30th November 2025

Jesus’s disciples were curious and anxious about what the future held for them, and so they asked him a question: ‘Tell us,’ they said ‘…what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ (Matthew 24:3). Jesus’s response in our header scripture is probably not what they wanted to hear. It’s probably not the answer that we as followers of Jesus want to hear either, but it does have some important implications for us.

This humbling truth should remind us that we are not all-knowing, we are not in control, only God is. This means Jesus’s answer to his disciples is a call to trust in the goodness and wisdom of God who holds all things, including time, in his hands. It is also a call to faithfulness: since we do not know when Jesus will return, we are urged to live each day as if it could be today, and to be faithful, vigilant, and ready to meet our Saviour (vv.42-47). Throughout Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus tells parables about servants who are found either ready or unprepared for their master’s return. The wise servants are not those who know the schedule but those who are diligent and trustworthy in their daily lives. Our calling is not to speculate about dates and times, but to serve God faithfully, to love our neighbours, and to share the hope we have in Christ.

It is striking, in Jesus’s response to his disciples, that he said that even he, in his earthly ministry, did not know the timing of ‘that day’ but ‘…only the Father’ (v.36). This profound humility displayed by Jesus points us to his full identification with our human limitations. He showed us what it means to trust the Father completely and to be obedient, even without all the answers. Jesus lived in total trust and submission to the Father’s will. 

This teaching is deeply relevant for us today, because like the disciples, we can be curious and anxious about the future. We live in uncertain times, and do not know what tomorrow holds. We cannot control the future, but we can commit ourselves to trusting God and living faithfully today. We can live with hope, knowing that God’s timing is perfect, that he is for us, and his plans for us are good. 

Jesus’s words are not a cause for fear or speculation, but are an invitation to trust God more deeply, and to greater faithfulness, and renewed hope in God. 

Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead 
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA

Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm

Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:  
wordoflife@gracecom.church