The Good News According To Luke: Chapter 21
Associate Pastor Cole Parleir
Focus: Heaven and Earth will pass away, but God’s Word will remain. Believe in Christ and remain in His kingdom forever.
Context
Before (Luke 20- The authority of Jesus revealed)
Jesus as maker of all things reveals his compassion through weeping over Jerusalem and his authority to make wrongs right by cleansing the Temple unto authentic worship.
Jesus' authority is then questioned by the religious authorities.
Jesus reveals his authority as owner of Jerusalem, the temple, and their very lives through the parable of the tenants.
Jesus reveals his authority over the worlds systems through telling them to pay the government what they owe the government, but since the government is not God, to also give God their very lives which belongs to Him.
Jesus reveals his authority as preeminent teacher through correcting the religious ruling party of the Sadducees regarding the resurrection.
Jesus reveals his authority as the living Word of God by correcting the Scribes revealing in Psalm 110 the divinity of King Davids messianic descendant. He also warns the people of Scribes who consume them through misleading them. (The Son of man came to serve and not be served Matthew 20:25-28)
This “great condemnation” of the scribes who devour widow’s houses provides the foil for Luke 21:1-4
Where are we in Luke 21?
A listening crowd in the temple during Passover week which is the last week of Jesus’ pre-resurrection earthly ministry.
Giving As Worship (Luke 21:1-4 ESV)
God sees your sacrifice as worship when no one else does. This is because he knows you like no one else does.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
The Lord
The Temple
The Rich
The Widow
We come to church to worship because the Lord Jesus, as promised, is here among his people. (Matt 18:20)
The Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit sees everyone’s gift according to their heart of worship.
They all gave because they all came to worship as God’s chosen people.
This was in “The Court Of The Women” which was one step in from the court of the Gentiles. This is where God’s people came, ALL of them.
This court is where the 13 brass contribution boxes called “trumpets” were located, because all of God’s people have something from him to give back to him.
9 of the boxes were for money gifts in place of sacrifices. The other 4 were for free-will offerings of wood, incense, temple decoration, and burnt-offerings.
The widow gave the smallest monetary denomination in circulation…but she gave two of them. This could have bought two baths at the public bath house.
Question: Are you bringing money (a gift) or a sacrifice? It could be one in the same, but it may not be.
Jesus boiled down the Mosiac law consisting of 613 commands to one when a scribe asked which is the greatest:
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38 ESV
Question: Does God have from you what he has always said from the very beginning that he wants: love with ALL your heart?
This poor, female, widow who was relegated to the outer court showed greater love for God than the chief priest in the inner court because she gave ALL…she had…to live on.
The widow:
Was “all in”
Whole hearted (Psalm 138:1- David, Num 14 - Joshua and Caleb)
Chose ‘the one thing’ (Luke 10:42)
See Jesus’ commendation of Mary, another single woman with nothing to give but her heart and attention. (Luke 10:41-42)
This is what God is after: your heart. Not your money or service.
Question: Are you supporting the church (ministries) OR worshipping God? These could be the same, but may not be.
“From the offering of this poor widow, learn that what we rightly give for the relief of the poor, and the support of God’s worship, is given unto God; and our Saviour sees with pleasure whatever we have in our hearts to give for the relief of his members, or for his service. Blessed Lord! the poorest of thy servants have two mites, they have a soul and a body; persuade and enable us to offer both unto thee; how happy shall we be in thine accepting of them!”
Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Lk 21:1.
This is what God is seeking: those who will give first their soul (heart) and body followed by everything else.
Jesus put it to the woman at the well
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” - John 4:23-25 ESV
The great gift we can give to God in response to the gift of Christ to us, is our spirit. This is because as we are about to read, everything else is will pass away, but those united to Christ in Spirit and truth will remain.
Christ has come and is coming back
Christ Jesus has come to die and atone for sinful humanity. He is coming back to redeem and make new ALL who are waiting for Him. In this hope we can stand, raise our heads, and persevere until the Kingdom of God comes.
“And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”
The temple was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans because the Jews continued to revolt. Jerusalem was finally leveled as the Romans crushed the revolt once and for all.
Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
This is “carrying your cross” though believers are promised a coming redemption.
Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
By the Holy Spirit you will be given what you need to witness to your generation.
You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
This is a promise of eternal life in resurrection bodies, all to be lived with spiritual family as fulfillment of the promise that whatever we lose to follow Christ there will be an increase of it the Kingdom.
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 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, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
God’s judgement will fall an apostate Israel. In his mercy who prophesies this and tells those will accept it how to escape it.
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
JESUS WILL RETURN! When all the trials mentioned earlier provoke you to fear, you can in hope, confidence, and joy straighten up, raise your head, and rejoice that your redemption is near!
And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Since heaven and earth are passing away, believe the Gospel of your salvation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to save you from your sins and the wrath of God. Build on the living Word of Christ and his written word the Bible.
“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. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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.” And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.”
Luke 21:2-38 ESV
Respond to the Gospel today while the light is shining on your soul.
Scripture References:
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:20 ESV
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
John 4:23-25 ESV
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:34-39 ESV
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
Psalm 138:1 ESV
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42 ESV
Additional Notes:
Greek two lepta, which make a kodrantes; a kodrantes (Latin quadrans) was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer) or $4.42 today for an average Chicago worker
In Jesus' time each coun could buy one bath at the public bath house.
Luke 21:4 (FSB): 21:4 The Greek phrase used here means “all the livelihood” or “all the life,” implying that her giving was so generous it could impede upon her survival
Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher