In this passage Jesus is telling his disciples that they can have the assurance of his second coming and that they need to get ready for his return. Assurance and readiness are the themes of what we will study today. Just stop and ask yourself if you live with the reassurance of Christ’s return and then ask yourself what you need to do to get ready for Jesus to come back. Are you living with the assurance of Christ’s return today? Are you ready for Christ’s return today?
Look at Luke 21:29 – 36…
29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
We Can Be Assured Of Christ’s Second Coming… (29 – 33)
Assurance is something every one of us longs for. We want to be assured that our relationships will stand the test of time. We want to be assured that our financial decisions are wise. We want to be assured that the career we’ve chosen will be right for us. But most of all we want to be assured that God can be trusted. We want to know if he will really come and rescue us just like he says he will. Jesus knows that what he’s been prophesying in regards to the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the world and his second coming will effectively cause deep fear and questions among his disciples and so he outlines 4 ways that they can be assured of his second coming.
1: You can be assured just by looking at the trees… (29-30)
Jesus says, “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.” In other words, it’s easy to tell the changing seasons by looking at the trees around us. After a bitter cold winter it’s reassuring to know that the warm days of spring and summer are right around the corner. After enduring the long dark days of winter it’s reassuring to know that the longer days full of light are coming upon us. When you know that there are terrifying days ahead it’s reassuring to rest in the truth that it will all come to an end someday and that Christ will restore everything to it’s rightful order. When your struggle with sin seems to be getting the best of you it’s reassuring to know that Christ will restore you completely. When your soul has been gripped by the depression and the despair and the fear of a long, dark, cold, wintery season of spiritual darkness it’s important to be assured that this season will soon pass away. You can be assured of Christ’s second coming just by looking at the trees!
2: You can be assured when you see things happening… (31)
Jesus says, “So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” What “things taking place” is Jesus referring to? The trees in bloom? The destruction of Jerusalem? Signs of the end of the world? Signs of Christ returning? Many scholars have attempted to unravel this statement by chopping up the previous text into various portions and pieces so that they could somehow piece together a timeline of these events. But the reality is that Jesus doesn’t really give us a moment-by-moment timeline. He says elsewhere that only the Father knows the exact timing of the events he prophesied. What Jesus has been doing here all along is painting a panoramic picture of things that had happened, things that were happening and things that were going to happen. Jerusalem had already been destroyed once and was going to be destroyed again in 40 years or so. There were nations fighting against other nations and there would be continued worldwide conflict and chaos. Jesus had come into the world to give himself as a ransom for sinners and he’s going to return one day on the clouds in power and glory. When you look around and you see things happening you can be assured that Christ’s second coming is near!
3: You can be assured by this generation… (32)
Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.” In other words Jesus is speaking the truth to his disciples when he says that this generation will not pass away until all of these things have taken place and he has returned. But what does he mean when he says “this generation”? And what does he mean when he says, “until all has taken place”? Again, many scholars take up different positions on the meaning of these phrases and the connection between the two and it all hinges upon the grammatical use of both phrases.
What I want to do here is outline 4 basic positions that seem to be the most prevalent in biblical interpretation. In biblical interpretation the word “generation” can be interpreted by either of the following four definitions. The word “generation” can mean Jesus’ contemporaries. Or the word “generation” can mean people who are alive in the final days. Or the word “generation” can mean a race of people. Or the word “generation” can mean a kind of people. I like to call these 4 different views of the word “generation” “4 ways to be assured by this generation”.
- If “this generation” refers to Jesus’ contemporaries then the phrase “until all has taken place” would refer to everything he has prophesied except for his second coming because we all know that Christ hasn’t returned yet.
- If the phrase “this generation” refers to the generation that is alive at the beginning of the signs of Christ’s second coming then the phrase “until all has taken place” would simply refer to this generation that is alive at that time who will continue to live until everything has taken place.
- If the phrase “this generation” refers to a race of people like the Jews then the phrase “until all has taken place” would refer to everything Jesus has prophesied while giving great hope to the nation of Israel that God will preserve them as a race of people until he returns.
- If the phrase “this generation” refers to a kind of people like believers or unbelievers then the phrase “until all has taken place” would refer to everything Jesus has prophesied in regards to the destruction that awaits the unbeliever and the hope that is in store for the believer.
So where’s the assurance in all of this disagreement? How can someone be persuaded to trust in Christ in the midst of what seems to be a lack of clarity or certainty on the meaning of these phrases? I would like to argue that maybe the simple truth here is that maybe we can be assured four times over of Christ’s return by the four various interpretations of these phrases. That maybe by examining all four of these possible interpretations we can be so assured of the truth of Christ’s second coming that we actually get caught up in the steadfastness of the Word of God and his provision of the truth of his Word. This is why I say that I believe there are four ways to be assured by this generation. We can be assured by this generation as we observe Christ’s love and compassion for his contemporaries. We can be assured by this generation as we think about Christ’s preservation of the final generation that will be alive during his return. We can be assured by this generation as we observe God’s preservation of the Nation of Israel throughout the centuries. We can be assured by this generation as we rest in the truth of God’s judgment of evil kinds of people who oppose him and his gracious salvation of righteous kinds of people who receive him. We really can be assured by this generation that Christ will return some day soon.
4: You can be assured by the words of Christ… (33)
Jesus wraps up his story of encouragement to rest assured in his second coming by saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” The very words that Jesus used to speak these words are more eternally trustworthy than heaven and earth itself. In fact the very words that Jesus used to describe His words will outlive heaven and earth itself. What assurance we have in the words of Christ. What rest we can enjoy in the very words of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word of God who became flesh and lived among us and spoke the very words of God to us. I pray that the Holy Spirit would create a category in your mind to comprehend these things! You can be assured of Christ’s second coming because of the trustworthiness and the eternality of the words spoken by the Word who is Christ!!
You can be assured of Christ’s second coming just by looking at the trees… just by observing all that is happening around you… just by examining this generation… and just by resting in the eternal trustworthiness of the word of Christ. Jesus is returning some day soon my friends and of this… you can be assured!!
We Need To Get Ready For Christ’s Second Coming… (34 – 36)
The opposite of being ready is being caught off guard or being unprepared. And as I prepare to preach this text I am preparing or getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. I really enjoy getting ready to celebrate this holiday with friends and family. Weeks ahead of time I begin thinking about all of the different dishes of food that I want to get ready for our family feast. And then on that morning I’m up early with my list of ingredients and dishes and I’m going to town cooking up an awesome food. Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up on Thanksgiving morning ready to make up a bunch of food only to find that I had failed to get ready for that day when tons of family members would return to our house for an epic meal? Can you imagine what it would be like to realize that I had failed to buy any food? Can you imagine how guilty I would feel? How ashamed I would feel? Jesus doesn’t want any of us to be left standing, guilty and ashamed, on the last day unprepared for his return and so Jesus outlines 6 different ways for his disciples to get ready for his second coming.
1: You need to get ready by keeping a close watch over yourself… (34)
Jesus says, “watch yourselves”. In other words stay aware of yourself. And while following Christ is all about dying to yourself and coming alive to Christ, you cannot die to what you do not know you should die to and you cannot come alive to the one whom you are suppose to come alive in if you have not been made alive in him. You cannot walk through this life absentmindedly ignoring yourself but you also must forget yourself as you come to know Christ who is the Master shepherd of your soul. This means that you must identify those things that you must leave behind as you follow Christ with your eye on his return. You need to get ready for Christ’s second coming by keeping a close watch over yourself.
2: You need to get ready by not allowing your heart to get weighed down… (34)
Jesus says, “watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down”. This is a picture of someone who is carrying the weight of the world on his or her shoulders. It’s a picture of someone carrying so much baggage that they can barely stand under the pressure. It’s a picture of someone who is living under the bondage of sin and despair. When Christ returns he should not find us hunched over under the weight of sin-trapped hearts he should find us living as new creations in the gospel as we look forward to his return. You need to get ready for Christ’s second coming by not allowing your heart to get weighed down.
3: You need to get ready by not being hung-over or intoxicated… (34)
Jesus says, “watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness”. Dissipation simply means “hung over” and drunkenness simply means, “Intoxicated or controlled by a substance”. It’s a picture of someone who is engaged in self-medication to numb themselves to the pain and suffering of this life. The believer should not be under the influence or intoxication of anything other than the Spirit of God who gives life, renews life and refreshes life. For the believer to be saturated or filled to the point of intoxication by anything other than the Spirit of God is to reject the filling of the Spirit whom you claim to be controlled by. You cannot be ready for the second coming of Christ if you’re walking around in a stupor from the effects of your unholy intoxication. You need to get ready for the second coming of Christ by not being hung-over or intoxicated.
4: You need to get ready by not being distracted by the cares of this life… (34)
Jesus says, “watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life”. The cares of this life are the hardships of this life. The worries of this life. The anxiety of this life. The wants and the needs of this physical life. Jesus has promised to provide your basic needs and he has promised to provide for your spiritual needs as well. The exhortation of this passage is not to get distracted by the cares of this life. Not to get sidetracked by the cares of this life. Not to follow bunny trails that promise control or success with the cares of this life. I’ve known so many people that have derailed their faith and disqualified themselves from the blessings of God. I’ve known so many people who’ve been so distracted by the cares of this life and who’ve slowly faded away from God that they no longer live with the urgency that Christ is returning some day soon. You need to get ready for the second coming of Christ by not being distracted by the cares of this life.
5: You need to get ready by not being trapped on the last day… (34-35)
Jesus says that we need to get ready lest “that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Christ’s second coming will be a surprise. It will happen suddenly. Everyone that is alive during the day of Christ’s return will experience the suddenness of his appearing in power and glory. Christ’s second coming will almost be like watching a mouse unexpectantly walking into a trap with his eyes focus on the cheese to the extent that he is completely unaware of his surroundings and then at the last moment the trap snaps shut and everything goes dark. If you’re walking around in a drunken, intoxicated, hung-over or distracted state of mind you will be caught unaware on the last day just like stepping into a bear trap that you can’t get out of. You need to get ready for the second coming of Christ by not being trapped on the last day.
6: You need to get ready by staying awake and praying… (36)
Jesus says, “stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Every person who has ever lived will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Every person who lived their life full of God’s Spirit will hear the words “well done my good and faithful son or daughter you may enter into your final place of rest in the presence of your Good Father.” But every person who lived their life full of intoxicating substances and distracted the cares of this world will find themselves trapped in a living hell and will hear the words “depart from me you wretched person for I never knew you.” The person who lives their life in the fullness of God gets ready for Christ’s return by staying awake or alert and praying for the strength of the Holy Spirit to help them escape the clutches of sin which lulls them to sleep. Every person who lives their life getting ready for Christ’s return will stay alert and praying for God to preserve them through fiery trials and persecution until the end. You need to get ready for the second coming of Christ by staying awake and praying.
Closing Reflections…
You can be assured of Christ’s second coming by looking at the trees… by observing all that is happening around you… by examining this generation… and by resting in the eternal trustworthiness of the word of Christ. Jesus is returning some day soon and of this… you can be assured!!
And if you have this assurance then it’s equally important that you get ready for Christ’s return by keeping a close watch on yourself, by not letting your heart get weighed down, by staying sober, by staying focused and by escaping carefully laid traps. You can do all of this by staying alert and awake while praying on every occasion for the Lord to preserve you until the end so that you may stand before him with confident assurance of your salvation. Are you living with the assurance of Christ’s return today? Are you ready for Christ’s return today?