Luke · chapter 21 of 24
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Luke 21 begins with the poor widow who drops two small coins into the temple treasury, and Jesus praises her for giving all she had. He then announces the destruction of the temple, warns of persecutions, wars and signs, foretells the siege of Jerusalem and the coming of the Son of Man, and calls us to watch and endure.
Luke 21 is Jesus' discourse about the future, delivered in the temple during his last week. It joins the fall of Jerusalem with the final coming of the Son of Man, and interpreters read it in different ways. Beyond those differences, the pastoral message is clear: do not be deceived, endure and be ready.
Jesus sees the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury and a poor widow putting in two coins of very little value. He says this widow put in more than all of them, because they gave out of their surplus, while she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. Some remark on the temple's beautiful stones, and Jesus says days are coming when not one stone will be left on another.
They ask when this will be and what the sign will be. Jesus warns them not to be deceived by those who come in his name; there will be wars, earthquakes, famines and signs in the heavens, but the end will not come immediately. Before all this, they will be persecuted, handed over to synagogues and prisons and brought before kings for his name's sake; it will be a time to bear witness, and they should not prepare their defense, because he will give them words and wisdom. They will be betrayed even by relatives and hated, but not a hair of their head will perish; by their endurance they will gain their lives.
When they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, they will know its desolation is near; those in Judea must flee to the mountains, for these are days of vengeance and great distress, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars, and anguish among the nations; then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin, they should lift up their heads because their redemption is drawing near. With the fig tree, Jesus says that as leaves show summer is near, so these signs show the kingdom of God is near. His words will not pass away. He urges them not to let their hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and anxieties, but to watch and pray. Each day he taught in the temple.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Jesus says the poor widow put in more than all, because the others gave out of their surplus and she gave all she had to live on. God measures the offering by sacrifice and heart, not by amount.
Jesus promises that by their endurance they will gain their lives. Faithfulness amid persecution is the mark of his own, and the promise is that God will keep them even if they die.
When these things begin to happen, the disciples are to stand up and lift their heads, because their redemption is near. What is a cause of terror for the world is hope for believers.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus' words will not. In the face of an uncertain future, his word is the only completely firm ground.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Two coins of very little value. — Luke 21:2
Answer: Because the others gave out of their surplus, but she gave out of her poverty all she had to live on. — Luke 21:4
Answer: That days were coming when not one stone would be left on another that would not be thrown down. — Luke 21:6
Answer: Being brought before kings and governors for his name's sake. — Luke 21:12-13
Answer: Seeing Jerusalem surrounded by armies. — Luke 21:20
Answer: His words. — Luke 21:33
The widow teaches that generosity is measured not in figures but in trust. In a small group you can talk about what it would mean to give sacrificially, and not only from our surplus, in time, money or service.
The discourse about the future calls us not to live in fear or morbid curiosity, but with endurance. Jesus gives no calendar, but a call to watch, pray and keep our hearts free from anxieties. Ask yourself what worries are dulling your watchfulness and hand them over to the Lord today.
Luke 21 ends with Jesus teaching by day in the temple and spending his nights on the Mount of Olives. In Luke 22 the story of his passion begins: Judas's betrayal, the last supper, the prayer in Gethsemane and the arrest.
Interpreters differ. Some see much of the discourse fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, with the Son of Man's coming at the end of time; others see it all as referring to the end. Luke clearly distinguishes the siege of Jerusalem and the times of the Gentiles from the final coming.
Jesus says Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until their times are fulfilled. The text does not define their length. It is understood as a period in which the nations have prominence in the history of salvation before the final coming of the Son of Man.
He promises to give them words and wisdom their adversaries cannot resist. It is not an excuse not to think, but a guarantee that, in persecution, God will sustain them. The Spirit assists his own when they bear witness.