Read Luke 21:20–36
Questions from the Scripture text: What will apostles see where (Luke 21:20)? What will they know? Where will some of them be at the time (Luke 21:21a)? What should they do? And where will others be (verse 21b)? What should they do? What shouldn’t those who are out in the country do (verse 21c)? What days will those be (Luke 21:22)? As part of fulfilling what? What will make it much harder (Luke 21:23a)? Upon what people will there be great wrath (verse 23b)? What will happen to that people (Luke 21:24a)? And what will happen to what city (verse 24b)? Until what time? What happens at the fulfillment (Luke 21:25)? And how will men respond (Luke 21:26)? What will they see in this fear (Luke 21:27)? But how will believers respond (Luke 21:28)? Then what does He start speaking to them in Luke 21:29? With what command does He begin this parable? What are they able to tell from all the trees (Luke 21:30)? What primary thing that He told them that they would see (Luke 21:31a, cf. Luke 21:20a), and what would this mean is near (Luke 21:31b, cf. end of Luke 21:24)? By when should they expect all things they are told to see to take place (Luke 21:32)? What will pass away (Luke 21:33)? What won’t? In light of all this information, to what must they take heed (Luke 21:34)? To avoid being weighed down with which three things? If they are weighed down by those things, what would come upon them suddenly? Who will not be able to escape that moment (Luke 21:35)? What two things must they do (Luke 21:36)? At what times? By what does escape come? For what else would they be “counted worthy” (cf. Luke 20:35)?
The day is coming when the snare will be triggered, and all who dwell on the face of the whole earth will be caught in it (Luke 21:35). But Christ is unto us a Prophet by Whose instruction the apostles were sustained in their testimony, even unto death (Luke 21:12-19). And Christ is unto us a Prophet by Whose instruction believers in Judea and Jerusalem survived the Roman annihilation of that city and all who were in it (Luke 21:20-24).
That which would be otherwise dreadful, He illustrates with spring and summer tree blossoms (Luke 21:29-30), teaching us to look with hope (Luke 21:31) upon that which others meet with dread: it is the advance of His kingdom. The things that He said would come to pass in that generation did indeed come to pass in that generation (Luke 21:32), so that we might be all the more encouraged about the absolute reliability of His Words (Luke 21:33).
So, when Christ tells us that all of the signs that come throughout the times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24-26) will be eclipsed by the arrival of the Son Himself (Luke 21:27), we pay attention to what He tells us to do. For, we know that He is instructing us unto our preservation and salvation. He is teaching us how to live in such a way that what makes other men’s hearts fail them (Luke 21:26) are the very things that fortify our own hearts so that with uplifted heads we can receive Christ as One Who arrives with our redemption (Luke 21:28).
And upon what does He tell us to focus? Taking heed to ourselves, and especially our hearts (Luke 21:34a). Living not for earthly pleasures or cares, but for the Lord before Whom we hope to stand. Just as the apostles and others in the apostolic church were “counted worthy to escape all these things” that came to pass, those who rest upon Christ, and hold to His Words, and live for Him will find that in Christ they are counted worthy “to stand before the Son of Man.” Hallelujah!
What cares threaten to weigh you down? What pleasures tempt you to seek after them instead of pleasing Christ? How much do you think about living before Him now, and what does this say about your being able to stand before Him then?
Suggested songs: ARP98 “O Sing a New Song ” or TPH446 “Be Thou My Vision”
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