When will this happen? Luke 21:8-28 When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus about the timing of the temple's destruction, which is also mentioned in parallel passages in Matthew and Mark, He didn’t leave them unprepared regarding what would happen in the difficult years ahead. False messiahs, natural disasters, and persecution would come. Even though all of these things would occur, they were not to let themselves be sidetracked by deception from the mission He was about to give them. As the age nears its end in our time, these same events Jesus described are happening now with increasing intensity.
Historically, at least in the writings of Josephus, all of the events Jesus predicted would happen did occur. Despite all the persecution and terrible events of those days, the church continued to grow, and the Gospel message spread throughout the entire Roman Empire and beyond. The Book of Acts, written by Luke, records many of the persecutions that arose against Christians in the years following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Traditions based on non-biblical accounts claim that all the disciples except John, who died in prison, were violently killed in various ways. They say Peter was crucified upside down; Andrew died after several days of suffering while tied to a cross. Matthew, it is reported, was killed after being repeatedly stabbed; Thomas was speared to death in India; Bartholomew was skinned and decapitated. James was beheaded; Simon the Zealot was sawn in half; Philip was crucified while tied to a cross. Jude was beheaded, and Matthias was stoned to death. Thousands of Christians suffered and died in different places and ways because of their faithfulness to their living Lord.
Some of this occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem, but they all paid the price for remaining faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ because they knew He had risen and was coming again. They also had the indwelling Holy Spirit and were aware of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father with them. Their bodies were killed, but they had eternal life. The Lord Himself guaranteed that. He told them to endure all that was coming with patience by trusting in Him. The “times of the Gentiles” will continue until God Himself brings them to an end.
The disciples knew about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the terrible, gruesome war that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Jews. The cost of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ by saying, “His blood be on us and on our children,” was real and personal. Refusing God’s grace and mercy means people are left to their own devices without divine protection. The enemy of human souls is determined to oppose God, so those who do not believe in God and/or do not want Him as their Lord and Savior choose to be on their own. God does not force people to believe in Him, but there are consequences for all who refuse to believe in Him. The inevitable results of sin cannot be avoided.
We can apply the whole message that the Lord gave to His disciples when they were on the Mount of Olives, looking down over the city that had rejected Jesus. God’s people have not been promised a life of ease and success. He intends us to, in “patience possess our souls,” remain faithful to Him and committed to His mission. It is not normal to want to suffer, but those who “live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.” For our encouragement during times of suffering, He has promised to be with us until the end of this age. More than that, He has promised to come again and take us out of this world to be with Him.
The tribulation will instill fear worldwide about what’s next. Besides the warring nations, there will be an increase in natural disasters that haven’t been seen to that extent before. Powerful forces beyond people’s control will be felt worldwide. For the disciples then, and the Jews now, the parable of the fig tree was meant to give them hope and a reason to look up. No matter what happens on earth, one thing we are sure of — the words of our Lord are true, and what He said will happen.
Our response to all He taught should be to “take heed” to ourselves, so that we remain faithful to Him regardless of what happens around us or to us. Also, we are to “watch and pray.” That means we cannot let anything interfere with our fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. In this way, we will be prepared when He comes and will not be ashamed before Him. We must never allow anything in this world to spoil our joy in the Lord or diminish our love for Him.
LUKE 22 ONE THURSDAY NIGHT