The Destruction of Jerusalem, Part 1

 Greetings everyone. 

I will continue my exegesis of Luke 21 today.  We will look at verses 5-19;  Here is my translation: 

5 Some of Jesus’ disciples were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with precious stones and gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus tells them, 6 “As for these things that you see, a day is coming when not a single stone will be left on top of another.  This will all be torn down.” 

7 Then his disciples asked him, “Teacher, when will these things happen, and what will be the signs that this is all about to begin? 

8 Then Jesus told them, “Watch out! Don’t be fooled! Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the One,’ and ‘the time has come near,” but don’t follow them.  You will hear of wars and uprisings, but do not be afraid, because it is necessary that these things occur first, and even then, the end will not immediately follow.”

10 Then he said to them, “Nations will rise up against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms, 11 and in some places, great earthquakes, famines and plagues. There will be fearful disasters and great signs from the heavens.

12 But before all of these things happen, they will seize you and persecute you.  Then you will be handed over to the synagogues and prisons. Then you will be led before governors and kings for the sake of my name, 13 and as a result, you will testify about me. 14 Prepare your hearts ahead of time that you will not defend yourself, 15 because I will give you such words and wisdom that no one will be able to oppose you or contradict what you say.  16 You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and some of you will be killed. 17 You will be hated by everyone because of my name.  

18 Yet, not one hair on head will be lost. 19 By your endurance, you will gain your lives.

Here is what everyone was thinking.  The Messiah was going to sweep in, drive the Romans out and restore the glory of Jerusalem and the Temple. But, Jesus tells his disciples that this is not how things were going to happen.  The glory of the temple was not going to be restored, in fact, this temple was going to be destroyed. Jesus in calling upon his disciples to resist the nationalistic rhetoric that is coming from those who called for the restored Jewish state.  This was not the kind of Messiah that Jesus was.  

As the disciples marvel at the temple and its beauty and majesty, Jesus tells them that its destruction would be so bad that one stone would not be left on another. He tells them that everything they see there will be torn down.  Jesus was speaking literally, but figuratively as well.  The old Jewish system would be torn down as well.   Jesus offers a pretty grim picture for the temple’s future. 

Some disciples ask Jesus about when this would happen.  In Mark’s account Peter, Andrew, James and John, come to him privately to aks him this question. 

Jesus starts with βλεπετε (Blepete)“Watch out.”  He does not want them to be deceived by the events that are coming down the road.  Since Jesus does not usher in the type of kingdom that everyone is expecting, many were still looking for the Messiah, long after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.  So many would come forward claiming to be that Messiah.  Jesus doesn't want them to be fooled by this.  Jesus is that Messiah. However, the deliverance he provides had nothing to do with Rome or reestablishing Jerusalem. 

Jesus prophecies earthquakes, famines and plagues, accompanied by signs from the heavens.  In Mark he tells them that these natural disasters are just the beginning. The start of the pain of childbirth.  That implies that far worse things than earthquakes and famine are coming.  Robert Stein points out that these natural disasters and signs from the sky do not mark the end of time, but the end (destruction) of Jerusalem. (Stein, 514.) 

Jesus tells them some of the things that will happen to them, like beatings and arrest, but also some surprising things as well, like witnessing before governors and kings. So they are to endure beatings and jail, but their first priority is to preach the gospel.  Their persecutions would open doors for their testimony about Jesus. 

In verse 14, Jesus tells them to not to prepare a defense ahead of time, because in those moments he would give what to say, and the words and the wisdom that he gives them will be irrefutable.  No one will be able to contradict what they say.   

Jesus says some really hard things,like family members will betray you, and everyone will hate you.  These are tough things to take. But if we stay faithful until the end, we will be saved.  I don’t like the idea that everyone (or anyone) will hate me.  I desperately want everyone to love me. But Jesus assures his followers that it is not going to be like that. Difficult things were going to happen to Jesus’ followers.  

Jesus tells them that they would not lose a single hair on their head, which is a curious statement in the wake of the persecutions he had just told them about, and what we know happened to these apostles.  He finishes by saying that  they would gain their lives through enduring these persecutions.  

I read several ideas about the statement that Jesus made about not losing a single hair.. None of them were very satisfying to me.  Could it be that Jesus is tying that statement with the one that follows, rather than what precedes it?  The ‘unharmed' nature of verse 18 goes with the eternal saving of their lives rather than the persecution of this life.

The disciples come to Jesus asking for a sign (verse 7), but what he ultimately tells them is to remain faithful, no matter what.