Luke 21:5-38 contains Luke’s account of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse. The theme of the passage is the Second Coming of Christ, both the circumstances of the current age leading up to his return and the event itself. In the final paragraph of the text (Luke 21:34-38), Jesus challenged his hearers to live with constant expectation of…
In Luke 21:29-33, Jesus told a parable about a fig tree. Just as the appearance of leaves on the tree signals the imminent approach of summer, so the events Jesus described in the previous paragraph (Luke 21:25-28) will signal his imminent return to the earth. He finished the parable with an explanation that makes his…
In the sermon text for this Lord’s Day, we come to Jesus’ description of his Second Coming. It will be a day of joy for his followers, but a day of dread, distress, and death for his enemies. It concludes with a message to Christians alive at that time, yet significant to believers in every…
In Luke 21:20-24, Jesus continued his description of the global events that would come to pass because Israel rejected him. This text uses language that could apply to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. However, a closer look reveals that Jesus looked beyond the first century to the years immediately preceding…
This Lord’s Day we continue our study of Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse. Jesus explained that the current age that climaxes with his Second Coming will be characterized by persecution. It is not easy to follow Jesus. But the seasons of persecution bring opportunity to bear witness for the Name of Jesus.
The sermon passage for this Lord’s Day (Luke 21:5-11) introduces Luke’s account of Jesus’ extended teaching about his Second Coming. It is known as the Olivet Discourse. It extends through 21:36. We will work our way through this important passage in a series of six messages. Each of our hymns was selected because it anticipates…
Just before Jesus entered Jerusalem as Israel’s King, he told a parable that made it clear to his listeners that his kingdom will begin when he returns following a long absence. In the meantime, his true followers must serve him faithfully. The parable ends with an ominous declaration of the ruin that awaits those who…
At the end of Luke 17, Jesus described his future return as a fulfillment of the hope of his followers and as a day of dreadful judgment poured out on those who oppose him. The text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 18:1-8) continues the theme of the Lord’s return. In it, Jesus tells a parable…