Triggering a Discussion
And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon an another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? Luke 21:5-7
Read Luke 21
Over the next few days we wish to direct our attention to what the Lord Jesus
taught His disciples about His return as it is recorded in Luke 21. Perhaps
you also have questions about this event. Can we know when He will return?
More importantly, why did the Lord actually discuss this? Did His disciples
come to Him and question Him about it? Not really. Apparently this discussion
started after some people made remarks about the beauty of the temple.
Matthew 24 tells us that the disciples had made these comments. The Lord Jesus’ reaction to these remarks must have been shocking. He declared that the temple would be completely destroyed. Just think for a moment: the centralized place of worship, the symbol of God’s presence with His people, would become a heap of ruins. This would be similar to the news that all the churches in your region would be taken down and you would no longer be permitted to gather for public worship. How shocking! Jesus declared that this would happen. If persecution comes, will you and I remain faithful? What can we expect in the near future?
The Lord Jesus wants us to know what can be expected so we will not be completely surprised when persecution comes. If we have questions about the future, we must not gather information from people’s opinions or what can be found on the Internet. Instead, we must listen to what the Lord has revealed in His Word. That’s what we would like to do over the next few days.
Thought: Do you ever think about the Lord’s return and the events preceding it? Do you long for this or do you dread it?
Psalter 263:3 (based on Psalm 98) Waves of mighty ocean, Earth with fullness stored Floods and fields and mountains, Sing before the Lord; For He comes with justice, Evil to redress, And to judge the nations In His righteousness.