect on these questions, they’ll help you take your next step in your walk with Christ, so that one day, when you meet him face-to-face, you will be blessed and found faithful.

This sermon is part of our Be Prepared discipleship emphasis for summer 2025. You can download a free PDF of our Be Prepared discipleship booklet, which has application questions based on this message, by going to firstdallas.org/prepare.