GOSPEL READING:
Luke 21:20-2820 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. 23 Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Meditation: Do you believe that the world as we know it is
going to end just as Jesus foretold? Jesus' prophetic description
of the destruction of the holy city Jerusalem, the destruction of
the world, and the day of final judgment, was not new to the
people of Israel. The prophets had foretold these events many
centuries before. Behold the day of the Lord comes, cruel,
with wrath and fierce anger to make the earth a desolation and
to destroy its sinners from it (Isaiah
13:9-13; see also Joel 2:1-2; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah
1:14-18).
Indifference and rejection of the Gospel lead to
destruction
Jesus warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem as a
consequence of the rejection of the Gospel. According to the
historian Josephus, over a million inhabitants died when the
Romans destroyed Jerusalem with its temple in 70 A.D. Jerusalem's
vengeance resulted from her indifference to the visitation of God
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 19:44).
Jesus also speaks about the judgment at the end of the world.
Only spiritual blindness can keep us from recognizing the obvious
signs of approaching disaster which awaits the day of judgment for
those who refuse to heed God's word of grace and salvation. Jesus
was completely honest. He told his disciples what it would cost to
follow him. And he promised that he would never leave them alone,
even in their time of tribulation. The saints and martyrs who
underwent torment and death made their prisons a temple of praise
and their scaffolds a throne to the glory of God. They knew the
saving presence of Jesus Christ with them in all circumstances.
Jesus offers us safety in the face of earth's threats. Not a
hair of your head will perish (Luke 21:18). The disciple
who walks with Christ may lose their body but not their soul.
We hope for what is to come - full redemption of our bodies
and a new heavens and earth
The greatest gift which no one can take from us and which we can
be most thankful for is our redemption through the precious blood
of Jesus, which was shed on the cross for our sins, and our
adoption through Christ as children of God our heavenly Father.
Jesus Christ has redeemed us from slavery to sin, from fear of
death, and from final destruction. We can be eternally thankful
because our hope is anchored in heaven and in the promise that
Jesus will return to fully establish his reign of peace and
righteousness. The Lord Jesus will raise our lowly bodies to be
like his glorious body which is no longer subject to illness,
death and corruption.
Jesus speaks of his second coming as a known fact, a for certain
event which we can confidently expect to take place in the Lord's
time of choosing. This coming will be marked by signs that all
will recognize - signs which will strike terror and grief in those
who are unprepared and wonder and joy in those who are ready to
meet the Lord. When the Lord Jesus returns he will fully establish
his kingdom of justice and righteousness and he will vindicate all
who have been faithful to him. His judgment is a sign of hope for
those who have placed their trust in him. Do you hope in God and
in the promise of Christ to return again to create new heavens and
a new earth (Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1)?
Lord Jesus, fill me with gratitude for the gift of redemption and increase my hope and longing for your return again in glory. May that day bring joy to my heart rather than sorrow. Help me to serve you faithfully and to make the best use of my time now in the light of your coming again.
Psalm 100:1-5
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The signs have been accomplished, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The signs given in the Gospel and in prophecy and fulfilled in
us show the coming of the Lord... We know that the coming is near
by the fact that we see the fulfillment of certain signs of that
coming that have been accomplished... The signs that Christ told
them to look for are listed in the Gospel of Saint Luke:
'Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times
of the nations are fulfilled.' This has happened and no one doubts
that it has happened... It is plain that there is no country or
place in our time that is not harassed or humbled according to the
words 'for fear and expectation of what will come on the whole
world.' All the signs that the gospel describes in the earlier
verses have mostly been accomplished." (excerpt
from Letter 198)
