The Coming War of Jesus – Part 4
Luke 21:5-36 (29-36)
October 4, 2020
Well, we’ve been enough weeks on this now that you are well aware
Of the topic of discussion here with Jesus and His disciples.
• They commented on the beauty of the temple.
• He told them He’d tear it down.
• They asked when?
• And Jesus has answered.
I suppose you could really divide His answer into 3 main categories.
THE ALERT (5-19)
Before answering Jesus gave the disciples a warning they needed to hear.
THIS WAS OUR FIRST THREE POINTS.
#1 DON’T BE DECEIVED BY OPPORTUNISTS
Luke 21:8
• Those who mislead people by claiming they have answers to the end.
#2 DON’T BE DISMAYED BY ORDINARY EVENTS
Luke 21:9-11
• Often times those false teachers use tumult and tragedy, as a catalyst for proving the end is upon us.
• Jesus reminded that not all disturbances are indicators of the Day of the Lord judgment.
• Many are just the result of the sin curse and a fallen world.
• Wars and earthquakes have been going on for a long time.
#3 DON’T BE DISTRACTED BY OPPRESSION
Luke 21:12-19
• Jesus revealed that along with wars and disturbances the disciples could also expect persecution.
• But none of these things should distract them from their primary calling which is to preach the gospel to the world.
So we would say that Jesus first sounded an alert to the disciples.
They were clearly interested in the end,
Jesus wanted to make sure that their interest didn’t open them up
For deception or distract them from their main purpose.
We might say that the next category would be THE ANSWER (20-28)
Where Jesus actually answered their question of “When?” and “What?”
WE SAW THIS LAST WEEK
#4 DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY OBLITERATION
Luke 21:20-28
• The fact is that the end will be terrible.
• There will be an Abomination of Desolation where the Anti-Christ desecrates the temple and declares himself to be god.
• Jerusalem will be totally laid waste.
• People will fall by the sword.
• There will be signs in the cosmos that will terrify men
In short, it will be the days of God’s vengeance
On those who did not recognize the time of their visitation.
They refused to see Him the first time, and thus they are under God’s wrath.
But God will use this time of turmoil to make sure they see Him the second time.
And yet the message from Jesus is that His disciples should not fear this,
For this will be God’s wrath and we have been
Saved from the wrath of God through Jesus.
In fact, Jesus said, (28) “But when these things begin to take place straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The coming of Christ will mean death to His enemies,
But it will mean salvation to His followers.
Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
That was the message of Jesus.
So we have heard THE ALERT
We have heard THE ANSWER
This morning we’ll enter the final category which is THE ADMONITION.
These are the commands of Jesus
Regarding how we are to respond and live
In light of the information Jesus has given us.
It is the explanation of Jesus
Regarding how the church should respond
To the announcement of His return and coming judgment.
And this final segment includes the final 3 points of the sermon.
#5 DON’T DOUBT MY OATH
Luke 21:29-33
In verse 29 we receive a simple parable from Jesus.
• No doubt the parable serves as a break from the heavy truths of the reality of the coming days of vengeance.
• What Jesus just described is heavy and harsh as He speaks of the judgment of the wicked and His return.
• But He is moving into a new point and this parable provides a perfect segue into that new point.
(29-30) “Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near.”
Jesus is simply referring to common observations from nature
That indicate to us that we are about to move into a new season.
I’ve heard them my whole life, as have you.
How do you know when winter is over?
How do you know when you’ve had your last freeze?
• When the mesquite tree leaves out because “Mother nature can’t fool the
mesquite tree”.
• When the buzzards return because “Buzzards don’t like frozen food”
We know that when that happens “summer is now near”.
Since in Texas we only get 3 days of fall and 5 days of spring,
When the freeze is over, it’s about to get hot.
We understand what Jesus is talking about.
We know what it is to recognize a sign of the seasons.
Someone could come up to you and say, “I’m afraid summer might never come this year”
But you saw the buzzards landing on a leafed out mesquite tree
And you know they’re wrong.
(31) “So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.”
When the events start to take place, as Jesus said they would,
You know that the rest of the events will follow.
When the war of Jesus starts, you know He will finish it.
You don’t necessarily know when exactly you can predict the first 100 degree day, but you know it will come.
AND NO ONE CAN TELL YOU OTHERWISE.
And THIS IS AN IMPORTANT reminder from our Lord since you all know that we live in a world of MOCKERS.
2 Peter 3:3-10 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
• No, He has not yet returned.
• No, all of the promises have not yet been fulfilled.
• But, we’ve seen the first signs come true.
• We’ve seen the leaves on the fig tree.
• So we know the rest is coming.
It is confirmation from our Lord not to allow doubters and scoffers
To cause us to think it might not happen.
In fact, there is a very serious (though often difficult to understand) promise from our Lord here.
(32) “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.”
OK, so I’ve told you about the view known as PRETERISM.
• The view that believes all the promises of the end were fulfilled in the past.
• Hyper-Preterism even says that Jesus has already returned and the
resurrection has already occurred, etc.
That view primarily arose because of an inability to reconcile this verse.
• They read it, knew a generation in the Bible is 40 years,
• So everything must have occurred within the next 40 years
• And AD 70 and the destruction of the temple became the focused event.
• Granted they saw no signs in sun and moon and stars or dismay among
nations or the roaring of the sea.
• Every eye did not see the return of Jesus as was promised.
• We did not see the Anti-Christ, his abomination of desolation or the battle of
Armageddon
But in order to reconcile this one verse
All of those things were spiritualized and the preterist view was born.
We certainly don’t agree,
But it does force us to deal with the problem of the verse.
What did Jesus mean when He said, “this generation will not pass away until all things take place?”
A scoffer could use that verse to try and discredit the second coming altogether
Saying that Jesus was wrong, and it didn’t happen.
But there is a translation possibility here that I think gives us the answer.
The Greek word of “take place” is GINOMAI
And the aorist verb form here has many facets regarding timing
When you translate it.
For example, it can also be translated “begin to be” or “begin to take place”
TURN TO: LUKE 1:12-20
So you recognize the story about when the angel met Zacharias and told him of the coming birth of John the Baptist.
In that announcement there were many things that were prophesied as to that which would take place.
(13) You will have a son
(13) You will name him John
(14) You will have joy and gladness
(15) He will be great and filled with the Holy Spirit
(16) He will turn many back to the Lord
(17) He will be a forerunner to the Messiah and will make the people ready
Those were the promises.
You also remember that Zachariah doubted it
And in verse 18 said, “How will I know for certain?”
And here was the angel’s answer.
(19-20) “The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
Notice the angel said “you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place”
“take place” is the same word GINOMAI that Jesus used.
Now, let me ask you, when did Zacharias regain his ability to speak?
Luke 1:62-64 “And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.”
The angel said you won’t speak until “the day when these things take place”
• But when Zacharias spoke, John had yet to enter ministry.
• He had not yet turned any hearts back to the Lord.
• He had not yet served as a forerunner.
In fact, all that had happened was the very first part of the prophecy, namely that he was born and named John.
So we understand what was said and what was meant.
What was clearly meant was that “you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things BEGIN to take place.”
In my opinion that is the best way to read Luke 21:32.
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things [begin to] take place.”
With that understanding we have no problem
Seeing the destruction of the temple in AD 70 as the beginning,
And as something that this generation actually saw.
But that doesn’t mean that everything has happened yet.
It only means that the destruction of that temple was like when the first leaf appears on the fig tree. That was the start of the war.
• When you see that, know the rest is coming.
• When you see the first leaf, know more leaves will arrive, and eventually summer will be here.
THAT IS THE POINT BEING MADE HERE.
To which Jesus goes on to say:
(33) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
WHAT IS HE SAYING?
THIS WILL HAPPEN.
• Don’t doubt My oath.
• Don’t let mockers discourage you or deceive you or cause you to doubt.
• Don’t let the delay cause you to give up.
You may only see the leaves today,
But trust Me, summer is right around the corner.
He is coming.
Acts 1:9-11 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
And church our conviction to this end is absolutely essential.
The second coming is the final consummation of all that Christ did.
It is the day of His judgment.
It is the day of His righteous kingdom.
It is the day of the fullness of His salvation.
We do not yield on things like the virgin birth or the crucifixion or the resurrection.
WE CANNOT YIELD ON THE SECOND COMING EITHER.
• It doesn’t matter how long it takes.
• It doesn’t matter how hard it gets.
• It doesn’t matter how loud the scoffers become.
• We are resolute, He is coming!
2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
Jesus does not want His church to wobble for one instance
Regarding the certainty of His return.
IT WILL HAPPEN.
Don’t Doubt My Oath
#6 DON’T BE DOMINATED BY OBJECTIONABLE LIVING
Luke 21:34-35
When Peter wrote that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
He went on to ask:
2 Peter 3:11-12 “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”
If Christ is going to destroy this world and all the evil in it, does that give you any insight as to how you might want to be living?
Of course it does!
You’d choose “holy conduct and godliness”
And then Peter continues:
2 Peter 3:13-15a “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…”
• If He is going to come and destroy this wicked world for its wickedness
• And set up a new world were righteousness dwells
• Then “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless”.
And by the way you should look at the delay in His return
As Him being patient while you get your act together.
And finally Peter says:
2 Peter 3:17-18 “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Which is the same warning Jesus gave.
And don’t be deceived while you wait.
If judgment is coming on evil,
Then perhaps you should consider not being evil.
Well that’s precisely the warning Jesus gives here.
Don’t be dominated by objectionable living.
“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;”
What a serious warning!
When Jesus tells you not to let your heart be “weighted down”
The word there is BAREO which means “burdened, troubled, or overcome”
It speaks of a person who has given himself to wanton pleasure.
• Here Jesus mentions “drunkenness”
• The word for “dissipation” refers to nausea that accompanies being drunk
• And Jesus mentions “the worries of this life”
Mark 4:18-19 “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
You put it together and we’re talking about a person
Who gives no thought to the coming judgment. Or if they do give thought to it, they don’t let it affect their behavior or their lifestyle.
Welcome to a warning that America needs to hear.
Welcome to a warning that the American church needs to hear.
Drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, gambling, foul language, indecency, etc.
People who even though they know the Lord will return and judge evil, DON’T SEEM TO CARE
Because they happily participate in it any time they so desire.
Jesus warns against that!
In fact He says that “that day…not come on you suddenly like a trap;”
It’s like a deer feeder.
• It offers to the deer everything it wants for happy living.
• The deer gets consumed, craves the corn, and BOOM
We are reminded of His warning back in chapter 17 when He told us of the days of Noah
Luke 17:26-27 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”
He told us the days of Lot
Luke 17:28-30 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”
And of course He gave us that sobering warning:
Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot’s wife.”
He is talking about being ready for that day!
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
The temptation to pursue the pleasures of this world is a trap!
It’s a trap!
It is Satan’s way of keeping people distracted and entertained
So that they are not ready for the day of Christ’s return.
(35) “for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.”
It is coming.
Be ready for it!
Romans 13:11-14 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
Get ready!
Luke 12:43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.”
YOU UNDERSTAND THE POINT.
• Do you believe Christ is coming?
• Do you believe He is coming to destroy evil and set up a righteous kingdom?
• Then why in the world would you live in wickedness?
• Why in the world would you spend all your passion and resources to obtain things in this world?
This is the application of Jesus to His answer.
SINCE
• Days of vengeance are coming
• He will judge the wicked
• He will destroy this world and create a new one where righteousness dwells.
Don’t doubt what He said.
Don’t be dominated by objectionable living.
Be ready!
And finally:
#7 DON’T BE DEFEATED BY THE OPPONENT
Luke 21:36
Here we come to the CONCLUDING STATEMENT of Jesus’ answer.
• He’s warned them of the dangers of deception and distraction.
• He’s explained to them the vengeance that was coming.
• And He’s told them how they should live as they wait for the day.
And now, He leaves them with one last word of admonition,
And it is regarding the importance of prayer.
“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength”
“have strength” is a Greek word
That actually means “to prevail or to overcome”.
Luke 23:23 “But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.”
The call here is for the disciples to understand that they are in a battle.
There is a real temptation that occurs in this life.
• The temptation is to let your guard down regarding the end.
• The temptation is to sort of move the coming of Christ to the back burner.
• The temptation is to become consumed with the things of this life.
• Maybe it is to be deceived by all those opportunists…
• Maybe it is to be distracted by the tumult of life and quit ministering…
• Maybe it is to be discouraged and doubt that Christ will ever come back…
• Maybe it is to be dominated by the worries of life…
Wherever it comes from, it is the understanding that
The temptation and battle of this world
Is to ultimately live for this kingdom and not the next.
And according to Jesus, this is a battle which must be overcome.
Consider those 7 letters to the churches in the book of the Revelation.
Each of those churches has different issues and different struggles.
• Ephesus has left her first love.
• Smyrna is persecuted and facing death.
• Pergamum is compromised with false disciples.
• Thyatira is worldly and consumed with the world.
• Sardis is dead and no longer focused on their mission.
• Philadelphia is tired and needs strength to finish well.
• Laodicea has totally missed the point, their fake and don’t know it.
They all have their differing issue.
But in one sense the command to every one of them is the same.
Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”
Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”
Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”
Revelation 2:26 “He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;”
Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
Revelation 3:12 “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
Revelation 3:21 “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
It is a consistent message with Jesus, to all the churches,
And the same message He gives here to the disciples.
With the end in view…
With an understanding of impending judgment…
With the temptations of the world all around you…
YOU MUST OVERCOME – YOU MUST PREVAIL
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
In the Revelation we read:
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
We must overcome his deception, his temptation, his distractions,
And be focused and faithful to the Lord.
And notice here in Luke THE SECRET to doing that.
“But keep on the alert at all times, praying…”
• How do you prevail?
• How do you overcome?
• Where does this strength He speaks of come from?
It comes from prayer.
It comes when we rely upon Him.
What causes us to rely on Him and run to Him in prayer?
Being alert.
• Stay aware of what is going on.
• Stay aware of temptation.
• Stay aware of the imminence of His return.
Let that awareness drive you to Him in prayer
That you might find the strength required to prevail.
And when you prevail there are two realities that accompany it.
This is what it means to overcome.
This is what you need strength to achieve.
“to escape all these things that are about to take place.”
“to stand before the Son of Man.”
I realize that in one sense this verse seems to read like,
• You need to pray for strength so you’ll be strong enough to escape;
• You need to pray for strength so you’ll be strong enough to stand before Him.
But that’s not really idea here.
WHAT HE IS SAYING IS THAT
You need to pray so that you can overcome the enemy.
• Because when you overcome you will “escape all these things”
• And when you overcome you will “Stand before the Son of Man”
What we’re talking about here is
• People who overcome the temptations and allurements of the world.
• People who overcome the distractions and deceptions of the world.
• People who remain focused on Christ, His kingdom, and His return.
Those who overcome like this will escape the coming vengeance.
Those who overcome like this will stand before the Son of Man.
THAT’S THE POINT.
Hebrews 2:3 “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,”
Hebrews 12:25 “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.”
So you’ve seen the Lord’s ALERT – don’t be deceived or distracted
You’ve seen the Lord’s ANSWER – days of vengeance are coming.
And now you see the Lord’s ADMONITION
• The Lord is coming, it’s a fact, take it to the bank.
• He will judge wickedness, so be ready and don’t be worldly.
Let your sole focus be
On overcoming the world and its temptations
Be alert to those temptations and pray for His strength
So that you will escape the coming wrath
And so that you can stand before the Lord.
THAT IS A HELPFUL ADMONITION.
SO, ARE YOU?
• Do you know Christ will return?
• Do you believe He will judge wickedness?
• Do you believe He will destroy this wicked world and its passions?
• Do you understand the need to seek righteousness?
• Are you overcoming?
You say, I wish I was overcoming, but I’m not.
• Are you praying?
This should be the consuming focus of the believer.
Namely that we are found faithful to Christ when He comes.
That when He comes we can lift up our heads in hope.
1 John 2:28 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”
That’s the goal isn’t it?
Then take the admonition of Jesus
• Drop your preoccupation with the world.
• Focus on Christ, His return, His judgment,
• And pray and strive to be found pleasing to Him.
Luke 12:43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.”
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
According to Jesus, there is a war coming.
In fact, it already started and it’s going to get worse.
Make sure you are on the winning team.
