Read Luke 21:5-38
During this final week, Jesus spends significant time teaching about the “last things.” On one level, He speaks of the coming destruction of the temple and Jerusalem—events that would take place around AD 70. On another, He points ahead to the final judgment at the end of the age, which we still await.
Moving between these horizons, Jesus repeatedly says that the kingdom of God is near. Yet there is often a longing for signs—clear markers, dramatic proof. Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said that no sign would be given except the sign of Jonah: “For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation… for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” That sign ultimately points to three days in the belly of the fish—and three days in the tomb for our Lord.
The kingdom of God is near because it is ushered in by the resurrection. In just a few days, Jesus will rise from the dead. His resurrection marks the decisive breaking in of God’s reign. For us, that kingdom has already been inaugurated—yet it has not yet come in its fullness. We still await the resurrection of all the dead on the Last Day.
In this teaching, Jesus also makes clear that God permits the powers of evil to exercise influence in this world—but only for a time. Their dominion is limited. A day is coming when it will end completely. For Luke’s first hearers, facing persecution and uncertainty, these words were reassurance: God is in control, and their redemption was drawing near. Nearly two thousand years later, the comfort remains the same. Our God is in control. Our redemption is near.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, grant courage to my brothers and sisters around the world who face opposition from a world hostile to Your Gospel. Encourage them through the faithful witness of the saints who have gone before us. Comfort them with Your Word. By Your Word and Spirit, strengthen me also to remain faithful and to confess You boldly. Amen.