Jesus' Words

Matthew 24:32-35
Jesus' Words Will Never Pass Away
Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

Matt. 24:32-33 (Holman) Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As
soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know
that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these
things, recognize that He is near—at the door!

Fig trees abound in Israel. Jesus may have pointed at one as He spoke. He used a fig tree's budding before the coming of summer to illustrate our need to be ever prepared for His coming. Nature tells us summer is nearing.
"In the same way", distresses described in Matthew 24—wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, false prophets, persecution, abomination, etc.—are physical happenings that should remind us Jesus' coming is always near. He is ever at the threshold, ready to open the door to enter this world.
From our vantage point, it has been a long time since Jesus predicted His coming—2000 years. Peter warned us to beware scoffers in the last days, which will say, "Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation" (2 P 3:4). Staying expectant can be tough, but this is precisely what we must always do. Be ever mindful, His coming is always imminent.

Matt. 24:34 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away
until all these things take place.

We understand this better if we remember the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem, the Second Coming, and the difficulties of history between these two, are three mountain peaks lined up one behind another, not side by side.
The destruction of Jerusalem marked the dramatic beginning of seeing Jesus' astonishing predictions in Matthew 24 fulfilled. The distresses seen then foreshadowed what would happen throughout history, and what will happen at the end. Agonies were seen by the 70 A.D. generation, have been seen by all succeeding generations, and will be seen by the last generation.

Matt. 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never
pass away.

Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, said God's holy writ would outlast heaven and earth (Matthew 5:18). In our current text, Jesus put His own words on the same level as the Old Testament. The authority of Jesus' words is no less binding than the very words of the Father's sacred scriptures.
Jesus made a daring comparison. "Heaven and Earth" look permanent. Nature seems substantial, durable, and solid. By contrast, the words of a peasant carpenter spoken outside Jerusalem seemed small and perishable.
Yet Jesus confidently warned us not to be fooled by appearances. When all else has utterly fallen--and it will--His words will remain standing.
If mere mortals had made this claim, their words would have long ago been proven wrong and debunked; this would prove their claims had been presumptuous. Only God can say this, and it prove to be true for 2000 years.
It is impossible for God--Father, Son, or Spirit--to lie (HB 6:18). God can break laws of nature, and work miracles, but cannot break the laws of His Word. If His words failed, His existence would fail; this is an absurdity.
The creation, which looks permanent, had a beginning and will have an end; but its Creator has no beginning and will never end. His words, an extension of His very self, are the only stable thing we have to hold on to.
God's words are fixed forevermore, unchanging, a foundation certain and constant we can build on. For two millennia, His words have remained consistent. This is why we can say belief is a step of faith, not a leap of faith.
Christianity is rooted in recorded, verifiable, facts of history. Put our faith under the microscope. Firsthand witnesses testified they saw Him alive after being dead, and were willing to die for their claim. The New Testament is by far the most scrutinized and most reliable book of antiquity to believe.
History has for 2000 years unfolded as Jesus said it would in Matthew 24. His words still ring with decisive authority. No one and no thing have been able to disprove or stop His message. How much proof do we require?
This is why unbelief is a sin. It is a matter of the will, a purposely choosing to refuse to accept overwhelming evidence. The continued existence of the Bible itself is evidence enough to show God exists.
Add to this proof the continued existence of Israel. Some feel that alone is evidence enough to prove God lives and oversees world history. God said Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's descendants would remain; they have.
Jesus' assertion about His own words never passing away is amazing. We live in a world constantly changing, in a society where our feet always seem on shifting sand. Forces around us feel out of control; nothing appears unfailing or consistent. We yearn for permanence, stability, and reliability. God meets this need in Jesus' words and in the remainder of the Bible.
"The grass withers, and the flower fails, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And (hallelujah—brace yourself—for this coming truth!) this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you" (1 P 1:24b-25).
What is this? One who walked with Jesus, and knew Him firsthand, said the message we were given, and have access to today, contains the everlasting authority vested in Holy Writ itself. We can depend on the Bible. We can know we hold in our hands God's everlastingly true words.
Having now confirmed this fact, let's return to our current context. In Matthew 24, Jesus said He is coming back. Since His words are reliable, we can count on it occurring. He will return. It will happen. Fulfillment of predictions may seem delayed; circumstances may seem to contradict it, but do not count out the Word of God. In God's good time, all will be fulfilled.
Jesus' Coming is for sure coming. It is the focal point of history, and can no more be avoided than the destruction of Jerusalem could be. It must come. It may seem as far away as the most distant comet, but it is coming.
Are we watching for His return? Are we ready for it? A loss of excitement over the Second Coming is too often one of the casualties of having long been a believer. If you mention the Second Coming to new believers they suddenly have an urge to look up and say, "Where? When?"
Mention the Second Coming to more tenured believers and through a yawn they might say, "Are you pre-, post-, or a- millennial? Are you a pre-trib or mid-trib dispensationalist?" Oh brothers and sisters, live looking up, and lifting up your head, for your redemption is drawing nigh (Luke 21:28).