Few passages of Jesus’ teaching have generated more speculation than Matthew 24–25. Entire industries of books, charts, and videos try to calculate “signs of the times” and align them with world events. But if we actually listen to Jesus’ words, the thrust of his message is not “figure out the timeline” but rather “be faithful while you wait.”

The Setting: Short-Term Crisis and Long-Term Hope

In Matthew 24, Jesus first speaks about the imminent destruction of Jerusalem (fulfilled in AD 70). The disciples ask him two questions—when will that happen, and what about the “end of the age”? The first half of the chapter addresses the near-term catastrophe, while the later section broadens to ultimate fulfillment. But one point is absolutely clear in both:

“About that day or hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matt 24:36).

The disciples’ obsession with timing is met with Jesus’ insistence that the timing is unknowable. Watching does not change when he comes. It changes us.

Readiness Is More Than Staying Awake

Jesus then turns to parables, each sharpening the definition of what true readiness looks like.

• The Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matt 25:1–13): The difference between the wise and foolish was not who stayed awake, they all grew drowsy. The wise were ready beforehand. Readiness means making good use of the time we have, not scrambling at the last minute.
• The Talents (Matt 25:14–30): Alertness is not passive. It’s about investing what God has given for the growth of his kingdom. Watching is working. To bury our gifts, waiting idly for the Lord’s return, is the very opposite of readiness.
• The Sheep and the Goats (Matt 25:31–46): The climax of Jesus’ teaching about the end focuses not on charts or signs, but on compassion. The “blessed” are those who clothed the naked, fed the hungry, visited the sick and imprisoned. What Jesus seeks is not speculation but service.

As Snodgrass puts it:

Matthew is concerned about readiness, not the delay of the parousia[1]

The point is not eschatological delay but with eschatological readiness – how disciples live in the in-between time.  This is made quite specific by Paul who specially talk about ‘the times and the seasons’ goes to practical instructions about how to live in 1 Thes 5.

False Expectations vs. True Discipleship

Throughout history, movements that tried to calculate Christ’s return have ended in disappointment. They rarely pause to reflect on past errors, instead moving to new predictions. This cycle of failed approaches misses the heart of Jesus’ teaching.

By contrast, the parables show what waiting should look like:

• Faithful stewardship of what God has entrusted.
• Active mission—working for the increase of God’s kingdom.
• Practical compassion—embodying the values of the kingdom in how we treat “the least of these.”

As Richard Bauckham observed,

“The delay of the parousia is filled with the mission of the church” [2]

What “Watching” Really Means

So what is Jesus actually asking when he says, “Keep watch”? Not scanning headlines for signs, but living each day as though he might return tonight. Watching is about orientation of the heart:

• Prepared like the wise virgins,
• Productive like the faithful servants,
• Compassionate like the sheep.

In other words, watching means faith expressed in love.

A Call for Today

If our discipleship is consumed with speculation, we risk missing what Christ actually asked of us. The Master’s words cut through centuries of failed predictions with enduring clarity:

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt 24:44).

We do not know when he will come, but we do know what he wants to find us doing: serving, loving, building, and waiting faithfully.

Perhaps it’s time to trade the charts for compassion, the speculation for service, and the anxious waiting for active discipleship. That is how we truly watch and be ready.

by Daniel Edgecombe

---

[1] Snodgrass, K. (2018). Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Second Edition, p. 516). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

[2] Bauckham, R. J. (1980). The Delay of the Parousia. Tyndale Bulletin, 31, 33.