To The Metal

¹⁴ When the hour had come, He sat down, and the ^[a]twelve apostles with Him. ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for I say to you, ^[b]I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

²⁰ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. ²¹ But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. ²² And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

²³ Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

Luke 22:14-23

Jesus institutes the Lord’s supper.  Also known as the last supper, this would be the last time Jesus ate with His disciples before He was betrayed and crucified.  He says plainly that this is the last time He would eat or drink until the kingdom of God comes.  

The cup represented His blood, shed for all, while the bread represented His body, broken for all.  It is not made clear in this section if even now anyone but Christ and possibly Judas knew what was coming, despite very clear statements about it from Jesus Himself.  He even called out His betrayer, not by name, and said “woe to him.”  Jesus grieved for Judas.

While Christ’s separation from God would be temporary, Judas’s separation would be forever.

Jesus knew what was coming for Him, and He certainly understood what was coming for Judas, an eternity separated from God.  Judas had every opportunity to change his path, even after the betrayal he could have repented, but he did not.  

The disciples, as they did, argued amongst themselves over who would betray Jesus instead of focusing on the living God seated before them.

⁷ Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be ^[a]killed. ⁸ And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”

⁹ So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”

¹⁰ And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. ¹¹ Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ ¹² Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”

¹³ So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

Luke 22:7-13

Jesus and His disciples prepare the Passover.  This is a good lesson in obedience and trusting all things in the Lord.  Jesus sends Peter and John into the city with a very specific task.  As he laid out finding the colt for His entry into Jerusalem, here He lays out precisely what Peter and John had to do.  

I don’t see anyone questioning here, they simply obey the Lord and the events transpire exactly how He had planned.

22 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. ² And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.

³ Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. ⁴ So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. ⁵ And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. ⁶ So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.

Luke 22:1-6

The plot to kill Jesus.  As the Passover approaches, the Sanhedrin sought to have Christ killed but could not be seen publicly as having a hand in it.  They feared an uprising at the hand of the people who welcomed Him into Jerusalem and followed Him.  They had to pin the entire thing on Rome.

Enter Satan who found a foothold in the heart of Judas Iscariot.  Among other things, Judas is a cautionary tale to those who seek and obtain power in the church.  Nobody is safe from Satan or his influence, anyone can fall.  The closer we get to Jesus the greater the threat we are to the enemy.  For the cost of a slave, 30 pieces of silver, Judas provided a way to turn Christ over.

The Sanhedrin would persist… not much longer, and Rome could be blamed for all of it.

³⁴ “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with ^[a]carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵ For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may ^[b]be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. ³⁸ Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

Luke 21:34-38

The importance of watching.  Jesus closes out this chapter, further reinforcing the need to pay attention.  Not only must we ensure we are not distracted by the things of this world, but also we must pray that we are worthy to escape it.  We must heed ourselves and our relationship with God.  Any time I see tragedy or sin in this world, I see an opportunity to pray and take stock of my walk with Christ. 

I need to confirm where I stand with Him because at a moment’s notice I could find myself standing before Him.  I can only imagine the prayers He said each night atop Mount Olivet as He recovered from a day of teaching while preparing for the next, knowing full well what was coming.  Was He taking stock of where He stood with the Father?  Sinless, blameless, with a cup only He could drink from?  He was worthy and endured so much for our sake. 

Praise Jesus!

²⁹ Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. ³¹ So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Luke 21:29-33

The parable of the fig tree.  Jesus likens the signs of His return to the signs of summer indicated by the budding of a fig tree.  Seeing these signs and knowing what they are should be clear indicators of what is to come next.  Those who believe, know.  The choice of a fig tree is also used as a symbol of the nation of Israel here, budding with life and growing with further signs of the Lord’s eventual return. 

The signs will endure until summer comes and the figs grow just as the signs of eventual Revelation will continue in Israel (and our world) until the Kingdom is upon us at the end of the age.  He ends with one final contrast, how the heaven and earth will pass away (to make way for the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21), but that His Word is eternal, as it was in the beginning and ever shall be.

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. ²² For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:20-24

The destruction of Jerusalem.  Here Jesus foretells not the great tribulation at the end of the age, but the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD by the Romans, roughly 40 years later.  He warns all to flee the vengeance as prophecy is fulfilled.  The nation would disperse as Jerusalem is trampled by Gentiles. 

That situation would persist for nearly another 1900 years until Israel was declared a nation on May 14, 1948.

⁷ So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”

⁸ And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ ^[a]Therefore do not ^[b]go after them. ⁹ But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”

¹⁰ Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. ¹² But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. ¹³ But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. ¹⁴ Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will ^[c]answer; ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or ^[d]resist. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head shall be lost. ¹⁹ By your patience possess your souls.

Luke 21:7-19

The signs of the times and the end of the age.  For those who believe it is near impossible to ignore the signs that Jesus is returning soon.  The utter chaos of the past few decades and years.  Covid.  Wars.  Riots.  Earthquakes.  Sin on parade at levels I’ve never seen in my lifetime. 

All of this book-ended by some voices preaching the end times but forgetting repentance, promoting legalism over eternity.  “Soon” in biblical terms may be days, weeks, years, even centuries.  This section of scripture closes with “By your patience possess your souls.”  I think this is one of the most important verses here. 

Jesus is warning us so we may be aware and avoid deception through all the signs and persecution, however He makes sure to remind us to be patient.  By that patience, we will take possession of our souls while others are lost.  Let us not be so focused on the end that we take our eyes off Him even for a moment.

⁵ Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was ^[a]adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, ⁶ “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

Luke 21:5-6

Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple.  As Christ came to Earth to fulfill the law and tear down the walls between God and man, so would the temple be taken down and destroyed.  In 70AD, within a time of rebellion of the Jewish people, the Romans plundered and destroyed the temple, decades after Jesus was crucified. 

He sought a one on one relationship between God and man for which no temple was required to maintain.  The old ways crumbled.  All of the worldly wealth and treasures would be lost to Rome and time while only God, who all should focus on, would remain.

21 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.^[a] 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings ^[b]for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

Luke 21:1-4

The Widow’s Two Mites.  Those who are humble will be exalted, and those who are exalted will be humbled, Matthew 23:12.  That verse came to me while reading this.  Jesus highlights a poor widow giving all she had, two mites (roughly two dollars), to God.  He contrasts this with the wealthy who bring extravagant amounts that are only a small portion of their abundance.  He made it clear that the widow gave so much more to God than the wealthy did.