Luke

By Joyce Webb 2021

Chapter 21 Verses 1-38

Verse 1-4 Jesus was in the Jewish temple/church. He was watching people come in and put offering money into the treasury/offering box. He saw rich people come in, Then he saw a poor widow woman come in. She put in two mites. A mite— in our money today—is not as much as a penny.

As Jesus watched—he said to his disciples—that woman has given more than any one else.

How can that be? She gave only 2 mites.

Jesus said—The rich people gave from their great amount of money. They had plenty left.

But the poor woman—gave all the money she had.

Vs. 5-7 Some of the people with Jesus talked about how beautiful the temple was. Jesus said: One of these days—all of this will be torn down. There will not be one stone left upon another.

(This was hard to believe. The stones in the church were very, very large ! And it was hard to believe that such a terrible thing would happen to this beautiful building.

But about 40 some years later—in 70AD—The Romans soldiers tore down the temple. They burned it. The gold in the temple melted and ran down between the stones. The Romans pulled the stones apart to get the gold out.)

Vs. 7 The disciples asked Jesus–When will these things happen?
Will there be a “sign” that we will know it is about to happen?

Jesus did not give them a time.

He said, Be careful, in the future, men will come in my name saying that they are the Christ. Do not believe them.

There will be wars—and talk about wars coming. Do not be upset and fearful.

These things must happen, but the end is not yet.

Nations and kingdoms with have wars against each other.

There will be great earthquakes, and great famines, and great sickness —and pests (like grasshoppers)—in many lands.

There will be terrible things that will happen.

There will be things happening in the heavens.

Before all this happens—there will be great persecution.

(Believers in Jesus—will have many troubles. People will be against them.)

You will be pulled out of churches and put into prison.

You will be put before kings and governors—blamed for being followers of Christ.

This will be your opportunity (time. chance) to tell them about Me.

Do not worry about what you will say to them. I (the Holy Spirit) will help you know what to say. I will give you wisdom to know how to answer—-so that none of those who are against you will know how to answer you.

Even your own family and close friends will betray you.

Some of you will be killed.

Everyone will hate you because you are faithful and true to Me.

But not a hair of your head will die. By staying true to Me, your will save your soul/spirit/eternal life.

(Notice—Jesus has just said that some will be killed. Then he said not a hair of your head will perish/die.

Those two thoughts are opposite.

It seems that Jesus is saying—The most important thing—was the part of the sentence—of staying true to Jesus we will save our soul for eternal life.

Death does not hurt a Christian—as soon as this life is over—we are in the presence of God in heaven.

Being killed—for a Christian—does not cause “harm” to him.
As soon as this life ends—eternal life begins.

But—if you deny Christ—give up Christ—say you are not a Christian—say you do not believe in Jesus—you will lose your soul. That will “harm” you—forever and forever.

Jesus said, If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my father in heaven. Matthew 10:33

Vs. 20 Jesus said: When you see Jerusalem—around the city are army soldiers—coming against them—then know that — the time for it to be destroyed has come.

Those who live in Judea—flee- go quickly–to the hills.
Those in the city of Jerusalem–should leave—no one should go into the city.

Those will be the days that God is going to send punishment.
That is the time when prophecy will be fulfilled.

It will be a terrible time for women who are pregnant and women who are nursing their babies.

It will be a terrible time for all the people of the land.

People will be killed or sent away as captives to other nations.

Jerusalem will be “trampled down’—smashed—destroyed—by the Gentiles. The Gentiles will have the city—until God’s time for the Gentiles’ rule— will come to an end.

Vs. 25 There will be strange things happen in the sky-heavens.
There will be “signs”–things happening—with the sun, moon and stars.

On earth—nations will be upset and troubled by roaring seas and the waves.

People will become so fearful because of the strange things happening on the earth.

The usual steady natural ways of the heavens will be broken. Strange things will be happening in the heavens.

Vs. 27 Then– everyone—will see the Son of Man appear in the clouds. He will appear will power and great glory.

When you see these things begin to happen—look up—for the time of your salvation is near.

Vs. 29 Then Jesus told them a parable/story about the fig tree.
When you see the leaves begin to grow, you know summer is near.

So also, when you see these things begin to happen—-you will know that the time for the kingdom of God is near.

Vs. 32 This generation of people (the generation who sees the beginning of these things) will not die, until all of these things have happened.

Vs. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will not pass away.

Vs. 34 Jesus warned them: Be careful, do not let yourself become careless with easy living and pleasure. Do not let yourself be getting drunk and just having a good time.

Do not let the troubles and worry of this life discourage you and bring you down—-or make you turn away from God.

Do not be so busy with this life—that you do not realize the time in which you live—that these things happening are a sign to you that the time for Christ to appear in the clouds is near.

Vs. 35 These things will happen to everyone on earth.

Vs. 36 Watch ! Pray always. Pray that you will be thought worthy to escape these terrible things that will happen. And that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man (Jesus).

(How will we be able to “escape” all these things? Many church teachers and believers—believe that those who are Christians and forgiven—will go up in the air with Jesus when he comes in the clouds—-it is called “the rapture”.

The tribulation (terrible time of troubles) will begin after that happens.

Before the rapture of Christians, some of these things will be happening, but the worst ones—the most terrible ones—will happened after the Christians are gone.

Those “worthy” to go up—will be Christians—those whose sins are forgiven.)

Before 70 AD—the disciples and other believers were persecuted and were taken from the Jewish churches and were put in prison, and were killed.

Some of the things Jesus warned them would happen—did happen to the Jewish people when the Romans burned the temple and killed hundreds of Jewish people in 70 AD. Many of the Jews left Jerusalem and areas around it—they moved far away.

There will still be a time coming—when Christians will be hated and persecuted.

We are seeing some of that beginning to happen now in our country.

It has already been happening in many other nations.

We are seeing strange weather happening all over the world.

We hear talk of wars. Wars are going on in other nations.

Vs. 37 Jesus continued to teach in the temple in the day time.
At night, he went out into the mount of Olives.

Vs. 38 All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.