The Gospel of Luke
Chapter 21
After the exchange Jesus had with the religious authorities, He noted one of those small examples of sacrifice. Although a number of rich people were putting large sums of money into the temple treasury, a poor widow dropped in two of the smallest coins minted and circulated in the eastern Roman Empire. Jesus commended her sacrificial gift and declared that it was of greater value than the others because it represented so much of her substance. It is worthwhile for us to notice that although Jesus commended her, He did not relieve her poverty. There is no reason for us to suppose that God will shower us with material wealth if we will “invest” some money with Him.
The temple complex in the time of Jesus was a beautiful site of 38 acres dominated by the Temple proper, but including covered porches on three sides. The area was the pride and joy of the Jews, who ignored the fact that it was a project begun by Herod the Great. By this time the construction had continued for almost 50 years—and it would continue another 30 years before completion. When his disciples remarked on the splendor of the scene, Jesus revealed to them that it would not survive much longer.
Catastrophe—Luke 21:5-38
Before continuing in the chapter, it might be helpful for us to be reminded that Luke was a Gentile who was writing to another Gentile. For that reason, he did not rely on the kind of prophetic language used by Matthew in Matthew 24. In any attempt to study the symbolism of Matthew 24, a look at Mark 13 and Luke 21 is definitely in order. When we lay side-by-side the accounts of Matthew 24 and Luke 21, many of the puzzling phrases used by Matthew become clear to us. Here, the explanation Jesus offered is quite straightforward to our minds.
Herod’s building work is obvious because he used large blocks of stone that had a border chiseled around the edge. The stonework in the Temple was rightly praised for its precision and beauty. In addition, there were gifts of gold and gemstones and rare woods that were dedicated to God and in evidence all around the Temple area. The disciples pointed to these glories and Jesus remarked that in time, not one stone would be left upon another. In their shock and consternation the disciples asked when such a terrible catastrophe would occur and what sign would show that it was all about to happen.
Jesus’ response is very interesting, especially in light of the doom-criers that we often hear. He first listed the signs that certainly did not indicate the destruction of the Temple. Various events that might have been considered signs would instead be deceiving to the uninformed. False messiahs would appear and announce the time is near. Reports of wars and rebellions would not be evidence of the Temple’s demise. Conflicts and natural disasters and even startling portents in the heavens would not be indicators of imminent destruction. Jesus urged His disciples not to be deceived or frightened because, while these situations must certainly occur, they did not point to an imminent destruction.
Before even those false and possibly misleading signs occurred, though, something else would happen to the disciples: persecution. Jesus’ followers would be arrested and tried before the highest human authorities. This would be an opportunity for them actually to tell the gospel to the elites of society. The disciples did not need to worry and rehearse how to answer an interrogation because the Lord would give them the necessary words at the time. The opposition would be fierce
and would be led by the families of the disciples and as a result of the situation, some of the disciples would be killed—yet would not perish. In this, Jesus was promising eternal life after this life ceased. All that was necessary for the disciples was steadfast faithfulness to Him.
And then Jesus pointed to the sign that actually showed the destruction was at hand: the city of Jerusalem surrounded by armies. At that point, it would be time to run away from the city. This advice flew in the face of the conventional wisdom. At the prospect of an invading army, the populace normally would flee into a fortified city to wait out the invader. Jesus said that would be suicidal. In fact, those who were in the cities should flee to the mountains and everybody should abandon Jerusalem. It would be a terrible time and, as always, those most vulnerable would suffer first and suffer the most. God’s wrath would fall on the land and, as a result, many would die violently, others would be enslaved, and the city itself would be delivered into the power of the Gentiles for some long time.
Jesus then spoke of the kinds of signs that many would expect, based on the prophecies of the Old Testament. Celestial and terrestrial events would signal that all was not right with the universe, that a great upheaval was taking place. There would be some sort of vision of the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great glory. When His disciples saw those things beginning, they should get ready and take the necessary action because their redemption was approaching.
He went on to tell a simple parable with a simple, but powerful, point. Fig trees lose their leaves for the winter and in the early spring show no signs of exiting their dormant state. In later spring, green buds begin to show against the trunk, then in late spring the leaves burst from the buds quickly. When the leaves are apparent, summer is about to begin. Jesus said in the same way, when the actual signs begin to be seen, God’s reign is about to be visible.
A casual reading of this chapter has led many to presume that Jesus is speaking of His return and not just about the destruction of Jerusalem. However, there is a key statement found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 that shows us that all of the previously mentioned warnings were specifically intended for those who were listening to Jesus on that day. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Each time Jesus used the phrase, “this generation,” He meant those who were listening to Him at that time. Here, Jesus confidently expected that the destruction of Jerusalem would take place within the lifespan of some who heard Him. He went on to declare that no matter what else might pass away, His word certainly would not.
Jesus continued to warn the disciples not to be distracted and forgetful in the business of life. They should not be lax about their duties and they should certainly not forget that a sword was hanging over the city of Jerusalem and that destruction would certainly occur. He encouraged them to stay alert and expectant and to pray that they would not be surprised and trapped within the city when its doom approached. Jesus’ words were no exaggeration when He described the disaster that came upon Jerusalem in the rebellion of AD 66-73. The historian and former Jewish commander, Josephus, graphically detailed the self-inflicted slaughter, then the famine and the mass crucifixions that attended the siege of Jerusalem that culminated in the deliberate destruction of the Temple. The early church historian, Eusebius, commenting on the event some 250 years later, claimed that by remembering Jesus’ words, no Christians died in the overthrow and devastation of the city.
The description that Jesus gave His disciples must have left them as confused and upset as His earlier declarations of His own death. The days of Jesus’ last week took on a routine: days teaching in the Temple precincts, nights spent on the Mount of Olives just east of the city. Mornings would find Him again in the Temple with crowds gathered to hear Him teach. The routine would ultimately make it possible to arrest Him isolated from any mob.