Week 3, Day 2

Today’s Reading:  Luke 23-24

And you all thought yesterday’s post was late!

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

This reading contains what may be one of the most misused and misinterpreted passage in the New Testament (along with the parallel passages in the other gospels).  It is found in chapter Luke 21:5-36.  This is a passage that many point to to try and identify the signs that will come prior to the second coming of Christ.  In fact, the Bible that I am using to do the readings has the faulty heading inserted, “The Return of Christ.”  Unfortunately, the symbolism of the language is such that it is easily misunderstood.  However, following the context, and the actual conversation of the disciples with Jesus, we can see what Jesus is addressing.

This passage does not deal with the end of time.  It deals with the specific event that the disciples asked about in verse 7:  when would these things be that Jesus had spoken about?  If you look in verses 5-6, you will see that Jesus was talking about the fall of Jerusalem.  This context deals with the destruction of Jerusalem, which was to come in 70 A.D.  Even though the context is clearly defined for us, many people use this as the passage to identify the signs for the impending destruction of the world.  How often have you heard someone say that they know the end is near because there is “war and rumors of war?”  That seems to be the one that stands out in most people’s minds, and the one that is most often quoted.  However, in this context, Jesus is not telling the people that they would see signs for the destruction of the world, but rather signs that would mark the impending destruction of Jerusalem.

Let me give you just a couple of examples that prove that this is the right interpretation.  There is much more that can be gained in the verses, but I’ll just identify a few that illustrate the point.

• Luke 21:21–Warning to flee to the mountains.  What benefit would fleeing to the mountains be when the Jesus comes in final judgment?  Obviously Jesus was addressing the destruction of Jerusalem, when fleeing from the city would be of some benefit to them
• Luke 21:23–Woe to those who are pregnant.  Again, what would be the disadvantage of being pregnant at the time of the final judgment, or the return of Christ?  It is obvious that being pregnant would be a terrible problem for someone who had to flee the military attacks that would come on the city of Jerusalem
• Luke 21:32–These things would be fulfilled within the lifetime of those that were present.  This only leaves a couple of possibilities.  Either Jesus was speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, which would be about 40 years later, or else there are some 2000 year old people in the world today

Obviously, I have not tried to give a detailed exegesis of the passage under consideration, but I do think it is important for us to see that this passage is addressing a specific historical event.  It was not pointing toward the second coming of Christ, but rather the destruction of Jerusalem.  There are many doctrines that are not true that are based on this misinterpretation, so we need to be prepared to show the true context and meaning of this passage!

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