Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Can We Trust Jesus's Promises? | Learning to Follow Jesus | Luke 21.5-38

Episode Date: June 17, 2020

Jesus made a lot of bold and confusing claims during his ministry. How much of it was literal and how much was poetic? Find out from https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/staff/patrick-miller/ (Patrick) as he reads through https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+21.5-38&version=NIV (Luke 21.5-38) to continue our series on https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcast-series/how-to-follow-jesus/ (Learning to Follow Jesus). Interested in more content like this? Check out https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcasts/whats-the-churchs-mission-learning-to-follow-jesus-luke-19-41-48/ (What's the Church's Mission?) and How the Gospel Preached Treason. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. To learn more, visit our https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (website) and follow us on https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/ (Instagram), and https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo (Twitter) @TheCrossingCOMO.  Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now.

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work. I'm Patrick Miller. And I'm Keith Simon. Right now, we're learning what it looks like to follow Jesus by working our way through the Gospel of Luke. A few years ago, I did a two-year archaeological tour of Israel, and on the first day, we went into Jerusalem and we bust to the top of the Mount of Olives. There's no doubt that this is the best view that you can get of the old city of Jerusalem. You can see the entire length of the east wall. Above it stands the dome with the rock, which is now a Muslim holy site.

But that Muslim holy site actually stands on the spot or near the spot where the temple would have stood in Jesus' day. And standing there on the Mount of Olives, taking in all of Jerusalem, I finally understood one of the most challenging teaches of Jesus in the gospel. It's a passage that some scholars called Jesus' Little Apocalypse. It's kind of a cute name. I don't know where that came from. But if you read it today in Luke 21 versus 5 to 36, I think if you read it, you'd find it

apocalyptic too. You'd probably assume that a lot of the stuff you're reading about inside of that passage is describing something in the future, not just Jesus' future, but our future, some sort of future world-ending event. But if you thought that, I think you'd actually probably be wrong. I think that Jesus is talking about something that happened, as he himself says in verse 32 within the generation of his disciples, within 40 years of Jesus's death. Why do I say I think it happened in his lifetime? Well, one, again, Jesus himself said it would happen in the lifetime of his disciples, but two, because I think he was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. He was talking about the destruction of the temple in particular, which actually did happen about 37 to 40 years

after the death of Jesus. Now, this passage that we tend to read as the end of the world, I'm saying it's already happened, which is to say that Jesus quite miraculously did predict the future. And in doing so, he actually rescued the lives of many Christians. The early church historian Eusebius, he said that because Jesus warned about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, Christians at the time were able to flee before it happened. They fleed to a nearby town about 60 miles away called Pella. And so when the Roman military encircled Jerusalem and the entire city itself became a pit of cannibalism and starvation, the Christians weren't there because they'd left. They'd fled. Jesus had warned them that this was what was coming. That war ended up taking millions of lives

and many more became captives afterwards. In the midst of that war, Rome itself, it was actually undergoing a civil war. So if you can believe it, Jerusalem is rebellious. against Rome and the city is on fire and it's awful. But at the exact same time, in 69 AD, the line of Caesars, which began with Julius Caesar, that line came to a murderous, suicidal end. And in that same year, four different men successively took the throne. It's called the Year of the Four Emperors. These men, they murdered, they assassinated, and they fought until finally Vespasian, the very general who was actually leading the assault on Judea, on Jerusalem, that's the guy who ends up taking the throne.

So you can imagine how, at least from the perspective of anyone living in Judea, much less anywhere else in Rome in 69 to 70 AD, that time would have felt apocalyptic. It would have felt like the world was ending. Civil wars, God's holy city being burned down to the ground, famines, battle. I mean, it was awful. But here's why it took me standing on the Mount of Olives to understand Jesus' little apocalypse.

because Mark, he tells us that Jesus spoke his little apocalypse. He spoke it to his disciples on the Mount of Olives. And sitting there on the Mount, I finally understood what it must have been like for his disciples when they were hearing Jesus talk. Because the entire time that Jesus spoke about the apocalypse, spoke about the end, the entire time they were staring at the temple. They're on the Mount of Olives. They had the best view of the temple that there was out there.

And here's the thing, by any measure, the Jewish temple, it was a market. Marvel. It was something that they would have been looking at. The temple was constructed largely by a guy named Herod the Great. And despite his violent, paranoid character, or maybe because of it, Herod became the greatest builder who ever lived in the land of Israel. He was one of the greatest builders in Rome in general. And he's a guy who didn't just build, he invented. I mean, he's the guy who invented wet concrete so that he could make a man-made harbor on Israel's Mediterranean coast. The temple, though, was one of his greatest projects, and it must have been a marvel to behold. Again, the disciples would have agreed. We pick up in Luke 21-5. Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned

with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, as for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another. Every one of them will be thrown down. Let's pause, just to say this, Jesus was right. The stone. that built the temple, they were thrown down. Again, I've been to Israel. I've actually seen the stones that Rome threw down from the temple mount onto the streets below. Verse seven, teacher, the disciples ask, one of these things going to happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place? Again, here, we need to pause for a second because we need to take note of the specific question that the disciples are asking. The disciples are not asking about the end of the world. Honestly, I don't think that's a

question they ever would have asked. That's not how ancient Jews thought. They didn't think that there was going to be an end of this world. And the Bible never talks about an end to this world. No, the question they're asking is, when will these things, namely the temple being destroyed in Jerusalem falling? When will these things happen? And I think they understood this. They understood that when the temple and its political authority fell, that Jesus himself would be the one who would ultimately be vindicated as king. That's part of why they want to know, because the temple was a symbol of kingdom, was a symbol of authority, and Jesus seems to be saying, no, I'm the new temple, I'm that new symbol. And so they're saying, when does that happen? When do you become king? How does it all fit together?

Check out how Jesus replies, watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name claiming, I am he, and the time is near. Don't follow them. When you hear of wars and uprisings, don't be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end, the end of the temple, will not come right away. So first here, Jesus is warning them of false teachers and false messias. You know, these are the charlatans who want to capitalize on catastrophe. You know, they're going to try and get your credit card number or build a following because people are scared. And during the Jewish revolt in 80s 70, guess what happened? There were people who claimed to be messiahs, claimed to be the ones who would rescue God's people. And what ended up happening? They all died, and so did everyone

following them. Luke 2110. Then he said to them, Nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences, in various places, and fearful events, and great signs from heaven. Now again, you just have to know this. War actually does characterize the time between Jesus' death and the fall of the temple. There was a huge earthquake in Judea in AD 60. It was one of the most devastating that had ever happened.

But Jesus is saying, look, these events, the famines, all these things that happen, these are pointing towards the end, which I am speaking. and what's that end? It's the end of Jerusalem, the end of the temple. Luke 2112. But before all this, they will seize you, my disciples, and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. Now let's pause here. Today, let's say this was talking about something that happened in our future. Parts of this just don't make sense. Disciples wouldn't expect to be brought in before synagogue leaders today. It just seems nonsensical. But it made a lot of sense in Jesus' day. And in fact,

that's exactly what happens in the book of Acts. The disciples are brought where in front of the synagogue leaders? Because they were all Jews. And this is how Jews at the time were dealing with their inner Jewish issues that circled around Jesus. Verse 13. And so you will bear testimony to me, but make up your minds not to worry beforehand about how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict, you will be betrayed, even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish.

Stand firm, and you will win life. Again, Jesus is talking about events that the book of Acts say take place in the lives of the disciples. And he says, and not a hair of your head will perish. What he doesn't mean is that people won't die. He's clearly said some people are going to die. But in the end, their life, their ultimate resurrected life, that won't be taken away. As he says, stand firm and you will win life. Luke 2120, when you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies.

Again, we know this happened. The Roman army surrounded Jerusalem. Then you will know that its desolation is near. 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. for this is the time of the punishment and fulfillment of all that has been written. 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 people.

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 time of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars. On earth every nation will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and the top. tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what's coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Now, when we read the first half, and it's talking about Rome sacking and destroyed Jerusalem, that language makes sense to us. That sounds like an army defeating a city. But the second half here, with these signs in the sky and the sun being blotted out

and the heavenly body shaking, what is that talking about? Well, again, we tend to assume, well, that must be the end of the world. But that's not what it is at all. Jesus is actually quoting from Isaiah 13. And in Isaiah 13, the prophet is describing the fall of Babylon. But get this, when Babylon fell to the Persian army, it fell without a war. It fell without a fight. They literally opened the gates to the Persian emperor. He walks in and takes the city. And yet Isaiah describes it as though the heavens are ripping open and the heavenly bodies are shaking. He describes it using cataclysmic language. Why? Because Isaiah is trying to say this event, Babylon falling, is significant. It is significant in the story of God's plan for the world. And the Bible does this all the time. They use cataclysmic language to describe significant events to

highlight their significance, not to describe what will literally happen. And by the way, we do this today too, don't we? You can say that someone won by a landslide, but you don't literally mean that landside caused them to win. We can say that an event is earth shattering, but we don't mean that the earth has literally shattered into pieces. Here's the bigger picture. Jesus is describing Jerusalem's fall, and he's doing it. Here's the interesting part. He's doing it using the language that Isaiah uses to describe Babylon. In other words, he's saying that Jerusalem has become Babylon. Jerusalem has become the quintessential pagan city living in absolute rebellion to God. And he says that its fall, its destruction under the hands of Rome, it's a significant event

in God's big redemptive plan and purposes for the world. Now, if you know your Bible really well, you know what happens after the fall of Babylon. Every prophet agrees. Once Babylon falls, what happens? The exiles come out of Babylon. And what happens after that? God reigns as king. God reigns as king. That's always the pattern. Babylon falls, the exiles come out, and then God

reigns as king. And Jesus does the exact same thing. He says, once the Babylon of Jerusalem falls, what happens? Jesus says, I will arrive as king. Verse 27, at that time, they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Now, when we read this, we tend to to assume that this is talking about Jesus' second coming, right? It says the son of man coming in the clouds. But again, there's a problem with that because Jesus is actually quoting Daniel 7. And in Daniel 7, the cloud writer, he isn't coming from heaven to earth. The cloud rider is coming from earth to heaven. Why? To take up his throne. That's what Jesus is saying here. He's not talking about his return

from heaven to earth. He's talking about his ascension. He's saying, once Jerusalem falls, That's the point at which you will know that I have been vindicated as king, that Israel's leaders, that they aren't the ones who are really in charge of Israel. That's the point when I will ascend to heaven and take up my rightful throne over Israel. So we've explored Jesus's apocalypse, and I realize it's kind of an interesting and long thing to get through. But let me just ask a question that I would be asking if I was you. If all of these events already happened in 80s, 70, why does it even matter to me? Let me give you two reasons.

First, Jesus promised to rescue his people from persecution. He promised to rescue his people from persecution at the hands of the Jewish leaders and Romans and to take his seat as king. And you know what happened? Jesus did it. This tells us that Jesus' promises are always secure. So even if we've waited 2,000 years for his return, we don't have to fear. He will return to set everything right to judge all injustice and to renew a languishing creation.

The second reason it matters. Even if we didn't live through the tribulation that Jesus was talking about, it doesn't mean that we won't experience similar things in our lives today. In fact, the Bible tells us to expect tribulation throughout our lives. And for some of us, that will mean war, others, famine, sickness, pandemics, persecution. And Jesus' wisdom applies to us the exact same way that it applied to them. I think you'd say the same things. Don't get taken in by false teachers.

Don't let people capitalize on catastrophe. Stand firm and doer to the end and you will receive the prize of life. Thanks for listening. If you've enjoyed this content, please subscribe and give us a rating. That helps other people find this podcast more easily. Also, ask yourself, who could you share this podcast with? Texting an episode to a friend or a family member is a great way to help them grow spiritually. If you want to go deeper, check out our show notes for book recommendations.