Northwest Gospel Church - Camas/Washougal

Luke 21:5-38 | Ben Potloff | It can be incredibly easy to find ourselves living in fear. We live in fear of natural disasters. We live in fear of economic collapse and financial hardship. We live in fear of the influence of political figures and the power of governments. We can live in fear because we know our struggles and failings, and we fear that our shortcomings will affect us and our loved ones. This passage can, if read shallowly and hastily, lead to fear. In Luke 21:5-38, Jesus speaks of imminent destruction, the persecution of believers, the overthrow of governments, pain and suffering, natural disasters, and even captivity. But he does not present these realities without also presenting a greater hope for those in Christ. So, before we engage with this passage, let’s go to God in prayer. Let’s confess our anxieties and fears. Let’s allow the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3) to speak to us through the words of Jesus.

The religious leaders’ questioning of Jesus has come to an end (see Luke 20:40), but Jesus keeps the ball rolling with a question of his own. He asks, “how can they say that the Christ is David’s son?” It’s here that we think back to Luke’s opening words, where he tells us why he has written this Gospel account, “to write an orderly account for you... that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” It’s almost as if, while writing, Luke wants to prove the kingship of Christ, because he then turns and gives us a picture of the upside- down nature of the kingdom of God. Within earshot of his subject, Jesus condemns the scribes, who are hungry for the accolades that come with their position. Instead of affirming what their society would say about this group, he tells the crowd that they will receive greater condemnation. In the next breath (remember, the chapter distinctions were added much later after Luke’s writing), the author tells us the story of the widow’s offering, proving again the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God.

Here we are yet again... the religious leaders are back at it, attempting to trap Jesus by asking an impossible question that seemingly has no satisfactory answer. This time it’s the Sadducees who bring the question, and it’s a question about marriage and the resurrection. The Sadducees came primarily from wealthy priestly families, and history tells us that they mostly looked to the first five books of the Old Testament as their Scripture, likely rejecting or ignoring the rest of the Old Testament. Because of this, they didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. So it’s with this in mind that we look at Luke 20:27-40. The religious leaders have come to trap Jesus. If one were to follow Moses’ instruction in Deuteronomy 25 and marry his brother’s widow (and if this were to happen seven times to the unfortunate bride), whose wife would she be at the resurrection? Yet again, Jesus’ answer shuts them up... this time for good. “Teacher,” the scribes reply in verse 39, “you have spoken well.” And they no longer dared ask him any questions.

Jesus is a brilliant storyteller. The chief priests and scribes, the religious leaders of Israel in this day, are continually trying to trap Jesus, peppering him with impossible questions with the aim of crucifying him whether he agrees or disagrees. Recently, there was a question about the authority with which he teaches. Jesus’ brilliant storytelling gives the perfect answer to this question: the parable of the wicked tenants. Afraid of the people, they fire another fastball; yet another “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” question. This time, the question centers on paying taxes to an authoritarian, oppressive government that unjustly ruled over God’s people. And yet again, Jesus the storyteller has the perfect response to their interrogation.

Beginning with chapter 20 we see a basic pattern in Jesus’ ministry emerging; the Jewish leadership is coming after him. In the previous chapter Jesus had cleansed the temple and in this chapter we see wave upon wave of opposition seeking to discredit and trap him. Verses 9-19 constitute a parable that is meant to depict his opposition (the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the Jews). There is nothing veiled about this parable. Some things don’t need any interpretation. Jesus’ opponents are at the end of a long line of Israelite leaders that have rejected Yahweh’s servants. Jesus exposes his enemies and rather directly says “I know what you are going to do.”

A ‘catch 22’ is a dilemma where someone can’t escape because of conflicting or contradictory rules and outcomes. This is exactly what one finds in Jesus’ interactions with the Jewish leaders in this section of Luke's Gospel. The last two verses of chapter 19 provide a bit of context for the story that unfolds at the beginning of chapter 20. Jesus has made it to Jerusalem and has begun teaching in the temple. Then, the opposition enters the picture. The Jewish leaders are seeking to destroy Jesus, even though there is no evidence that he is guilty (19:47-48). So, as we’ve seen so many times before in Luke’s Gospel, they set out to trap Jesus. Questioning Jesus on the source of his authority, Jesus turns the tables on them and offers an answer provided that they honestly answer his question first. However, when realizing that to answer Jesus honestly would mean they either admit to rejecting God’s messenger or open themselves up to critique from the public, they choose silence. This passage puts the ignorance and hostility of the Jewish leaders on full display and challenges each of us to ask if we too are guilty of questioning the authority of Jesus.

We’re back in the Book of Luke. We started this Gospel back in 2018, and have spent 58 Sundays in its pages. We’ve witnessed Jesus’ birth, his teaching, his miracles, and, most recently, his journey toward Jerusalem. This week concludes that journey that began back in chapter 9. While this week’s text may seem like a random smattering of events at the end of a road trip, almost every detail of this story harkens back to an Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah. In these pages we see contrasting responses to the Savior of the world: we hear a crowd praising the Son of God, saying “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” But we also hear a growing grumbling from Israel’s religious leaders who are now plotting to kill the coming King.

The Lord is near... This simple reality changes absolutely everything for absolutely everyone. This morning, we come to Philippians 4:5-23. Here, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Philippi, reminding them of the nearness of our God and of the imminent return of Jesus. We cannot hope to face the affliction and hardships of this life without recognizing the amazing reality that our Lord is near.

This week, we come to the close of our journey through the Book of Ruth. In this final chapter, we see Boaz redeem Ruth and Naomi, and we read that a baby is to be born. In light of all the hardship experienced by Ruth and Naomi and despite the wicked backdrop of the period of the judges, God is working to redeem his people. Here, we see that redemption is found in a Redeemer who is willing to pay the price.

As we look ahead to Christmas morning, we examine the story of Jesus' birth, as told by Matthew. Jesus' birth was more than just the birth of a king, it was more than the fulfillment of the prophets, it was even more than God coming to earth in human form. Jesus' birth was the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to come and dwell with his people. In this passage, we see that while we can't come to God, he has come to us.