892 What Did Jesus Say About the End Pt.1 (Lk.17.20-37)

892 What Did Jesus Say About the End Pt.1 (Lk.17.20-37) David R. McAllan / General What Did Jesus Have To Say About... / Destruction of Jerusalem / Luke 17:20–37 - Jesus gave His disciples His final instructions prior to returning to His Father in heaven - He then ascended physically & visibly before His 11 apostles (less Judas Iscariot) & they watched Him go up until He was out of sight Acts 1:9–11 NASB95 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” - This has been a difficult verse for the people who believe that Jesus is not returning visibly OR that He has already come - It is very clear here, however, about how Jesus is to return – visibly & literally from the sky --------------------- Today, we are dealing with the branch of study called “eschatology” - I tell you this so you are not spooked by technical terms that make this seem out of reach of the everyday person › - Eschatology comes from 2 Greek words – eschatos + logos - Eschatos means “last things” & logos means “word” - We have a word on OR a word about the last things - Eschatology – study of the last things - Before we look at what Jesus said about the end, it’s important to set the scene of what it was like at this time when Jesus gave His prophesies on what was yet future Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 1 1. The Temple in Jerusalem - The Temple in Jerusalem had been considered too holy & too precious to be destroyed and be destroyed BY, of all people, the godless heathen - Jeremiah repeatedly warned the nation to stop putting their trust in the temple – after all, it’s just a building! - They were doing what many traditional church goers do - & that is, put their trust in a building & think that it is somehow associated with God - That the building is somehow connected with God - Sorry – God is no closer to His people in a cathedral than here in this shed that is the truth of it - Time & time again, God would distance Himself from the temple because people were putting too much trust in the thought that God was somehow attached to a building Isaiah 66:1–2 NASB95 1 Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? 2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. ------------------- In other words, who is responsive to My word - As a result of the lawlessness & idolatry of the southern kingdom of Judah, in 586 BC God had the Jerusalem temple destroyed & the people taken in exile to Babylon – He is deadly serious & they failed to tremble, respond at His word - Jeremiah prophesied about this & railed against their idolatry Jeremiah 7:3–4 NASB95 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 “Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ - In other words, the false prophets were saying emphatically to the people Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 2 that this is the temple of the Lord & you would have to be insane - out of your mind – to think that God would ever allow the heathen to desecrate or destroy His temple - See their emphasis – this is the temple of the Lord we are talking about, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord ---------------------- But Jeremiah did not hold back the punches - The people were in trouble because they themselves were living like the heathen & yet, considered themselves protected by the presence of the temple - It became to them a talisman – that is, a good luck charm - But it didn’t work at all – God sent the Babylonians & they pillaged the temple & Jerusalem & then destroyed them both ---------------------- People do this today – they have great admiration for “holy” buildings or places, but they live as they please – like the heathen - They would go to the church or the cathedral on Sunday & think that that makes everything alright - they have connected with God - I don’t mean to belittle going to church – which is strictly the gathering together of the saints (not to a building) – but to say that believing you can be close to God because you are in a ceremonial or “holy” building is nothing but false security - God has never tied Himself up in such a way so that people put their trust in a place or a building (cathedrals are just masonry & mortar) ========== - Again, however, Israel would face the same choices as she had when the first temple was in existence - Go God’s way & obey Him or face His wrath - This is keenly & especially true when it comes to the appearing of Jesus, since Jesus is the Messiah of God to whom the people are to look for their salvation Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 3 - But Israel turned her back on Jesus – and Jesus prophesied that their temple & Jerusalem would, once again, be destroyed ------------------ They sure mocked Jesus when He said that the temple could be destroyed & He could raise it up in 3 days – Of course He was talking about the temple of His body that was to be resurrected 3 days after His crucifixion Mark 15:29–30 NASB95 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” ------------------- The temple meant everything to the Jews - Such a cataclysmic event as the destruction of the temple was not unheard of – it had happened to them before but, of course, they don’t believe they were as bad as their forefathers - In fact, they were pretty holy & are staying true to God - Just look at the long list of Sabbath traditions & human commands that they had put together in order to keep the Sabbath day holy --------------------- In fact, they believed that the opposite would happen - Surely, if the Romans attacked the temple, it would bring on the coming of the Messiah - The Messiah would be able to beat the Romans & drive them out of the holy land - Let’s put their mindset in a syllogism 1. They had a regard for God with all their meticulous stress on the Law of God 2. It was the idolatry (lack of Law) of their forefathers that led to the destruction of the first temple 3. Therefore, God would not destroy the 2nd temple Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 4 2. Destruction of the Temple - This is a complicated subject & people will line up on different sides of the debate - A number of you might not agree with me on my take on what Jesus is saying – hopefully, we can live with differences here - Apart from differences on how the end is revealed, there is one thing we should all agree on & which unites us Matthew 24:42–44 NASB95 42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. - Jesus’ point is that you should continue to look to Him & serve Him - In that way, you can never get caught out if He comes at a time that you do not expect - To clarify, it means living the Christian life, like Paul instructed Timothy - Fight the good fight of faith – stay true, stay faithful – Likewise, the words of the apostle Peter... 2 Peter 1:10–11 NASB95 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. a. Two Separate Events - I believe that there are 2 main events that Jesus deals with regarding the timing of the future – future from when He addressed His disciples 1. The Destruction of the Jewish Temple & Jerusalem 2. His Return to Earth ---------------------Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 5 - I want you to imagine that you are a Jew in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s - Your family has been established there for years & you have a business - But over the years, the German people are starting to snub you & give their business to others - In fact, things progressively get worse with the occasional rocks thrown through your window Q. What do you do? Do you pack up your family and move? ------------------ Now we’re actually cheating because we know the outcome, don’t we! - But if you were there in that time, you had the choice to either stay or leave Germany - If you left, you were probably financially broke because you wouldn’t get much for your business & then you have to try & establish yourself in another country - There is also nothing certain about whether things will be any better in another country ---------------------- You could stay & hope that soon, you would have a better chancellor who would treat you better than Adolf Hitler - You have no “crystal ball” to look into to know what the future will hold - How terrible for those who stayed but they had no way of knowing what was in store for them in the future – we know now & we know the terrible, unthinkable suffering they endured ================= - However, the disciples of Jesus didn’t need the “crystal ball” about what was going to happen in their generation because they had Jesus who told them – not only about what is going to happen, but what they should do when it does Matthew 24:6 NASB95 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 6 - He also went on to tell of the fate of Jerusalem Luke 21:24 NASB95 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Matthew 23:36–39 NASB95 36 “Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” - They did say “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt – a matter of days before they crucified Him Luke 19:41–44 NASB95 41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” - We do know that under the Roman General, Titus, Jerusalem was destroyed within that generation – in 70 AD exactly as Jesus had predicted Jerusalem was invested in the spring of AD 70. By May half the city was in the hands of the Romans, but the defenders refused to accept terms of submission. On 24 July the fortress of Antonia was stormed; 12 days later the daily sacrifices ceased in the Temple, and on 29 August the sanctuary itself was set on fire and destroyed. Four weeks later the whole city was in Titus’ hands. It was razed to the ground, except for part of the W wall, with three towers of Herod’s palace on that wall, which provided headquarters for a Roman garrison. -- F. F. Bruce1 ---------------Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 7 - If you were living in Jerusalem when such a catastrophic event like this is about to occur, then you would be really concerned Q. What do you do? Do you stay or leave? - If you saw Jesus as a false Messiah – a person with delusions of grandeur – then you may want to stay, thinking that God would save you because the temple is there in Jerusalem - On the other hand, if you believed in Jesus & took His word to heart, you would high tail out of there as He instructed His disciples to do ------------------- Let’s remember, that the populace would be gunning for the Messiah to come & save the temple & Jerusalem from the Romans - They would be telling each other this & encouraging each other to stay & take a stand - Jesus knew that temptation to stay would exist for His disciples, but He warned them in unequivocal terms to leave Jerusalem Luke 21:20–22 NASB95 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Q. What of the people’s thoughts that the Messiah would arrive & save Jerusalem? Luke 21:7–9 NASB95 7 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. 9 “When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” - Jesus separates His return from what appears to be an apocalyptic ending of Jerusalem - That event when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem is not the end – He does Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 8 not come back at this time --------------------- When you understand these times & what is in the mind of the people you can start to see why they crucified Jesus - He was claiming to be the Messiah but not acting like the Messiah should act in displays of mighty power – in defeating the people’s enemies – as in the mighty Roman Empire - But we know & understand that Jesus was, in fact, defeating enemies – just not the enemies that were so obvious to them b. Messiah Defeating Enemies of God’s People - Our greatest enemy is within – our sin - We must understand that sin is not just what we do – it is a power, a force that exists – the apostle Paul calls it the flesh - It can be fed & its power/control over you, made to grow - It can be starved & its power/control over you, made to dissipate - However, it has permeated to the very core of our being & the only solution/ remedy is the work of Jesus on the cross - Not until we surrender totally to Him, will He come into our lives & transform us from within --------------------- As Paul says in Romans 8 Romans 8:5–8 NASB95 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - This also relates to faith/belief in God - Sin (the flesh) distorts & encourages us away from faith – notice how it brings up the most trivial excuses to not believe Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 9 - Augustine had it right & understood these things well He said “Believe that you may understand” - Anselm took it further... Seek not to understand that you may believe But believe in order to understand -- Anselm - They understood the impact of sin upon the mind & understanding & how it stood against faith ------------------ The Scriptures at many places teach that Jesus comes & indwells the person who has been baptised into Him - Baptism expressing the unreserved public proclamation of one’s faith in Jesus - Through this act, God grants the promise of the forgiveness of sins & the presence of His Spirit ------------------- This is how Jesus defeats our enemies - It’s not by us becoming the best person we can become or by becoming a “good” person – what that means is now debatable - But by laying aside our hostility to Jesus & surrendering to His way - By allowing Him to rule in our lives; surrendering to His will - He then, transforms us from within, destroying the hold that enemy called sin has on us - Sin is the greatest enemy in existence because it is sin, not the Roman Emperor, or any other physical power, that keeps us from God ------------------- Israel, at the time of Jesus, thought that the greatest enemy was any invader that took control of their land & hence dictated how the people would live - The Messiah, they were so eager for, was the Messiah that would smash the invaders of their land Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 10 - Like the Messianic Ps 2 says Psalm 2:7–12 NASB95 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ” 10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Q. What sort of Messiah were they expecting? - One who would shatter the disobedient nations as one shatters clay pots with an iron bar Q. Was Jesus that Person? Oh, He could do mighty miracles - Driving out demons, raising the dead, feeding thousands with barely nothing; turning water into wine; healing the sick & diseased; controlling the laws of nature Q. Surely, this One must be the Messiah! ------------------ His triumphant entry into Jerusalem shows that the people were starting to become in general agreement that He is the Messiah - Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Q. But why is He showing resistance to becoming their king? - After the feeding of the 5000 they were going to make Him king by force, but He escaped their grasp - Why, when the religious leaders had Him arrested, did He not put them in their place? - Why did He surrender & be beaten, charged with blasphemy & insurrection & yet not even defend Himself, let alone fight back? ------------------------ In their minds, the Messiah would never surrender, therefore, Jesus cannot be the Messiah Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 11 - He must be a false one, a deceiver & a fraud & by destroying the hopes of the people, deserves death by crucifixion - No wonder, we see the crowds start to call for His execution; no wonder we see them preferring to have released, the true convicted insurrectionist Barabbas - At least he fought to take back our nation from the Romans - Failed as he did – at least, he gave it a shot – not like this Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah yet surrendered & cowered away c. Conflicted Disciples - Jesus’ disciples were expecting the Messianic age to begin with great power & they placed their trust in Jesus but were thrown into chaos when He surrendered & was crucified - They also had not understood – even though Jesus forewarned them that He was going to die (remember Peter said, “Surely that will never happen to You” & Jesus turned to him & said “get behind Me Satan, you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”) - Still, the understanding that the Messiah was all powerful & coming to defeat the armies of the godless & idolatrous was so ingrained that it could not be shifted even with the plain words of Jesus ----------------------- What changed His disciples was His resurrection – wow, what an event - It now all made sense – He is Messiah but also the Servant of the Lord of Isaiah’s prophecies Isaiah 53:3–5 NASB95 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. - What a Messiah we have – who defeats the enemy that separates us from God Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 12 - Jesus will come again & be that all conquering Messiah – those prophecies are yet to be fulfilled, but that is coming with His second return ================ - His disciples, then, need some encouragement on what is happening with the destruction of Jerusalem Q. What are they to do when it happens? Q. Will He come then as the Messiah & defeat the enemies of the Jewish nation? - His answer is NO ------------------- Jerusalem will be destroyed & with the destruction of the temple & all those animal sacrifices so ends the Old Covenant - Jesus established a new covenant - a new & living way - The writer to the Hebrews says that in a matter of time, the OC will end - Many scholars of the Bible suggest, I think rightly, that this alludes to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem - All the animal sacrifices at the temple were part of the requirements of the Old Covenant - But with the New Covenant, the Old is finished – no more animal sacrifices are to be offered – no more will God receive them Hebrews 8:13 NASB95 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. - In AD 70, with the destruction of Jerusalem & the Temple, the Old Covenant was finished for all time - To His disciples, Jesus said Luke 17:22–24 NASB95 22 And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 “They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 “For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 13 the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. - We have more to deal with in another message, but today, I hope you can see that the destruction of Jerusalem was not going to be the end - History records that the Jews were not happy with the Christians because they fled Jerusalem when they saw the prophecy of Jesus coming to pass - They believed His word & fled away – they were spared from that terrible disaster – of God’s wrath upon the Jews because they did not recognise or receive their Messiah 1F. F. Bruce, New Bible dictionary, 1996, 531. Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:03 PM 9 February 2021. 14