Introduction.

I have drawn many lessons from Luke's account of the Second Coming of Jesus. See exposition on Luke17v20to37. and Luke21v5to38. In this exposition I will attempt to identify what Jesus was talking about - either the destruction of the temple or his second coming or both. I will also identify the main lessons we can learn from the passage.

Jesus is asked two questions by his disciples in response to his prediction that the temple would be destroyed. See v2. He was asked when the temple would be destroyed and what would signal his return to earth and the end of the age. Unfortunately Matthew does not make it very clear when Jesus is answering the first query and when he is answering the second. This is my suggestion based on the content:

Verses 4 to 14: apply pretty much to both the interval preceding the destruction of Jerusalem and the period preceding the second coming. It is common to both.

Verses 15 to 25: apply only to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Verses 26 to 31 refer to the second coming of Jesus.

Verses 32 to 35 refer to the fall of Jerusalem.

Verses 36 to 50 deal with how Christians should prepare for Christ's return.

(A) What to note from Jesus' prediction of the fall of Jerusalem.

(1) Jesus' prophecy came true.

(a) In the period leading up to the fall of Jerusalem things did go on much as usual. There were false messiahs, rumours of wars, revolts, natural disasters, religious persecution, apostasy and false prophets.

(b) The destruction of Jerusalem, including its magnificent temple, in AD 90 was just as terrible as Jesus foretold. Those who could fled. Pregnant women and mothers were raped and killed, the temple was burned to the ground and the walls of the city destroyed.

See account in Wikepedia for all the graphic details.

The fact that Christ's prophecy regarding the destruction of Jerusalem came true strongly suggests that we should take the foretelling of his second coming seriously.

(2) An awful object lesson of what happens when we reject Jesus.

Jerusalem rejected Jesus - its leading men did not want Jesus as their king. They cried out, "We have no king but Caesar!" For that the city was destroyed - as, too, shall we be for the same offence.

(B) Lessons to be derived from Jesus' teaching about his second coming.

(1) The long period before Jesus' return will not be easy for believers.

The world is not a very safe place with natural disasters, political unrest and religious persecution. Jesus said: "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and to be put to death and you will be hated by all nations because of me." v9.

(2) Life before Jesus' return will be going on just the way it usually did.

Jesus prophesied: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away." Mt24v37and38.

(3) The church will suffer many setbacks.

For 2000 years the church has suffered greatly. It has been hated by the world. It has been weakened by apostasy, division, false teaching and lukewarm devotion. Yet in spite of its external enemies and internal disharmony the, "Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." v13.

This is one of the conditions that has been fulfilled for the second coming of Jesus. A second is the return of the Jews to their ancient land of promise. A third - the conversion of the Jews to Christianity, remains to be accomplished.

(4) No one should be deceived about the second coming.

Through the centuries since Christ's ascension people have made out that he has returned. He is said to be living in obscurity in the desert or in seclusion at an abbey.

Perhaps the strange little saying Jesus quotes applies to those taken in by fake Christs: "Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." v28. I take this to mean that men will go where their inclination takes them just as it is the vulture's nature to gather round a rotting carcass. (Luke has Jesus using the proverb in a different context but meaning the same thing.)

No one should get it wrong about Jesus' Second Coming for two reasons:

(a) There will be clear signs of a cosmic nature that Christ's return is imminent. The signs recorded in Matthew24v29 and Luke21v25 can all be explained in terms of a large meteor strike. If a large enough meteor hit the earth it would throw up a plume of dust and rock fragments that would darken the sun and blot out the moon. As some of the debris plunged back to earth from the upper atmosphere it would look as if stars were falling. Collision with a large meteor might cause the earth to wobble as it rotates around its axis. This would seriously affect tides and wave action. There is no need for Tom Wright to propose that Jesus was talking figuratively. Luke records Jesus as saying: "Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Lk21v26. People only get very alarmed when real disasters threaten. Collision with a giant meteor would be terrifying - the ultimate disaster.

(b) Christ's second coming will be highly visible. No one will be able to miss it! It will be like a lightning flash. It may occur in the east but will be seen from the far west.

Jesus will appear in the sky and every eye will see him - not so hard to imagine in these days of the mobile phone. Jesus will return in power and glory, accompanied by angels, to gather his elect from every corner of the earth.

Certainly no one should be deceived in thinking Jesus has returned already but nor should any one remain in doubt of his second coming. Jesus will return to usher in all things new: a new body, a transformed spirit, a new earth and a new universe. See 1Cor15 and 2Pet3.

(5) Always be prepared.

In view of the fact that life will carry on as usual until Christ's certain return, Christians of all eras should be prepared for his coming. The best way to be prepared is to be about our Master's business. When Jesus arrives again on earth he should find us serving him. It should be our chief priority. Jesus warns: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time. It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns." v45to47.

(6) Avoid bad habits.

Nominal Christians must beware of falling into bad habits because Christ's return is long delayed. Every school teacher knows what can happen if a class of children are left to their own devices for any length of time. Indeed, the longer they are left without the physical presence of the teacher the more behaviour is likely to deteriorate.

Some Christians behave as if Jesus is never going to return in judgment. So some church leaders become domineering, exploitative and self-indulgent. The mistake they make is to doubt Christ's word. I was a teacher of integrity. I kept my word. So, if I told a class left to work unsupervised that if I returned and found that the work was incomplete or badly done they would repeat it in detention, the vast majority of pupils believed me. Usually when I returned to the classroom I found the children working hard.

Jesus issues a warning to his servants! I hope we believe him! Jesus is not known for lack of integrity - far from it! So heed what he says of the delinquent church leader: "He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrite, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

The best preparation for Christ's second coming is to work hard for him and to keep working hard for him - on and on - working hard for him - the blessed Master to whom we owe so much.

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