John 21:20-24

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20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 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. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 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 this people. 24 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 times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ~ Luke 21:20-24

Today's text gives some detail to the period of time between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. Most refer to this period as "the Tribulation," but nowhere in the Bible is it called that. The Lord Jesus refers to the last half of that period as "a time of great tribulation," but nowhere is it called "the Tribulation."

In Daniel 9:24-27 we are given a prophecy that covers a four hundred and ninety year period of time. "The tribulation" is the last seven year period of time of that prophecy. Four hundred and eighty-three years of that four hundred and ninety year prophecy has been accounted for already. The final seven years is yet to begin and it will be characterized by religious deception, natural catastrophe, and the persecution of those who refuse to worship the Antichrist.

In v.20 we read, "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near." The people on earth during the seventieth seven of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 9 will know that the end is near when Jerusalem is surrounded by enemy armies.

Then in v.21-22 we read, “21 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. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.” Some say this prophecy was fulfilled when Titus went into Jerusalem to destroy it in 70 A.D., but the language used here in v.21-22 does not lend itself to that interpretation. 

In a parallel passage, in Matthew 24:15 we read, “When you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place.” Clearly, the Lord Jesus is identifying the middle of the Seventieth Seven or "the Tribulation." Because in Daniel 9:27 we read, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." 

At that time, the people on the earth will know that they are at the mid-point of the Tribulation when the abomination of desolation happens. 

Then, at the end of the Tribulation, three and a half years after the abomination of desolation, according to Matthew 24:29, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars fall from the sky. Then the sign of the Son of Man appears in the sky. 

In Daniel 9:27 we read, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week.” This is the Antichrist who will make a covenant or a pact with Israel. He will become, at that point, the protector of Israel who is yet to believe in the Lord Jesus. The Antichrist offers himself as the protector of Israel because Israel is opposed by the entire hostile world. He makes a covenant with Israel for a seven year period. Then, in the middle of that seven year period, he will put a stop to sacrifice that had begun with the ratifying of the covenant.

Obviously, the temple will be rebuilt. The sacrificial system of Judaism will be restored. The Jews will begin offering sacrifices again. It will be at that time, the Antichrist will offer himself as the protector of Israel. He will not labeled the Antichrist, he will be known as the man of peace, a great world leader of peace. Then, in the middle of that seven year period, he will put a stop to their sacrifices, and create what is called the abomination which makes desolate. This is what our Lord is referring to in Matthew 24:15.

In Revelation 13:15 we read, "The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." 

The Antichrist will set up his image in the temple and the people will be forced to worship him. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 we read, “3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” This is Paul's description of the abomination of desolation. 

Now, back to our text of Luke 21:23-24 which reads, “23 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 this people. 24 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 times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” 

It’s going to be more difficult for pregnant women and women who have nursing babies. Obviously they can’t move as fast because they will be encumbered. There will be great distress upon the earth and the wrath of Satan will be executed upon all who oppose him. 

These events will begin at the midpoint of the seven year Tribulation. Jerusalem will be trodden underfoot by the Gentiles. But, only until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The end of the times of the Gentiles is concurrent with the day of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.

The Tribulation will be awful, therefore, we must be bold in sharing the faith with others, now. I suggest that you pray a lot before sharing the gospel with someone. Then, be faithful to tell them about your story with God, interspersing the gospel in the conversation. Make it as natural as you can, in hopes they receive the free gift of salvation from the God of the Bible who loves them dearly.

Luke 21:12-19

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12 “But before all this, they will seize you 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. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life. ~ Luke 21:12-19

In Luke 21 the Lord Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives with His disciples, looking out over the city of Jerusalem. In that context, He was responding to their question about the future. He had told them in the previous verses the events associated with the coming of the end, including ethnic hatred, and countries clashing. Then, massive earthquakes, plagues, famines, and terrors in the sky. Then the end will come.

In v.12 we read, "But before all this, they will seize you 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."  

The theology of the disciples was shocked that the Lord's will included for them persecution and imprisonment. The disciples expected the Lord Jesus to conquer the Romans and establish His kingdom, immediately. 

This underscores the teaching found in Isaiah 55:8-9 which reads, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Interestingly, the English word martyr comes from the Greek word martus, which means “witness.” This witness is possible because of our personal relationship with the One for whom we are honored to die for, for He died for us. And, you will remember our faith grows in the context of trials, because difficulty forces us to ask and entertain the right questions. Trials potentially pushes us closer to Him.

Now, at the end of v.12 we read, "on account of my name." The disciples would be persecuted and imprisoned "for His name’s sake." This was not only true for the first disciples, it is true for all disciples down through every age. We live in a world which is run by "the god of this word," Lucifer himself. All disciples of the Lord Jesus represent His gospel which Lucifer and his minions hate because it disturbs their kingdom.

In v.13 we read, "And so you will bear testimony to me." Persecution and imprisonment provides the opportunity for our testimony to be shared. And, as we go through trials, we get to know Him more intimately.And, it opens up the door for us to take the gospel everywhere. This fulfilled prophecy will be a big part of the promise of the Lord Jesus that before the end comes, the gospel will go to the end of the world. To the very end, the Lord Jesus will give people the chance to turn to Him and be rescued from this kingdom of darkness.

And so, in v.14 we read, "But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves." He is saying the believer will not have to prepare and rehearse a speech in advance because, as He promises in v.15, "I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." This is about having a personal relationship with God and being used by Him to help others to come into personal relationship with Him, as well.

We see this in the book of Acts when the disciples were brought before the authorities and they said exactly the right thing, for which the authorities had no response. This will also be the experience of believers who are alive during the Tribulation.

In v.16-17 we read, "16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me." 

On the Day of Pentecost, believers in the the Lord Jesus began to face the hostility of those trapped in darkness. The church started in Acts 2, and in Acts 3 Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth. In response to the healing, Peter preaches a powerful, evangelistic sermon in Acts 3.

Then we read in Acts 4, "The priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day for it was already evening." And this scenario  happened throughout the book of Acts.

In Luke 21:18-19 we read, "18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life." The believer in Christ may die, but we're going to be OK. The worst that can happen to us is the best that can happen to us. No other religion has the history that Christianity has. In many places in the world today, believers continue to be hated, persecuted and killed. 

In Revelation 6 we learn that persecution will reach its zenith. At this point in the narrative, the church had been raptured out of this world, but for those who become believers in the Lord Jesus after that, they will experience torture and death.

In Revelation 6:9 we read, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained." 

Back up in v.19 we read, "Stand firm and you will win life." The life that will be won is the eternal life of those who are convinced to believe in the Lord Jesus through those who will be persecuted at that time. 

Then in Revelation 7:9 we read, "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." 

Here is a group of people from every tribe and tongue and nation gathered around the throne. They have been saved through the testimony of the believers they had observed. This proves Christianity is like a nail. The harder it is struck, the deeper it goes.

Then in Revelation 7:14 we read, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

These are the martyrs of the time of the tribulation, those who were slaughtered for their faith. God spreads His gospel through persecution. This happens because He gives testimony to the strength of saving faith and the glory of the gospel through martyrdom and through suffering.

I close with a quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon who once said, "Dream not that the people of this world will admire you, or that the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough?" We must be wise to recognize that our trouble may be the means by which someone is snatched out of the very fires of hell.

Luke 21:9-11

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9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. ~ Luke 21:9-11

It is now Wednesday evening during the Lord Jesus' last week on earth. He sits down with His disciples on the western slope of the Mount of Olives and He tells them that He will return in the future to establish His kingdom. At that time He tells His disciples about His Second Coming. He is responding to their question: "When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

According to v.9 of today's text, wars, disasters, distress, and persecution will increase at a noticeable rate. The Lord Jesus knew what was going to happen before it happened. It is not that He makes these things happen, He knows Satan and man will do these things. Remember, the Lord has made Satan "the god of this world." Satan and man are on a leash and God will allow them to do certain things. Sadly, their rejection of God and His rule in their lives will bring about the end of this world.

Now, the Lord Jesus is careful to say the end is not coming immediately. In Matthew 24:8, a parallel passage to today's text, we read, "All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Birth pains are an increasing sequence of contractions that finally become intense, fiercely intense and result in the big event, birth. The contractions, or the birth pains, start out light and they increase till they reach a point of excruciation before the big event. The Lord Jesus uses this common event on earth to describe the nature of the end.

The Lord Jesus warns in v.9, there will be "wars and uprisings." Wars and rumors of wars have always been around, however, during the first half of the tribulation, these events will multiply and intensify. Matthew 24:1-14 lists them in detail, and if we compare Revelation 6, we see the parallel.

In fact, Revelation 6-19, describes the tribulation period in detail and follows the outline of Matthew 24: (1) first half of the tribulation (Revelation 6-9), (2) middle of the tribulation (Revelation 10-14), and (3) last half of the tribulation (Revelation 15-19.)

Next, the Lord Jesus reminds us, "do not be frightened." This means believers in Christ have nothing to worry about as long as we walk with the Lord. You see, when we deliberately avail ourselves to the forces of darkness by doing those things that are in direct contradiction to God's word, we avail ourselves to the influences of the forces of darkness. We do not lose our salvation. How can we lose something we never earned in the first place? Of course, this doesn't guarantee that believers will not suffer, but Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 3:17, "For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." In addition, this is largely why the Lord gave us His teachings on the armor spoken of in Ephesians 6.

In v.10 we read, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." The whole of human history is the history of war. Nothing is more characteristic of humanity than war. The word "nation" is "ethnoi" in the Greek. It is the word from which we get our word "ethnic." This is different than nations like the USA and Russia. This is speaking of different ethnicities rising up against one another. We see a lot of this in our day today. And, the Lord Jesus says a sign of the end is the increase of this kind of ethnic trouble.

Then in v.11 we read, "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." Again, these are nothing new, it is just that these occurrences will increase with time. Pestilences are epidemics, like incurable diseases. These great signs in heaven are described in the book of the Revelation 6-16.

Finally, as I have mentioned before, the Rapture of the Church will happen before the Tribulation happens. I believe we are on the brink of the Rapture. It could happen today. For those who will not be a part of the Rapture, they will have opportunities to become believers during the Tribulation, but it will be most difficult to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ during that seven year period. 

This is why I urge you to make sure you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, right now. Simply pray this prayer: "Lord Jesus, I confess I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life right now. I want to trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior." If you prayed that prayer tell someone of your decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ, today. And, by the way, welcome to the family of God.

Luke 21:8

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He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. ~ Luke 21:8

We come back to the last Wednesday of the Lord Jesus' earthly life. His day of teaching in the Temple area was over. From now on He will speak only to His disciples who are gathered around Him on the Mount of Olives. 

In response to the disciples question, "When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?," the Lord Jesus says, "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them."

The disciples expected the Lord Jesus to set up His eternal kingdom, then and there. But, He is about to adjust their understanding of what He had said in His word leading up this point in time.  

The Lord Jesus knew that the disciples would soon be in the position to be easily deceived. When we have insufficient theology, we can easily be deceived. This is why we must be ardent in being in His word daily. We must be careful to learn it from Him as our teacher. We must read His word while listening to His voice as we study it. And, what He teaches us must frame up our understanding of all that is going on in our lives and in this world.

In this one verse, Luke 21:8, the Lord Jesus hints that His coming is a long way off. It had to be a long way off because in the meantime the disciples would be in danger of being deceived. 

I have discovered down through the years that we Christians often sacrifice the good on the altar of the perfect. In our desire for perfection, we fail to factor in the fact that we live in a fallen world and there are forces that we must be shrewd with as we deal with them. For example, during World War 2, many disliked General George S. Patton for he was brash and rude with his words. However, history has shown us, if the USA had decided to use Patton's skills more than we did, we would not have suffered as many casualties as we did. With all of his brashness and rudeness, Patton served an important role in turning back the evil of Nazism in the world.

It is said that future predictive prophecy occupies one fifth of Scripture, not a small amount. Of that one fifth of Scripture which is predictive prophecy, one third of that speaks of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to judge sinners and to reward and reign with the righteous. So one third of the one fifth is focused on the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are about 660 general prophecies in the Bible. Half of them are about the Lord Jesus Christ. Of the 330 that are about Christ, 110 of them are about His first coming and 220 of them are about His Second Coming. So, there is a huge amount of Scripture that focuses on the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. 

Out of the forty-six Old Testament prophets, ten of them spoke of matters related to His first coming. Thirty-six of them spoke of matters related to His Second Coming. One out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament relates to Christ's return. For every time Christ mentions His first coming, He mentions His second coming eight times. That is, every time the New Testament mentions His first coming, it mentions His second coming eight times. The Lord Jesus referred to His Second Coming twenty times and there are over fifty times in the New Testament we are warned that He's coming.

In our text and the verses that follow, the Lord Jesus is identifying the preliminary events that lead up to His Second Coming. Mind you, His Second Coming is not the same as the Rapture of the Church. More about the Rapture at the end of this blog.

From the beginning there have been counterfeit messiahs, national and international upheavals, and religious persecution. But these things will increase and intensify as the time of the Lord Jesus’ Second Coming draws near. 

Today's text shows there will be religious delusion, and even God’s people will be in danger of being deceived. Satan is a counterfeiter who for centuries has led people astray by deceiving minds and blinding hearts. Israel was often seduced into sin by false prophets, and the church has had its share of false teachers.

Most people are naturally concerned about the future, especially when world events are threatening; therefore, religious racketeers can prey on us and take advantage of us. In every age, there are those who either claim to be the Christ or claim to know when He will return. These false prophets often use the Scriptures to prove the accuracy of their predictions, in spite of the fact that Christ clearly stated that nobody knows the day or the hour of His return.

“Be not deceived!” is the Lord’s admonition. The only sure way to keep from being deceived in this world is to know the Scriptures and obey what God has told us to do. 

The promises of God require the Second Coming of Christ. All four gospel writers record the promise of the Lord Jesus that He is coming back. And, in the book of the Revelation, six times the Apostle John quotes the Lord Jesus, "Behold, I come quickly." 

According to Luke 21:8, "Many," not a few, "many will come in My name," meaning claiming to be Christ. And, many have come and many are still to come. I find it interesting that no one claims to be the resurrected Buddha. Or, Mohammed has come back. There is no sense in counterfeiting the counterfeit.

Having said all of this, today, we wait for the Rapture. In John 14:1-3 we read, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so I would have told you and I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive it in myself that where I am there you may be also."

Notice that there is no judgment connected to this prophecy in John 14. It is simply a time when the Lord Jesus comes to get His people and take us up to heaven to be in the place that He's prepared in the Father's house for us. This is not the Lord coming back to set up a kingdom on earth. This is an event in which He comes for His redeemed people, Jew and Gentile, all who are a part of the church gathered from all the nations. It could happen today. Are you ready? 

Going to heaven is as SIMPLE as ABC.

A. ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER 

"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."   Romans 3:23

B. BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS, ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND THAT YOU TRUST IN HIM ALONE FOR YOUR SALVATION.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."   Acts 16:31

C. CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 1 John 1:9

You only need to tell Jesus that you have sinned and ask for His forgiveness. Then He will forgive you, no matter what sins you have committed. Then ask Him to come into your life. And, once you have done this, you will be amazed at what He will do as you learn to let Him run your life. Welcome to the family of God. If I can help you, send me an email at byoungministry@gmail.com 

Luke 21:5-7

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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, 6 “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.” 7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” ~ Luke 21:5-7

Today, we come to a section of Scripture that has as its topic the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His coming millennial reign on the earth. Of course, that is not in these three verses, it is the subject of the passage at large. At this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus directs His disciples attention to the end. And, He teaches these things in the context of what appears to be the wrong ending of His story. He appears to be on the brink of losing all control when in reality He is gaining complete control through His victory over sin and death.

In this narrative, it is now Wednesday evening. This is the last week of the Lord Jesus' life on earth before His crucifixion. All day long He has been in the temple teaching the Gospel. As He taught, there was no question in the minds of His followers that He knew the Jewish religious system was corrupt. He had just finished a lengthy sermon against the religious leaders of Israel in which He pronounced repeated judgment and damnation upon their heads for using their religion to take advantage of the people. 

In v.5-6 we read, "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, 6 “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."

In Matthew 24:3, a parallel passage to today's text, the disciples asked, "What is the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?" The Greek word used here is parousia, which means presence. The disciples understood it to mean the king had arrived and would continue to dwell among His people. So they're really asking, "Now that You are here, what are we looking for that will inaugurate the work that You've come to do?" They can't foresee that He was going to die, go away and then come back several thousand years later. 

The disciples knew, as the Messiah, the Lord Jesus came to judge the sinful, but they also knew there would be salvation, restoration, forgiveness and the establishment of His kingdom for the righteous. They thought it would all happen at one time.  

The Jewish religious leaders, of course, had tried to discredit the Lord Jesus publicly because they wanted Him dead. They had been unsuccessful in trying to trap Him in His words publicly so they could bring some just accusation against Him and force the Romans to execute Him. So when they did finally bring Him before Pilate, they lied and fabricated things about Him in order to get the Romans to execute Him.

The Temple in Jerusalem was one of the great wonders of the ancient world. To the Jews it was the most important place in the world because it was the place where they thought God dwelt. It was also the place of the sacrifices procuring the forgiveness of God for the sins of the people.

On August 29, 70 A.D., Titus Vespasian, the great Roman general, came in after a long siege and torched it. At that time, there were about 6,000 people, Josephus says, trying to seek refuge in the temple who were consumed in the flames and died and there were tens of thousands more that were massacred by the Romans throughout the city of Jerusalem.

Not only had the place that embodied the presence of God for the Jews been leveled, the whole city was demolished. The disciples did not expect these events to happen. The disciples believed the Lord Jesus was going to destroy their enemies and so they asked, "Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"  

Tomorrow, we will consider the answer of the Lord Jesus to this question. But, allow me to return to the most subtle message in today's text. The disciples were focused on the establishment of the physical, earthly kingdom of God, yet, there is a far more important kingdom being established here. It is the internal establishment of His unseen kingdom in our hearts. The Lord Jesus had to deal, once and for all, with mankind's greatest enemy, sin and it's companion death.

The gospel teaches us that the most important things that will happen in our lives today will be the most unwanted things. We must learn to value those unwanted for they serve to enable us to know this One who came to rescue us from our greatest enemy. We did all we could do to damn ourselves but He loved us enough to come and seek us when we were His enemies. Now, that's a story to be enamored with, that's the story of all stories. I'm honored to be defined by such a story! 

Luke 21:1-4

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1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” ~ Luke 21:1-4

It is still Wednesday of the final week of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus. On Monday He entered Jerusalem on a donkey.  On Tuesday He cleansed the temple. All day Wednesday He has been teaching in the temple and has been confronted by the religious leaders of Judaism who have tried to trap Him in His words so that they might have some cause to have Him put to death. He silenced them every time.

At this point in the narrative the Lord Jesus has forty-eight hours to live and he knows it. He is now in the temple, particularly where tithes and offerings were placed in the  treasury. The temple had a huge outer court where anybody could go, whether you were Jewish or not, the court of the Gentiles. Then there was a wall with a sign that said, "If you're a Gentile, you can't go any further. And if you do, when you die, it will be your fault." 

So the only people that could get into the next court were Jewish men and women, and that was the court of the women. This is where the Lord Jesus is in today's text. 

The sacrifice had been made when the Lord Jesus noticed this poor woman giving what was the equivalent of one sixty-fourth of a denarius. A denarius coin was worth a day's wage for a working man. According to the Jewish writings, her two copper coins were the smallest amount allowable that one could put in the offering plate. She wasn't allowed to put any less. 

In v.3-4 we read, 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

This woman gave out of all that she had to live on in a single day. Proportionately, she gave more than the rich people who were financially rich but spiritually bankrupt. When God measures gifts, He doesn't measure them according to the portion, but according to the proportion with which they are given. This poor lady put in all that she had. Whereas she was financially poor and spiritually rich,  these religious leaders were financially rich and spiritually bankrupt. 

Of all of the parables the Lord Jesus told, at least half of them deal with money. It's estimated in the New Testament that every one out of seven verses speak about the issue of the relationship of the believer to finances. There are five hundred verses that speak about prayer, less than five hundred that speak about faith, and around two thousand that speak about money.

This woman was part of a system that took her last two cents on the pretense that this was necessary to please God, to purchase her salvation and to bring her blessing. She was manipulated by a religious system that was corrupt. This story is about a victim of a corrupt system who was literally made absolutely destitute trying to live up to that system and earn heaven. Man was not made for the law but the law was made for man.

According to Matthew 23:13-39, a parallel passage to our text for today, the Lord Jesus uses the word "woe" repeatedly, which means cursed, damned, consigned to judgment, to describe how He felt about this scenario. The Lord Jesus saw religion taking advantage of the poor. Religion demands money to make those who are in charge comfortable and prosperous and wealthy. Our value is never to be measured by our wealth. In fact, God has given to us in order for us to be a blessing to others. Our love for God is seen best in how we treat others and the motivation behind our giving.

The best giving comes out of the seed bed of gratitude. And, God has so designed us that when we give it benefits us. The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems. 

Thomas Merton once wrote, "To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us - and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God."

My friends, we do not earn our salvation. No one can earn God's favor. This is why the Lord Jesus came, to earn our salvation for us. And, due to the fact that His great grace has gripped us, we choose to obey Him. Not because we have to, but because we want to. This is the work of His great grace in our hearts.

Luke 20:45-47

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45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” ~ Luke 20:45-47

As we come back to Luke 20, it has been a long day of teaching for the Lord Jesus. And, since He was such a threat to the kingdom of darkness and to the earthly positions of the religious leaders, they tried every tactic to undermine Him. Sadly, their tactics worked with most. In just a couple of days, many will be found screaming for His death. And, after His resurrection, only 120 believers were in Judea and 500 in Galilee. 

At this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus is done talking to the Jewish religious leaders, illustrating that our opportunities to respond to truth is limited. The worst ever will be those who will spend eternity in Hell. In v.45, He turns to speak to His disciples. The crowd could hear it, as well. He had one final message to be heard.  

In v.46-47 we read, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The last thing the Lord Jesus says to the crowds is a warning. This is how the Lord Jesus deals with those who are not defined by the truth, His truth. In practical terms, anyone with a corrupted view of Jesus Christ and His gospel is under condemnation. Anyone who doesn’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is not known by the Father. As a result, they will hear from the Lord Jesus, "Depart from me for I never knew you."

Like I, you may have wondered, "How is it that He doesn't know me, especially since He is omniscient?" It is not that He doesn't know us, it is that He does not know us as His brothers and sisters. It is that we have not responded to Him by faith thus allowing Him to know us intimately and personally. It is that we have entered into a personal relationship with Him by faith.

False teachers have always been known to dress up in the so-called "garments of God." They want people to believe that they represent God, even though they are the spokesmen of hell itself. We can look the part on the outside, but inwardly we can be very far from God. Humility and honesty are two of the most crucial signs of one's rightness with God. Of course, it is only when we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ that we are made right with Him.

In 2 Peter 2:1 we read, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you...” In addition, in Jude, we read, “For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”

The Lord Jesus warns His hearers of the dangers of the religious leaders because they did not have a personal relationship with God through His Son. They were messengers of Satan sent to fight the purposes of God. 

Religion can not control the sinful heart of man. It is only in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that our disposition toward Him changes. He alone can change us from being dead to Him to being alive to Him and His truth.

According to v.46, the Jewish religious leaders were constantly engaged in bringing attention to themselves. When we accentuate self above our Savior, we are walking down an eventual lonely path, for God will not bless the self-centeredness therein. This is in contradiction to the teaching of the Lord Jesus who calls us all to be servants. False teachers are never humble. They wear the facade of false humility. Those who are children of God will grow in humility and servanthood. Humility is proven by our servant's hearts.

In v.47, speaking of the religious leaders, we read, “They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” 

The word “devour” means “to eat.” The Lord Jesus was using this word metaphorically, meaning, “to consume.” These false teachers of whom the Lord Jesus speaks, pursued the unprotected and the weak. They stole from widows under the guise of helping them. Their lust for the things of this world ruled them. They, literally, ate away at the estates of the vulnerable. 

In the context of all of this seeming defeat to the god of this world, the Lord Jesus was always in control. And what the Jewish religious leaders had been doing in the name of God was dishonest, deceitful and despicable. And so, the Lord Jesus exposed the "leaders" publicly, because He desired for the hungry and the thirsty to come into a personal relationship with God through Him. It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that we enter into a personal relationship with God. Our government has the right to collect taxes, but only the Lord Jesus has the right to collect our worship.