Group guide

For small groups · Sunday 13 July 2025

Jesus and the End Times

Paul Burtwell

Jesus and the End Times | Olivet Discourse, Abomination of Desolation, and the Second Coming In this thought-provoking talk, we explore what Jesus taught about the end times, focusing on key passages from the Olivet Discourse in the Gospels and Paul’s insights in 2 Thessalonians. What did Jesus mean by the “abomination of desolation”? How should we understand His warnings and promises concerning His return? Join us as we examine the prophetic words of Christ in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, and compare them with Paul’s teaching in 2 Thessalonians 2 about the man of lawlessness and the coming Day of the Lord. This talk aims to bring clarity to some of the most debated passages in Scripture, offering biblical insight into what to expect, how to prepare, and where our hope truly lies. “Clearspring Church Cheltenham - the perfect place to connect with God.” #cheltenham #gloucestershire #church #clearspring #clearspringchurch #clearspring church #churches #cheltenhamchurch

Open in prayer

Ask God to speak through his word as you read and talk together.

Read Matthew 24

Read it aloud, perhaps twice, with different people reading.

¹Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. ²But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.” ³As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” ⁴Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. ⁵For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. ⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁷For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. ⁹Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. ¹¹Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. ¹²Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. ¹⁴This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. ¹⁵“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. ¹⁸Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. ¹⁹But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, ²¹for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. ²²Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. ²³“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. ²⁴For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. ²⁵“Behold, I have told you beforehand. ²⁶If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. ²⁷For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together. ²⁹But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; ³⁰and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. ³¹He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. ³²“Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. ³³Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³⁶But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. ³⁷“As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, ³⁹and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴²Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. ⁴³But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come. ⁴⁵“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? ⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. ⁴⁷Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. ⁴⁸But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ ⁴⁹and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, ⁵¹and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
Matthew 24

Talk

Simple questions that work with any passage.

What stood out to you in this passage, or in Sunday’s talk?
What does it show us about God?
What does it show us about people?
Is there an example to follow, a promise to trust, or a warning to heed?
What will you do about it this week? Who will you tell?

Pray

Pray for each other about what you’ve each said you’ll do this week. Then pray for one person each of you knows who doesn’t yet know Jesus.