Matthew 24:36-44

This emphasis on how unexpected that judgment will be is easier to see in Matthew 24, if you would flip back there. In Matthew’s version, Christ’s illustration of the days of Noah is unmistakably about the unknown timing, not the activities. This is found in verse 36:

Before and after Christ’s mention of the days of Noah, His point in verses 36, 42, and 44 is the unknown timing. The overall flow and context show that Jesus is not saying that He will return when eating and drinking and marrying are at their peak, but rather that His return will be unexpected.

So, Christ’s reference to the days of Noah and the days of Lot do not contradict His warning of a time of intense trouble. The time before His return will be the worst of times, and His return will be unexpected, just as the destructions by the flood and by fire and brimstone were entirely unexpected. The activities of the people at the time demonstrate they had no clue as to what was about to happen.

Matthew 24:32-44

1. Watch and be ready.

His command to watch here can be translated as be alert, be on guard, stay awake, stay vigilant, and of course, as it is here in the New King James, watch. If you want to jot down Mark 12:23, Luke 12:40, Luke 21:34 and 36, there are also commands there that say basically the same thing: watch, stay alert, stay vigilant, be on guard. So He is urging us here to remain aware of what is happening from a spiritual perspective. We can put it negatively if we want: do not fall asleep, like the Ten Virgins do, or as the three apostles did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is saying, could you not stay up with Me for a little while? Nope, they had to get their Z's.

Matthew 24:42-44

We know the times and seasons. We know that we're in the ballpark, but we don't know the day. We don't know the hour, and it kind of gives the impression there that if Christ is speaking to His people, that we're going to be caught by surprise by it too.