Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
One of the key issues in the last days is remaining faithful to Jesus. So long as we are “in Christ,” we have nothing to fear. What does that mean?
Scripture Passages
OVERVIEW
Jesus calls us to be wise and aware as we await His return.
OPENING ACTIVITY:
END TIME ASSESSMENT
The end times stir up a lot of feelings—excitement that Jesus may soon return; fear of persecution or separation from loved ones; fear of discovering that someone you love hasn’t chosen forever life with God. Share the following questionnaire with your students (digitally or on paper) to gauge how they feel about the last days.
Thinking about the end times makes me feel (check all that apply):
—Nervous
—Excited
—Scared
—Pumped
—Worried
—Prayerful
—Confused
I think Bible prophecy is (check all that apply):
—Fascinating
—Confusing
—Terrifying
—Spooky
—Encouraging
—Weird
If I knew Jesus was returning tomorrow, I would (check all that may apply):
—Tell everyone I know how much God loves them
—Tell that special someone how I really feel, because the world’s ending anyway
—Be disappointed that I’d never achieved my life goals
—Wish I had more time
—Devote most of my time to prayer and Bible study
—Stay up all night
—Go to bed early to make tomorrow come faster
If I could have God answer one question for me about the last days, what would it be?
QUESTIONS
TRANSITION
It often seems harder than ever to discern truth from lies.
Pick a topic—COVID, elections, celebrity relationships—and you’ll find no end of conspiracy theories. With speculation about the mark of the beast, antichrists, and potential persecution, many conspiracy theories are colored by people’s expectation of Jesus’ soon return. But as with Jesus’ warnings about false Christs, half-knowledge may be more dangerous than ignorance, just as half-truths can be more deceptive than outright lies.
When Jesus’ disciples asked Him about signs of the end, Jesus told them, “Watch.” “Be on your guard.” “Be on guard! Keep alert!” “Keep watch.” This week we explore what to expect in the last days of Earth’s history, and how to be—and stay—prepared for everything to come.
QUESTIONS
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
RUMORS OF WARS
Jesus’ answer to His disciples in the following verses mixes descriptions of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and the end of the world. Some details are specific to the fall of Jerusalem, some are specific to the end of the world, and many details apply to both events. They all serve to help us navigate the times in which we live.
Read Mark 13:1-8.
1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
QUESTIONS
COLD LOVE
In A.D. 66, during the reign of Emperor Nero, the people of Judea began to revolt against Roman occupation, sparking the First Roman-Jewish War. The Roman general Cestius besieged Jerusalem, only to retreat toward the Mediterranean coast, where rebel forces defeated his troops at the Battle of Beth Horon.
Nero then sent General Vespasian, who brought the Galilee region back under Roman control. Rebel forces took to the sea in pirate ships to disrupt trade within the empire. In 68 and 69 Vespasian systematically crushed one rebel stronghold after another. Meanwhile, in Rome, Emperor Nero died by suicide when the people turned against him, and A.D. 69 saw four different emperors rule the empire. When Vespasian became the fourth and final emperor, his son Titus took command of the army, and began a new siege of Jerusalem. According to the ancient Christian historian Eusebius, Christians in Jerusalem fled in time to escape the city’s destruction.
Read Matthew 24:9-22.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
QUESTIONS
MESSIAH MANIA
In April 1993, the world watched in shock as the compound of the Branch Davidian religious group outside of Waco, Texas, went up in flames. Seventy-six people, from toddlers to seniors, died in the destruction. Many of them were former Seventh-day Adventists, including their charismatic leader, a man named Vernon Howell who had renamed himself David Koresh.
Koresh chose the name David to link himself with the biblical king, from whose descendants the Messiah was born. He chose Koresh from the Persian king Cyrus, described in Isaiah 45:1 as a messiah (“anointed one”). Koresh’s followers believed him when he claimed to be a prophet, and they believed him when he said, “I’m Christ.” When U.S. government agents attempted to search the Branch Davidian compound for illegal weapons in February 1993, a shootout ensued, killing 10 people—four agents and six Davidians. During the 51-day siege that followed, the Davidians became convinced it was the end of the world. And for all but a few who were able to leave, following a false messiah led to their deaths.
Read Matthew 24:23-28.
23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
QUESTIONS
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Read Matthew 24:29-44.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
QUESTIONS
WATCH
Read Mark 13:33-37.
33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”
QUESTIONS
APPLICATION
Jesus calls us to “keep watch”—yet today “watching” can have an entirely passive meaning.
We binge-watch TV, “fall down a YouTube rabbit hole,” watching one video after another, and cheer on athletes from the comfort of our couch. When we get a driver’s license we’re taught to give the road and what’s happening around us our total attention, yet “distracted driving” causes thousands of crashes every year.
When we read or watch something related to the end-time, chances are it’s shallow and superficial—a supernatural thriller or disaster movie, or just another “rumor of war”—or rumor of the antichrist or mark of the beast. If we don’t keep our focus on Jesus and the Bible, it’s easy to get caught up in sensationalist distractions, while still thinking we’re “keeping watch.”
We may think we’d never fall for someone saying, “Hey, Jesus is in the wilderness, let’s go see Him”—but if our focus is on crises rather than Christ, we’re looking in the wrong direction.
Challenge yourself to find ways to “keep watch” for Jesus in everyday life. Look for how the Holy Spirit is working on His behalf, and how you can be a part of it. Consider:
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
OVERVIEW
As Jesus’ ministry on earth came to an end, He found it vital to present to His disciples the signs that would mark the times after His ascension. There were two vital parts of the future that He needed to explain, and it is important to note that none of the situations could particularly be placed with one occurrence. The first event that would occur was the destruction of the temple and siege of Jerusalem, which has already occurred. The second was the second coming of Jesus, which we as believers are still anticipating. The disciples were confused about what signs were going to mark these occurrences, and asked Jesus about them. It is important to note that the disciples knew of the second coming, and anticipated it, but they did not know about the destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus was also prophesying about.
Jesus provided signs for both events throughout Matthew 24. In verse 15, He mentions that Daniel, another prophet who received and spoke extensively on the signs of the future, spoke about “the abomination of desolation,” admittedly referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. He advised to run to the hills and mentioned that the world would be in great anguish. This is an example of the blurred lines between both the events; it was true then, and it is true now. Jesus does give a few warnings such as that of false prophets, and people who predict the date of His return. However, verses 40-41 tend to cause confusion to many. The theory of the rapture is heavily based on the examples that one man working will be taken and one left behind. It was not Jesus’ intention to make people think that they would be taken in secret, but to show that those who are faithful will be taken, just like in the days of Noah; those who accept the faith (enter the ark) will be saved, and those who don’t (stay outside) will be left. Overall, Jesus seeks to present His disciples (not only the 12, but all of us) with the signs of the times so that we can stay vigilant, and although He presents dire warnings, He administers the eternal hope throughout the passage as well.
Sign of the Times
What is one time that you foresaw something that actually occurred?
Read Matthew 24:1-51.
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
SUMMARY
Just as the disciples grew curious about what would happen after Jesus left, many today are confused and concerned about the state of affairs in the world. A common misconception about Matthew 24 is that it instills fear. That was not the purpose at all; instead, it should invoke peace and joy.
Jesus’ description of events, as well as warnings, signs, and, most importantly, hopeful messages, are meant for the believers back then, as well as for today. If we study these signs and have faith in Christ and our salvation plan, we will be prepared to meet our Lord and Savior in the air, notwithstanding any trials that may pass beforehand.
APPLICATIONS
The messages presented in Matthew 24 are relevant and extremely vital to life today. It is always a necessary part of studying to sit back and meditate on how a story applies to us today as youth. Below you will find three applications that can benefit the youth in your group and help them meditate on the word shared today. These applications work both individually and in a group.
As a group or individually, go through the entirety of Matthew 24, and extract each sign Jesus presents in it.
Although Jesus presents some dire warnings throughout the chapter, He also presents various messages of hope.
It does not take rocket science to realize that we are living in the end times, and have already started to see many of the signs Jesus presented in our world today.
