Reading: Luke chapter 21 verses 5-38.
Ill:
• A friend once asked Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in science,
• How he became a scientist.
• Rabi replied that every day after school his mother would talk to him about his school day.
• She wasn’t so much interested in what he had learned that day,
• But she always inquired,; “Did you ask a good question today?”
• Rabi said, “Asking good questions made me become a scientist.”
• In this passage before us tonight:
• The disciples in verse 7 ask two good question;
Context:
• The temple in Jerusalem was one of the wonders of the world.
• It was begun by Herod in around 20BC.
• It dominated the city;
• And its golden walls meant it could be seen for miles around.
But much more than that:
• The temple was the heart of Jewish national, cultural and religious identity.
• For them it was the presence of God on earth.
• In verse 5: the disciples draw the attention of Jesus to the wonder of the building.
• In verse 6: Jesus stuns his disciples by telling them its days were numbered!
The disciples then respond to this startling announcement by asking two questions:
• Verse 7a:“When will these things happen?”
• Verse 7b: “And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
The response of Jesus in verses 8-36 is fraught with difficulty:
• Is Jesus talking about the fall of Jerusalem or the end of the world?
• Well, the answer is both!
• Many of Jesus’ hearers would have assumed that the destruction of the temple;
• Would be synonymous with the end of the world.
• Notice Jesus is at great pains to separate the two events in verses 8-11;
• Then in verses 12-36 he will give his hearers greater detail.
One more thing to Note before we look at the passage:
• Keep in mind as we read these verses:
• That this is not an all-inclusive teaching on end times,
• Rather it is selective
• Jesus shows us only a broad-brush mural of the end times.
• Other New Testament writers will later add more specific information;
• About the Rapture of the church, the Tribulation, and the millennial kingdom.
• So this is not an all-inclusive teaching on end times, rather it is selective:
• It is a message to Jews by a Jew about the future of the Jewish nation.
• But don’t sit there and think; “this is not relevant to me”;
• Because it contains definite applications for us as Christians today.
I want to divide the passage into three sections:
Section 1: Jesus gave us several WARNINGS.
(1). There will be false messiahs (verse 8)
• There will be false messiahs.
• So do not be mislead.
ill:
• Story told of an old sailing ship;
• One day the ships captain caught one of his crew drunk and a sleep on duty.
• The sailor begged the Captain not to record the incident the ships log.
• As it would reflect badly on his character.
• Despite his desperate pleadings;
• The Captain insisted that the sailor record it in the ships log.
• Reluctantly the sailor wrote in the log, ‘Seaman Smith was drunk today’.
• Annoyed at the Captain he plotted his revenge.
• The next night the Captain decided to review his entry for that day;
• To his amazement the same sailor had added a statement to the Captains dictation;
• He added the words:
• “The Captain was not drunk today”.
• It was true;
• But of course it was also misleading!
Jesus said in verse 8 do not be mislead:
• By religious leaders who; ‘Come in My name’, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near’;
• Jesus makes it clear; “Do not go after them."
• Earlier on in chapter 17 verse 23-24;
• Jesus had made it quite clear that when he returns to the nation of Israel.
• There will be no mistaking him!
• He will be like a bolt of lightening which lights up the sky”.
(2). Their will be wars (vs 9-10):
“When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.
10 Then he said to them: Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”.
When Jesus spoke these words:
• The Roman empire had been enjoying a long era of peace;
• But about four decades later that would all change.
• In fact Rome would soon have 4 different emperors in one year
• Political upheavals and military strife would effect the world of the early Church.
• And Political upheavals and military strife:
• Will mark out the end times as well!
Quote: World Vision:
“Global military expenditure is now running well over $1 million per minute, according to New Internationalist magazine.
One in every five scientists worldwide, is now engaged in military work, and the average military product is 20 times as research-intensive as a civilian product.”
Notice what Jesus says (verse 9):
• “Do not panic!”
• “Do not be frightened”.
• These signs are stepping stones leading on to our final goal.
• By means of them the end of the age is both foreshadowed and brought closer.
(3). Their will natural disasters (vs 10-11):
11 “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven”.
Here Jesus speaks of the world's end;
• As with wars & rebellions these signs are stepping stones leading on to our final goal.
• By means of them the end of the age is both foreshadowed and brought closer.
(4). Their will persecution (vs 12-18):
“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
13 This will result in your being witnesses to them.
14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
17 All men will hate you because of me.
18 But not a hair of your head will perish”.
• In verse 12 Jesus moves from the distant future to the more immediate future;
• And tells the disciples the sort of future they will face!
ill:
These verses read like a summary of the book of Acts:
• Which chronicles the bloody trail of the men and women;
• Who carried the gospel to the ends of the earth.
• That trail, however, didn't end with the close with Acts chapter 28;
• It continues today in the lives of persecuted Christians all over the world.
• And it will continue its rugged course until Christ returns.
• And takes his own to be with himself.
(5). Their will be the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (vs 20-24):
• In these verses Jesus expounds on what he predicted in verse 6 when he said:
• “Not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.
21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfilment of all that has been written.
23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”.
Ill:
• In A.D. 70, Jesus' tragic prophecy was fulfilled;
• When the Roman emperor Vespasian (Ves-pas-I-an):
• Sent his son Titus to crush a Jewish rebellion and destroy Jerusalem.
• He besieged the city for five months,
• Beginning in April when Jerusalem was filled with Passover pilgrims.
• The starving inhabitants were reduced to cannibalism to survive.
• Eventually, the Roman army breached the walls, slaughtered men, women, and children,
• Demolished the city, and destroyed the temple.
Quote:
• According to the Jewish historian Josephus,
• Over a million Jews perished in the war, and 97,000 were taken as slaves.
Section 2: Jesus gives us some commands:
(1). Watch out and Do not be deceived (vs 8):
“He replied: Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and 'The time is near.' Do not follow them”.
We have the word of God and the Holy Spirit (author of the book):
• Let’s make sure we reject those who ADD to this book (e.g. Mr Mormon).
• Who TAKE AWAY from this book (e.g. Mr Liberal scholar).
• And those who CHANGE this book (e.g. Mr J.W.)
Ill:
• These are the 3 things that Eve did in the Garden of Evil (Genesis chapter 3).
• And as a result she fell into sin and caused repercussions for the entire world!.
• Added the words “Touch it” (verse 3)..
• Took away the word “Freely” from God’s statement (verse 2)
• Changed the words: “You will surely die” to “You will die” (verse 3).
Note:
• And let us make sure that;
• We do not build major doctrines on isolated or out of context verses:
Quote: G. Campbell Morgan who said:
• “Christian doctrine is not based on ‘It is written’.
• “Christian doctrine is based on ‘It is written’ and again ‘It is written’.
(2). Watch out and Do not worry (vs 14):
“But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves”.
Ill:
Anxious frog who was worried he would never find a partner in life;
• Decided to go see a Fortune-teller,
• Gazing into his crystal ball, the fortune-teller said to the frog:
“You are going to meet a beautiful young woman.
From the moment she sets eyes on you she will have an insatiable desire to know all about you. She will be compelled to get close to you—you’ll fascinate her.”
• The Frog excitedly asked: “Where am I? At a singles club?”
• Fortune-teller: “No in a biology class!”
Quote: Ian Maclaren
“What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow,
but it does empty today of its strength.
It does not make you escape the evil;
It makes you unfit to cope with it when it comes.
God gives us the power to bear all the sorrow of His making,
but He does not guarantee to give us strength to bear the burdens of our own making such as worry induces”
ill:
• ‘Don’t worry’ is the most frequently repeated command in the Bible.
• It is used on 365 different occasions when the words ‘do not be afraid’ are used.
• One for each day of the tear!
(3). Watch and pray (vs 36):
“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man”.
Ill:
• Singer Steve Green tells about getting to know some of the work crews;
• That worked in the large auditoriums where his concerts were held.
• They often worked concerts-in-the-round,
• Which means extra work for the “riggers,”
• Who walk the four-inch rafter beams to hang sound speakers and spotlights.
• These beams are often a hundred feet above the concrete floor
• For such work, understandably,
• They are very well paid.
“The fellows I talked to weren’t bothered by the sight of looking down a hundred feet,” says Green.
“What they DIDN’T like, they said, were jobs in buildings that had false ceilings—acoustical tile slung just a couple of feet below the rafters.
They were still high in the air, and if they slipped, their weight would smash right through the flimsy tile.
But their minds seemed to play tricks on them, lulling them into carelessness.”
• Let us not be found off guard and unprepared;
• Lulled into a false sense of security!
Quote C.H. Spurgeon:
“True conversion gives a man security,
but it does not allow him to leave off being watchful”.
Section 3: Jesus gives us some promises:
(1). Assistance in witnessing (vs 13-15):
“This will result in your being witnesses to them.
14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”
• “This will furnish you with an opportunity to testify”
• What a refreshing way to regard trial and persecution.
ill:
Once again these verses read like a summary of the book of Acts:
• Read the book of Acts and we find Christians on trial for talking about Jesus.
• In prison or even beaten, persecuted and forced to flee their homes.
Yet they witnessed to Jesus Christ their Lord:
• They testified by word of mouth. At least 13 references which show that
• (Acts 4:5-12, 19, 20: 9-15, 16; 22:1-21; 23:1, 6, 11; 24:10-21; 26:1-29; 27:21-26; 28:23-28).
• The witnessed by personal conduct;
• (2 Cor 6:1-10; 11:22-32; Phil 1:12).
• They even witnessed by means of their songs;
• (Acts 16:25; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16).
Remember:
• That many of these new believers were uneducated folk;
• They must have been wondering what will we say when we are brought to trial
• Jesus here puts their minds at ease;
• By reminding them that they are not alone!
In verses 13-15 Jesus is repeating the promise he made earlier in Luke chapter 12 verses 11-12:
“When you are brought to trial in the Jewish meeting places or before rulers or officials, don't worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. 12At that time the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say”.
• And by adding the words (in verse 15)
• “None of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”
• He is strengthening the promise.
Notice:
• In chapter 12 verse 12: It is the Holy Spirit who enables us.
• In chapter 21 verse 15: Jesus said HE himself will enable us.
• A two-fold promise!
(2). Assurance of life (vs 19):
“By standing firm you will gain life”.
• God wants his children to persevere:
• Not to lose courage; to remain faithful no matter how fierce the persecution might be.
• Their endurance strengthened by God’s grace;
• Is the means the Lord uses to give them the ultimate victory.
Ill:
• Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790s;
• After another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England.
• Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it.
• A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor.
• It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death.
• Wilberforce read it again:
“Unless the divine power has raised you up… I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature.
Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils.
But if God be for you, who can be against you?
Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing.
Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might.”
• God wants his children to persevere:
• Not to lose courage; to remain faithful no matter how fierce the persecution might be.
• Their endurance strengthened by God’s grace;
• Is the means the Lord uses to give them the ultimate victory.
(3). Awareness of a divine plan (vs 28):
“When these things begin to take place.”
Question: What things?
Answer: The things mentioned in verses 25-26 (let’s read them).
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
26 Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken”.
I think the point Jesus is making is this:
• Events that will fill the hearts and minds of unbelievers with fear and alarm;
• Are the foreshadowing’s of imminent deliverance for the believer.
• The to the believer these signs do not show a world out of control;
• But rather a divine plan being fulfilled!
Ill:
• The temple at Jerusalem was destroyed in AD70
• Just nine years after the fall of Jerusalem, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently,
• Completely destroying the Italian city of Pompei and it surrounding suburbs.
• The Roman cities of Pompeii and Her-cu-la-ne-um were wiped out.
• The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden;
• The residents were killed while in their routine:
• Men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, slaves at toil.
• They died amid volcanic ash and superheated gases.
• Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate.
• It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day.
• The saddest part is that these people did not have to die.
• Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers record:
• Before the explosive eruption of the volcano;
• There had been weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion.
• Even an warning spiral of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain;
• Days before the eruption.
• If only they had been able to read the signs;
• And respond to Vesuvius’s warning!
No human being:
• Will ever know beforehand exactly when Jesus Christ will return to this earth;
• But as we see the signs, let us heed the warnings, it may well be sooner than we think!
• So let us ‘make the most of each & every opportunity’ given to us!
• And live in such a way that we will not be ashamed at his coming!
