Open your Bibles, if you would please, to Luke chapter 21. Luke 21, we're going to be picking
! If you're using the pew Bible, it's going to be on page 880. Luke chapter 21. Those of you who've been
with us over the last several weeks know that we are kind of marching to the cross. This is the Passion
Week, the final week of Jesus's life in ministry. And of course, what's going to happen on Friday
is going to shatter the expectations of the conventional Jew, the one who's kind of been
waiting for Messiah, one who's been kind of looking and longing for deliverance, but not the kind
of deliverance that Jesus intended to give, at least initially. The kind of deliverance that they wanted
was the deliverance from occupation, the deliverance from Roman rule, the deliverance from oppression,
that physical deliverance that comes in this Christ figure, this conqueror who's going to come and he's
going to establish himself, he's going to establish his throne, he's going to help to deliver the people
of Israel from the oppression of Rome. That's what they wanted, but that's not what they got, at least
initially. But what we're going to see in our passage today is all of the expectation, all of the hopes
and anticipation that really was bound up in the scriptures is a hope that is true, but it's just a
future hope. It's not a present hope. And Jesus wants his disciples to understand, as we're going to find
in our passage today, that hope isn't in deliverance in itself. That hope must always be, not just in a
change of circumstances, but hope needs to be found in a person, in a man, in a son, in Jesus himself.
And so the testimony of this passage and Jesus kind of relaying what's going to happen in this future day,
really boils down to this one truth. Place your hope in the Son. Put your hope in the Son.
And that's going to be the resounding message for all of us today. As we look through this passage
together, put your hope in the Son. And I think what we're going to find is we're not very unlike
those Jews in the first century. Those misplaced hopes that we're going to find in our passage today.
We're going to find a lot of correlation in our own life. Those misplaced hopes, those things that
are going to provide security, going to provide peace, going to help alleviate the burden, going to help
unload the pressure. All of those things we put our hope in that are not the Son are obviously
things that are going to let us down. And so this morning, if your hope is not in the Son, you're going to be
disappointed. If your hope is not in the Son, you're going to be let down. You're going to be put to shame.
But you can put your hope in the Son. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, there's salvation for you that's waiting, forgiveness,
cleansing of sin. And that's the kind of hope that Jesus came to bring. And that's the hope that will
be ushered in because of the work of Christ in this week, this Passion Week. But really, in order for us
to really understand the gravity of this text and some of the terms that are going to be used, we need
to really just kind of go back for a moment and try to put this in as small and as brief a place as I can.
So bear with me here. Jesus has talked about the Son of Man. He's kind of put that and placed that
identity on himself. And in our passage today, he's going to talk about this time of the Gentiles.
Well, what is the time of the Gentiles? He's going to talk about this time of vengeance, this time of
wrath. Well, what is that? What are we talking about? What is Jesus referring to? Well, of course, it goes
all the way back to the Old Testament and in hundreds of years before Jesus would come. Those living in
Judah and Jerusalem at the time had been given promises and had been given direct commands.
For those of you who obey the law, you can expect these blessings. For those of you who disobey the law,
then you can expect these curses. The word was clear. The testimony of Scripture was as crystal clear
as you could be. And that's exactly what happened. That's what we find that landed on those living in
Judah and Jerusalem in about 600 BC. 600 years before Christ came. Those who were living in Judah and
Jerusalem, they experienced that conquering of Babylon. Remember going back this summer to our
study through Daniel? It was because of their idolatry. It was because of their rejection of
the law. It was because they had turned their back on the true worship that God had established.
The very things that were true in this first century that Jesus wept as he's going into Jerusalem,
that they did not know, they did not see what was being offered to them. They had turned their back
on the truth. And the same thing happened. It was a foreshadowing of what Jesus was now going to
promise was going to take place to the people in the first century. And of course, those who were living
600 years before Christ were taken into captivity. The Jerusalem was decimated. The temple was destroyed.
The holy vessels were taken. And God brought some captives back to Babylon. Daniel.
And then his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. You might know them as Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego. And there they are living in Babylon. And they get placed into this school.
This elite school in Babylon where they would learn language and history and culture and mathematics.
They would learn the customs of Babylon. And they would rise through the ranks, through the power of God.
And he would establish them as counselors and as wise men in Babylon there.
And remember, as we kind of turn the page to Daniel chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar had this dream.
This dream that troubled his spirit. And we find that in Daniel chapter 2. And he's looking for answers.
He wants an interpretation. He knows it's significant. So he calls his counselors. And the counselors can't
answer and interpret this dream. They can't tell what the dream is. That was the condition.
You tell me the dream and then you can tell me the interpretation. But Daniel knows God can do this.
So we find in Daniel chapter 2 verse 31 that Daniel has received an answer from God.
And he says,
And we come to find out that these parts of this statue will symbolize these future kingdoms.
The kingdom of Babylon, which was the head of gold.
The kingdom of Media Persia, which was the arms and shoulders.
The kingdom of Greece, which was the waist and thighs of bronze.
The kingdom of Rome, which was the legs and iron.
And this future kingdom, which was a mingling of clay and iron, the toes and the feet.
This was the beginning of what Jesus will refer to in our passage today of the time of the Gentiles.
The time where Gentile nations will dominate.
And this will be the age.
This will be the testimony of time from Babylon all the way to the time that Jesus comes back.
And in this vision we find in verses 34 and 35,
there's this image of a stone.
As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand.
It struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces.
Then in verse 25,
But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
That stone, of course, was the stone of God.
It was the stone that we're going to find that Daniel will discover 50 years later in another vision.
In Daniel chapter 7,
This vision of the ancient of days.
In Daniel 7, verses 13 and 14,
I saw in the night vision, behold, with the clouds in heaven,
there came one like a son of man.
And he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom.
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away in his kingdom,
one that shall not be destroyed.
And so the expectation of the Jewish nation,
of this future king,
was in fact a good expectation.
Based upon the reading, the clear reading of scripture,
they knew what Messiah would do.
He would establish a kingdom.
He would establish a throne.
His kingdom would fill the earth.
The problem was,
their timing was off.
And so Jesus,
as he's sharing this prophetic witness here,
in our passage in Luke,
we find in verse 22 of chapter 21,
now we're back to Luke chapter 21,
back in our passage,
Jesus says this,
For these are the days of vengeance,
to fulfill all that was written.
God will fulfill his word.
And God will fulfill his word in the way that you have read.
In a way that's clear.
So when's the timing?
Well, we're going to find the timing in our passage this morning.
But it's all going to culminate in a final event that we find in Luke chapter 21,
verses 27 and 28.
And they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and glory.
Jesus, this Son of Man,
is the central figure,
is the predominant figure,
the feature of this prophecy that Jesus is providing.
And it's all going to be set in motion by another event
that the people living in the first century did not expect.
Jesus talks about this back in Luke chapter 18.
In Luke 18, if you're there with me,
in verse 31 it says,
In talking, or excuse me,
in taking the twelve,
he said to them,
See, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and everything that is written about the Son of Man
by the prophets will be accomplished.
But it's going to be ushered in a way they did not expect.
It says in verse 32,
For he will be delivered over the Gentiles.
He will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.
And after flogging him, they will kill him.
And on the third day, he will rise.
But they understood none of these things.
This saying was hidden from them.
And they did not grasp what he said.
The death and resurrection of Christ
would usher in the beginnings of this promise.
This long-awaited promise.
Because the deliverance that they needed first
was the deliverance for salvation.
Deliverance from sin and death.
So Jesus is going to provide some help
for these disciples
in really centering their focus
in their hopes,
in their confidence
on that which is supreme,
the Son of Man.
Set your hope on the Son.
So that brings us to our time this morning.
We're going to begin in verse 5.
And we're going to find,
through the course of our passage today,
six ways that the disciples
and those living in the first century
had set their hope on other things.
And Jesus wants to continue to help them
to center their hopes
on that which is fixed
and firm and supreme
in the Son.
He begins in verse 5.
Don't set your hope
on a religious system.
Don't set your hope
on a religious system.
We see that in verse 5 and 6.
Notice,
It's been a long day of teaching.
We've seen Jesus in the temple.
He comes there in the morning.
He teaches throughout the day.
And we've seen over the course
of the last couple of weeks
where Jesus is teaching the people.
He's answering questions.
He's giving warnings.
And now here,
at the end of this long day of ministry,
we find from the other gospel records
that Jesus now will begin
to exit the temple mount.
We find that in Mark chapter 13,
verse 1,
where it says,
And as he was leaving the temple,
one of his disciples said to him,
Lord, look, teacher,
what massive stones,
what magnificent buildings.
And Jesus said to them,
Do you see these great buildings?
There will not be left here
one stone upon the other
that will not be thrown down.
The disciples comment on the grandeur
of this temple complex.
And of course,
it was a massive structure
that warranted their wonder.
Under Herod the Great,
the temple experienced
a massive reconstruction,
which began around 20 B.C.
and continued till 63 A.D.
Solomon's temple was exceeded
in beauty and in size.
We can see,
I have a little footprint
of the temple.
You can see on the top left-hand side,
Solomon's temple,
and on the bottom right side,
Herod's temple.
You can see the contrast
in size,
in scale.
Herod built a new foundation
in walls
that stretched 400 yards
by 500 yards.
And just to give you
some way to get that
in your head,
to compare that in your mind,
if you go from the front street
to the back of our property,
that's 438 yards.
So that's 438 yards
and then you turn it on its side
and then go 500 yards
that direction.
It's about 41 acres of land.
That's the footprint
of this massive structure.
The stones that were used
to build this temple,
the historian Josephus
described the size
of being 45 cubits
by 5 cubits
by 6 cubits.
Now, again,
to put that in scale
for us to get our heads around,
45 cubits
is about 67 feet
by 9 feet
by 7 1⁄2 feet.
So if you take this screen up here,
it's about 12 feet wide
by about 9 feet tall
and then you have a stone
that stretches all the way
back to the sound booth.
That's the size of the stones
that we're talking about.
Massive stones!
And of course,
they are like floored
with the magnificence
and the beauty
and the size
of the structure.
The stones were made
out of polished marble.
And so,
this towering structure
and you can see
kind of a graphic
of that
in the next slide here.
Kind of a symbol
of that.
The stones
that were there
towering over
the Kidron Valley
were so large
and so expansive
that it looked like
white snow
on a mountain top
because of the way
it glistened.
And then,
the disciples mentioned
the gifts
that were on the walls
and those gifts
were plates of gold
that were hung
on the eastern wall.
And so,
as the sun would come up
over the Mount of Olives,
it would shine
on that glistening wall
and the light
would reflect back
over into the Kidron Valley
and over into
the Mount of Olives
and this spectacle
of light
that was shining
all around.
And of course,
they're marveling
at the scene.
Look at this
massive structure.
Look at this temple.
Jesus will address
their marveling
and we'll talk about
how at some point
in the future,
not one stone
will be standing
on another.
That statement
must have perked
their interest
and so,
as they continued
their walk,
we find again
from Mark chapter 13
verse 3
that now they make
their way over
to the Mount of Olives
and we can kind of
envision this scene
in this first slide
that kind of shows
this picture
of Jerusalem
as they're sitting
on the Mount of Olives
and it says
that Jesus was sitting
on the Mount of Olives
opposite the temple
Peter, James, and John,
and Andrew
asked him privately,
tell us,
when will these things
happen
and what will be
the sign
that they are about
to be fulfilled?
Jesus will
lay out for them
answer those
specific questions.
He wants them
to understand
that as great
as the temple is,
how much of their hope
is resting in
that temple
itself,
not one stone
will be left
on the other.
And he begins
to answer that question
for them
in verse 8.
He says,
see that you're not
led astray,
many will come
in my name,
I am he,
time is at hand,
do not go
after them.
You've got to
hand it to the disciples.
However
perplexed they might be
about what Jesus
is talking about
and the stones
that are going
to be toppled
of the temple
and the wonder
of the temple
itself
and the centrality
of this place
for the people,
their expectation
of what Jesus
was about to do,
his triumphal entry,
the purging
of the temple,
the whole city
gathering together,
those who are
hanging on his
every words
and the authority
of Christ,
he exercised
over these religious
leaders
and knowing
that the temple
was the centerpiece
of the nation
and yet,
somehow this temple
was not going
to be in the picture.
Remove the temple
and you remove
everything
that makes
Israel distinct.
That must have been
what they were thinking.
But this is precisely
what Jesus
had predicted
when he spoke
to the woman
at the well.
In John 4,
verse 21,
he says,
Woman, believe me,
the hour is coming
when neither
on this mountain
nor in Jerusalem
will you worship
the Father.
But the hour
is coming
and now is here
when the true
worshiper
will worship
the Father
in spirit
and truth.
For the Father
is seeking
such people
to worship him.
Jesus came
to change
the context
of worship.
He,
as you know,
by his death
and resurrection,
the veil
was torn
in two
and that
which separated
the worshipers
from the presence
of God
was taken away.
Christ was ushering
in a new age
established
on a system,
not on a system
of religion,
but established
on the person
of Christ himself.
I wonder
how many of us
have put our hope
on a system
and not placed
our hope
on the very
Son of God.
I wonder how many
of us will go
through the motions
just like those
living in the first century.
We do
our normal things.
We go to church
when we're supposed
to go to church.
We follow the rules.
We're kind
to our friends.
We are good
co-workers.
We're good parents.
We raise our children
or if we're children
we obey our parents.
We do the things
that the system
tells us to do
and we rest our hopes
on those things
instead of resting
our hope
squarely
on the Son.
Jesus wants
those who are living,
especially his disciples,
to recognize
not to put their hope
on a system
of worship
but to put their hope
on the Son.
As we find
in Ephesians 2
verses 8 and 9,
it says,
for by grace
are you saved
through faith
and that not of yourselves
it is a gift
of God
not of works
so that no one
can boast.
If you are here
this morning
and you're placing
your hope
on anything
but Christ
you're going to
find yourself
greatly disappointed
when those hopes
will eventually
expire.
When those hopes
will evaporate
because the only hope
that remains
is a hope
that we have
in Christ
and the Son.
So don't set
your hopes
on a religious system.
Set your hope
on the Son.
And Jesus moves on
in verses 7 and 9
and he wants them
to know
don't set your hope
on false promises,
on false prophets,
on false people.
He says in verse 7,
he says,
excuse me,
beginning in verse 8,
see that you do not,
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.
There's going to be
a gap of time
Jesus says.
Your expectations
of this future hope,
the coming
of this future son.
It's going to happen
but it's not going to happen
in your time frame.
There's going to be
a gap.
There's going to be
a departure
and a return.
It's going to give
way to all kinds
of people
who are going to come
during this gap
to claim to be me.
Time is still distant.
Those people
are going to
make promises.
Those people
are going to claim
to speak for me
but don't listen
to them.
Don't follow them.
Know that there
are some telltale signs
of those kinds
of false teachers.
They're going to claim
to be the Christ.
They're going to claim
that the time
is at hand.
They're going to
try to remove
from you
the suffering
and the challenges
that you're experiencing.
Discernment
will be needed
by the disciple
to not be drawn
into these false claims
that these teachers
will make.
Peter,
the apostle
in his epistle
in 2 Peter 2
verses 1-3
helps to provide
some hallmarks
of these false teachers,
these false promises
when he says,
false prophets
also arose
among the people
just as there
would be false teachers
among you
who will secretly
bring in
destructive heresies.
Even denying
the master
who bought them
bringing upon themselves
swift destruction
and many will follow
their sensuality
and because of them
the way of truth
will be blasphemed
and in their greed
they will exploit you
with false words.
Their condemnation
from long ago
is not idle
and their destruction
is not asleep.
Pay attention
to their words.
Pay attention
to their teaching.
They're going to be
teaching false
and destructive heresies.
Be a person
of the word.
Be a person
who understands
the message
that you've been given,
the doctrines
of scripture.
Be able to
differentiate
between what
they will say
and what you know
to be true
from the word of God.
Don't allow your heart
to be drawn in
by their sensuality.
Don't be drawn in
by their desire
for things.
Their greed.
They will exploit you.
They're going to
take advantage of you.
But ultimately
their condemnation
is going to
come upon them.
Their destruction
is going to
land on them.
But don't be fooled.
Allow the word of God
and the testimony
of the scriptures
to be your guide.
To be your compass.
Don't listen to them
when they say
that you've missed
the resurrection
for example.
Paul will deal
with this
in 2 Timothy 2
verses 17 and 18.
He says,
Among them
are Hymenaeus
and Philetus
who have swerved
from the truth
saying that the resurrection
has already happened.
They are upsetting
the faith of some.
Rather,
let the word
be your foundation.
Let the son of God
be your Lord.
Be your hope.
Don't set your hope
on false promises.
As attractive
as those promises
may seem
as wonderful
as it might be
to think
that you can escape
certain problems
if you do
the things
that they're telling
you to do.
Don't set your hope
on that.
Set your hope
on the word.
Set your hope
on the son.
Then in verses
10 to 18
we find
don't set your hope
on future peace
or the offer
of peace.
Beginning in verse 10,
then he said to them,
Nation will rise
against nation.
Kingdom against kingdom.
There will be
great earthquakes
in various places,
famines and pestilence.
And there will be
terrors and great signs
from heaven.
Notice how total
the destruction is.
Notice how complete
the struggle is.
It's an international struggle.
It's a global struggle.
It involves kingdoms
and nations.
It's also a geological struggle.
It involves earthquakes
and famines
and pestilence.
It's a cosmic struggle.
We see these terrors
and signs from heaven.
It's a complete struggle
that involves
every component
of this natural world.
It will be unmistakable,
unavoidable,
unrelenting.
This distress
and destruction
that is going to be
seen across the globe.
It's going to be
this testimony
from God
that the end is coming.
That Christ's word
is true.
So don't put your hope
in the things
of this life,
the offer of peace
because there's not
going to be peace
either from nations
or even from
creation itself.
It will involve
national conflict
that we see.
Human history
is largely
the history of wars.
And that is becoming,
of course,
more and more prevalent
as we move along
the continuum
of history.
Approximately 75 million
people were killed
in World War I
and World War II
alone.
The wars of human history
have been significant
but they're going to be
nothing compared
to the devastating
conflicts that we find
in the book of Revelation.
It's just a foretaste
of that coming
catastrophe
that's going to be
taking place
at the end.
And then this
pointing to earthquakes
since the invention
of the Richter scale.
There have been
35 so-called earthquakes
that are 8.5 magnitude
or more.
The most powerful earthquake
ever recorded
took place in Chile
registering 9.5
on the Richter scale.
And the devastation
of the earthquakes
that have taken place
have killed
massive numbers
of individuals
in China.
In 1556
an earthquake
killed an estimated
830,000 people.
Devastation.
Those of you
who remember
the earthquake
that took place
in the Indian Ocean
back in 2004
it resulted in
this tsunami
that swept across
that Indian Ocean
and killed
over 230,000
individuals.
The word of Christ
is a word
that's true.
Jesus is establishing
for us
his hermeneutic.
He's establishing
for us
how to understand
the prophetic scriptures.
He's telling us
what will happen
and those are
of course
the very things
that we see.
And then
in Revelation
chapter 6
and 8
we see
this testimony
of this
continuing
signs
in the earth
through earthquakes
and signs
in the heavens.
So don't set
your hope
on future
peace.
There's not
going to be
peace
this side
of Christ's
return.
In verses
12
through 18
we see
don't set
your hope
on a life
of ease.
Don't set
your hope
on a life
of ease.
Picking this
up at verse
12
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
namesake.
This will
be your
opportunity
to bear
witness.
Now dropping
down to
verse 16
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.
Don't set
your hope
on a life
of ease
because
for the
believer
those who
are true
disciples
of Christ
what you
can expect
is to be
hated.
You will
be hated
if you
belong
to Christ.
That's what
Jesus promises.
Things are
not going
to go well
for the
disciples
of Christ.
Things are
not going
to go well
for the
followers
of Christ.
Suffering
is going
to
precede
the
kingdom.
The
discipline
of the
nations
is going
to
precede
the
deliverance
of God
for the
nations.
So we
expect
persecution.
And notice
the way
that Jesus
describes
this.
We expect
to be
delivered.
We expect
to be
handed over.
We expect
to be
unjustly
treated.
We expect
to be
sold out
even by
the closest
members
of our
family.
We expect
to be
put to
death.
We expect
to be
hated
by all.
Why?
Because a
wicked world
hates a
holy God.
And a
wicked world
hates the
followers of
a holy God.
It's
inevitable.
Jesus on
the night
before his
crucifixion
will speak
this message
to his
disciples.
He wants
them to be
ready.
He doesn't
want them
to be
surprised.
He wants
them to
be prepared.
And so
in John
15,
beginning in
verse 18,
he says
that very
thing.
If the
world hates
you,
know that
it hated
me before
it hated
you.
Remember
the words
that I
said to
you,
a servant
is not
greater
than his
master.
If they
persecuted
me,
they will
also
persecute
you.
If they
kept
my word,
they will
also
keep
yours.
But
all
these
things
they will
do
to you
on account
of my
name.
Because
they do
not know
him who
sent me.
Remember,
all of
this,
though,
serves
an epic
purpose.
All of
this
suffering,
all this
persecution,
all the
heartache
that we
experience,
for those,
by the
way,
who are
living in
a way
that represents
the Savior,
it all
serves one
massive
purpose,
and that
is to
strengthen
and empower
your witness.
notice
there in
verse 13,
this
will be
your
opportunity
to bear
witness.
This
will be
your
opportunity.
This
is the
moment
that you've
been waiting
for.
You
want to
be a
witness
for me?
You
want to
shine
your
light
of the
gospel
for my
cause?
You
want to
demonstrate
the
power
of God
working
in you?
You
want to
show
that
the
gospel
has
power
in your
life?
Then
don't
resist
and don't
flee
the
persecution.
Press
in,
embrace
it for
the sake
of this
gospel
witness,
this epic
gospel
witness.
It is
your
chance
to
represent
me,
to
suffer
on
account
of
me,
to
provide
this
picture
of
my
suffering,
so
that
when
people
see
the
suffering
that
you
endure
for
the
sake
of
Christ,
it
becomes
a
window,
a
window
for
people
not
to
see
you,
but
to
see
Christ
and
to
see
what
you
represent,
not
your
hope
in
this
life,
in
a
life
of
ease,
but
hope
in
the
Son,
a
life
that
points
to
the
only
hope
that
matters,
hope
in
the
Son
himself.
Bonhoeffer
said it
this
way,
the
cross
is
laid
on
every
Christian.
We
know
that,
right?
Take
up my
cross
daily
and
follow
me.
He
says,
he
continues,
the
first
Christ
suffering
which
every
man
must
experience
is
the
call
to
abandon
the
attachments
of
this
world.
Not
a
life
of
ease.
Abandon
those
attachments.
It
Christ
as
we
embark
upon
discipleship.
We
surrender
ourselves
to
Christ
in
union
with
his
death.
We
give
over
our
lives
to
death.
Thus
it
begins.
The
cross
is
not
the
terrible
end
to
the
otherwise
God
fearing
and
happy
life,
but
it's
the
means
where
it
meets
us
at
the
beginning
of
our
communion
with
Christ.
When
Christ
calls
a
man,
he
bids
him
come
and
die.
That's
the
call
of
our
Savior.
It's
a
call
of
suffering.
It's
a
call
to
endure
for
the
sake
of
this
gospel
witness
because
you
will
be
hated
but
it
doesn't
end
there.
Christ
continues
you
will
also
be
helped
as
he
says
in
verses
14
and
18
notice
he
says
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
you
will
be
delivered
up
even
by
your
parents
and
brothers
and
relatives
and
friends
and
some
of
you
they
will
put
to
death
you
will
be
hated
by
all
for
my
namesake
but
not
a
hair
of
your
head
will
perish
you
want
to
experience
the
power
of
God
working
in
your
life
you
want
to
understand
and
know
for
yourself
by
experience
his
words
that
are
coming
out
he's
opening
your
mouth
he's
placing
words
there
he's
helping
you
to
speak
the
kind
of
wisdom
that
no
one
else
can
contradict
it
only
happens
one
way
as
you
entrust
yourself
to
the
son
and
to
his
witness
and
you
embrace
a
life
that's
hard
when
it
is
hard
for
the
sake
of
making
much
of
God
and
the
promise
of
his
support
is
there
he
will
not
leave
you
alone
he
will
not
leave
you
to
yourself
he's
going
to
speak
and
open
your
mouth
don't
even
think
about
ahead
what
you're
going
to
say
because
you're
going
to
be
helped
you
can
trust
and
bank
on
the
fact
the
spirit
will
inform
your
heart
and
your
lips
to
speak
for
him
I
will
support
you
I
will
aid
you
I
will
inform
you
I
will
help
you
and
not
a
hair
of
your
head
will
perish
wait
a
second
how
is
that
possible
you
just
talked
about
my
death
that
sounds
like
a
hair
of
my
head
that's
perishing
but
not
if
your
hope
is
in
the
sun
because
no
one
can
take
away
that
hope
they
might
take
away
your
life
but
they
can't
take
away
the
sun
from
you
or
you
from
the
sun
and
that's
what
Jesus
is
pointing
to
here
as
he
will
say
in
Matthew
chapter
10
verse
28
do
not
fear
those
who
kill
the
body
but
cannot
kill
the
soul
rather
fear
him
who
can
destroy
both
soul
and
body
in
hell
I
love
how
the
apostle
Paul
puts
it
in
Romans
chapter
8
nothing
can
separate
you
from
the
love
of
Christ
nothing
if
you
are
in
Christ
nothing
can
separate
you
from
his
love
and
endurance
will
be
the
quality
of
this
true
power
to
overcome
every
hardship
and
help
to
set
in
front
of
them
not
a
life
of
ease
but
a
life
of
faith
in
the
son
in
verses
20
to
28
we
see
don't
set
your
hope
on
the
security
of
Jerusalem
don't
set
your
hope
on
the
security
of
Jerusalem
it
says
this
but
when
you
see
Jerusalem
surrounded
by
armies
then
know
that
its
desolation
has
come
then
let
those
who
are
in
Judea
flee
to
the
mountains
and
let
those
who
are
inside
the
city
depart
let
not
those
who
are
in
the
country
enter
for
these
are
the
days
of
vengeance
to
fulfill
all
that
was
written
alas
for
women
who
are
pregnant
and
for
those
who
are
nursing
infants
in
those
days
for
there
will
be
great
distress
upon
all
the
earth
and
wrath
against
its
people
they
will
fall
by
the
edge
of
the
sword
and
be
led
captive
among
all
nations
in
Jerusalem
will
be
trampled
underfoot
by
the
Gentiles
until
the
time
of
the
Gentiles
are
fulfilled
disciples
those
who
are
listening
do
not
put
your
hope
in
Jerusalem
the
historian
Josephus
described
the
destruction
of
Jerusalem
that
happened
40
years
from
the
time
of
Jesus
words
here
in
Luke
chapter
21
describes
the
scene
in
much
the
same
way
Josephus
described
the
armies
of
Rome
surrounding
the
city
and
he
notes
Josephus
notes
that
1.1
million
Jews
were
killed
and
97,000
were
taken
captive
we
find
here
a
taste
of
the
outworking
of
this
promise
but
it's
not
the
full
sense
of
the
promise
it
was
just
a
partial
fulfillment
just
a
pre
taste
of
what
was
going
to
happen
help
us
understand
that
the
words
of
Christ
are
meant
to
be
understood
in
a
certain
way
his
prophecies
are
to be
taken
in
a
way
that
lead
us
to
see
and
believe
that
when
they
unfold
in
front
of
us
we
can
point
back
to
the
scripture
and
say
yes
that's
exactly
what
in
revelation
we
find
in
revelation
this
devastating
picture
of
the
temple
itself
in
Jerusalem
being
devastated
revelation
11
1 and
2
says
I
was
given
a
measuring
rod
like
a
staff
and
I
was
told
rise
and
measure
the
temple
of
God
and
the
altar
and
those
who
worship
there
but
do
not
measure
the
court
outside
the
temple
leave
that
out
for
it
is
given
over
to
the
nations
they
will
trample
the
holy
city
for
42
months
this
time
of
tribulation
this
time
of
God's
vengeance
this
day
of
the
Lord
that
is
spoken
about
throughout
the
Old
Testament
this
day
of
doom
and
Jesus
refers
to
as
this
day
of
vengeance
is
still
yet
future
and
what
happened
in
AD
70
was
just
a
glimmer
of
what
was
going
to
happen
in
this
future
day
but
the
fullest
sense
would
take
place
will
disciples
don't
put
your
hope
in
a
city
don't
put
your
hope
in
a
structure
don't
put
your
hope
in
systems
in
governments
and
for
us
today
those
of
us
living
here
in
America
don't
put
your
hope
in
America
don't
put
your
hope
in
a
country
don't
put
your
hope
in
a
nation
don't
put
your
hope
in
leaders
oh
if
this
leader
gets
to
be
in
control
then
everything
is
going to
be
okay
or
if
this
policy
is
passed
then
everything
is
going
to
be
okay
or
if
that
legislation
is
put
into
place
then
everything
is
okay
our
hope
is
not
in
Jerusalem
our
hope
is
not
in
America
our
hope
is
not
in
a
leader
our
hope
is
in
the
sun
and
in
the
sun
alone
place
your
hope
in
the
sun
don't
have
misplaced
hopes
you're
going
to
be
disappointed
in
verses
25
and
26
don't
set
your
hope
on
the
seeming
permanence
of
heaven
in
the
permanence
of
heaven
Jesus
continues
he says
and there
will be
signs
in the
sun
and the
moon
and the
stars
and on
the
earth
the
stress
of
nations
and
perplexity
because
of the
roaring
of the
sea
and the
waves
people
fainting
with fear
with foreboding
of what is
coming on
the world
for the
power of
the heavens
will be
shaken
that which
you have
come to
expect
the
rising
sun
in the
morning
and the
setting
sun
at night
and the
stars
that follow
their
cycle
you've
come
to expect
these
happen
all the
time
that is
all
going to
be
shaken
it's
all
going to
come
to an
end
those
permanence
those
things
that we've
kind of
set
our
hopes
on
as it
were
in terms
of
painting
the
rhythms
of the
day
don't
put
your
hope
in
those
things
even
the
prophet
jeremiah
points
to
and alludes
to
the
permanence
of
the
stars
in the
lights
of the
sky
he says
in
chapter
31
verses
35
and
6
thus
says
the
Lord
who
gives
the
sun
for
light
by
day
and
the
fixed
order
of the
moon
and the
stars
for
light
by
night
who
stirs
up
the
sea
so
that
its
waves
roar
!
where
it's
all
going
to
crashing
down
and
those
pictures
come
to
us
repeatedly
throughout
the
book
of
revelation
don't
put
your
hope
in
the
things
that
seem
fixed
that
seem
firm
put
your
hope
in
the
sun
and
finally
we
come
to
verses
27
and
28
this
is
the
final
thrust
the
climax
the
crescendo
really
of
our
passage
set
your
hope
on
the
sun
Jesus
concludes
by
saying
and
they
will
see
the
son
of
man
coming
in
the
clouds
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
finally
redemption
is
come
finally
the
son
of
man
will
take
his
place
finally
the
son
of
man
will
vanquish
his
enemies
finally
he
will
establish
his
throne
as
you
have
all
expected
finally
that
stone
will
conquer
this
time
of
Gentiles
and
will
stretch
throughout
the
entire
earth
he
will
conquer
he
will
reign
but
don't
put
your
hopes
in
the
things
that
are
material
or
physical
put
your
hope
in
the
sun
and
in
the
sun
alone
he
will
come
in
the
clouds
with
glory
and
as
the
apostles
say
goodbye
to the
Lord
Christ
in
Acts
chapter
1
his
ascension
we
find
this
scene
in
Acts
1
9
11
and
when
he
had
said
these
things
speaking
of
Jesus
as
they
were
looking
on
he
was
lifted
up
and
a
cloud
took
him
out
of
their
sight
and
while
they
were
gazing
into
heaven
as
he
went
behold
two
men
stood
by
them
in
white
robes
and
said
men
of
Galilee
why
do
you
stand
looking
into
heaven
this
Jesus
who
was
taken
up
from
you
into
heaven
will
come
in
the
same
way
as
you
saw
him
go
into
heaven
he's
coming
in
the
!
he's
coming
with
dominion
in
the
sun
put
your
hope
in
him
first
he
came
in
obscurity
but
now
he
comes
in
plain
sight
first
he
came
in
weakness
and
finally
he
will
come
in
power
first
he
came
in
a
manger
and
now
he's
going
to
come
in
the
clouds
first
he
was
celebrated
by
shepherds
and
then
he
will
be
celebrated
by
the
world
first
he
came
to
offer
redemption
from
sin
and
then
he
will
offer
redemption
from
everything
this
final
sign
of
Christ
arrival
is
this
event
of
this
son
of
man
the
son
of
man
who
comes
himself
the
son
of
man
who
comes
to
fulfill
what
he's
promised
put
your
hope
in
the
son
so
often
it's
easy
for
us
to
have
misplaced
hopes
isn't
it
so
often
it's
easy
when
if
the
son
is
to
be
the
object
of
our
affection
and
the
focus
of
our
joy
and
purpose
it's
easy
for
us
to
get
distracted
by
other
things
to
feel
unsettled
when
we hear
the
kind
of
news
that
breaks
the
certainty
of
the
future
but
God
wants
us
to
understand
that
hope
can
be
found
in
the
son
and
in
the
son
alone
may
God
help
us
as
we
seek
to
rid
ourselves
of
those
other
distractions
those
other
hopes
those
other
confidences
those
other
things
that
provide
stability
so that
when
those
things
go
our
testimony
will
shine
and
the
words
can
come
and
the
gospel
witness
from
our
lives
will
bear
evidence
of the
fact
that
our
hope
is
found
in
that
which
is
eternal
in
the
son
himself
and
not
found
in
the
things
of
this
life
or
this
world
oh
God
I
pray
that
you
would
help
us
so
often
we
find
ourselves
just
like
the
disciples
and
certainly
just
like
those
living
in
the
first
century
we
want
things
to
be
better
we
want
our
better
life
now
we
want
to
remove
the
heartache
and the
struggle
and the
pressures
we
want
them
to
go
away
we
want
this
happy
easy
comfortable
life
right
now
we
want
stability
we
want
comfort
but
Lord
I
pray
that
more
than
all
of
those
things
we
would
want
the
son
and
that
the
object
of
our
affection
and
the
striving
of
our
life
would
bear
evidence
of
the
fact
that
we
are
longing
for
you
Lord
do
what
you
must
to
rid
us
of
secondary
joys
and
secondary
hopes
and
may
we
come
to
experience
that
power
that
we
can
have
the
support
of
God
working
in
our
lives
to
help
us
to
find
peace
even
when
life
seems
to
be
spiraling
out
of
control
and
may
that
serve
as
a
witness
to
those
around
us
that
there
is
a
hope
that
can
be
found
in
a
person
in
Christ
himself
we
pray
in
Jesus
name
amen
God
bless
you
have
a
great
week