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Therefore be alert, asking in every season that you may be considered worthy to escape the things about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Luke 21:36

Christians are, and will be, present for many of the things that Jesus mentions here. We should be alert that we may be able to help others and warn them. And, as Jesus says in Revelation, we are to ‘endure till the end’, which means to continue in the faith so that we can stand before Him as He says here.

Heavenly Father, thank You for You love and care for us. You desire all of the best things for us and our lives. Thank You for Your holiness and what it means for us. You lead us into things we never would have dreamed possible. I praise You for Your great wisdom and amazing grace! You will always be the tower I can run to! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For it will come up on all those who sit on the face of all the earth as a trap!

Luke 21:35

The words Jesus chooses here indicates that His second coming will be similar to His first from the standpoint of the rulers of the earth. When He came and was born in the manger, the vast majority of the rulers of our world were oblivious to the fact. When He returns, He will profoundly surprise the great powers of earth.

Heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed by Your might and Your goodness. But above all, I am inspired by Your holiness! You are holy, holy, holy!!! Thank You for revealing Your Son to us and allowing us to have a relationship with You through Him. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But pay attention to yourselves so that your hearts will not be burdened down in carousing and drunkenness and anxiety over life’s issues, and then suddenly that day stands near upon you!

Luke 31:34

The ancient Egyptians had a concept of the weight of a person’s heart. A heavy heart was a sign of a bad life. Though their concepts concerning the afterlife were incorrect, God uses the same heart motif throughout Scripture. He is the One Who ‘weighs the hearts’ and He is the final judge.
Thus, Jesus once again refers to His role as the Judge and warns us to have a ‘light heart’ in preparation for the day of His return. Christians should not deal with the problems of this life in the same way that humans often do in sinful ways.

Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for Your Truth in my life! Your Word provides answers to my most important and troubling questions. I am in awe of Your wisdom! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The sky and the earth will pass away, but My words will absolutely not pass away.

Luke 21:33

The prophecy of Christ both here and in the book of His Revelation are completely certain. The very elements of this current world are subject to change, but His prophecy is not.

Heavenly Father, You are faithful every day. You do not change or fail. Every moment we can know You as You are. Thank You for Your revealing of the truth about Your Son! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Certainly I say to you, this generation will absolutely not pass away until all these things take place.

Luke 21:32

This verse has a double prophetic meaning. First, the current generation of the Israeli people at the time that Jesus delivered this prophecy did not pass before the destruction of Jerusalem. Second, the generation of the Israeli people, in other words the very existence of descendants of Jacob on earth, will not pass away before the time of the end.

Heavenly Father, Your glory is beyond all imagination. We can only see what You have revealed. Our mouths cannot help but be filled with Your praises. Thank You for the comfort of Your Word! We live on it and in it. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So also you, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

Luke 21:31

Jesus speaks of His future coming, but also says that it is the ‘kingdom of God’s that is coming. This is because Jesus is the King of that kingdom and after His coming, the kingdom of God will be with humanity.

Heavenly Father, we seek to praise You in purity of heart. Your Voice is sweet to our ears. The wisdom of Your Word is the joy of our soul. Thank You for the great grace that we receive daily from Your hand! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When they are already budding, you see for yourself, knowing that the summer is already near.

Luke 21:30

Jesus didn’t use simple illustrations because He thought His listeners were stupid. No. The simplicity of the illustrations that Jesus and the New Testament authors use is meant to make a point. God has surrounded us with processes of nature that help us understand Him and His Word. Good doctrine can be illustrated well by the straightforward functions of nature because nature’s Creator is also the Author of good doctrine.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us access to so much in Christ! May we stop seeking the things we do not need and start rejoicing in the things You provide abundantly, but we so often miss. Thank You for the Victory! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then He told them a parable. ‘Behold the fig tree, and all the trees.’

Luke 21:29

Trees have always been a good illustration. Jesus refers here specifically to a fig tree because there were many in that area, and because He had used them as an illustration of Israel. Israel and the nations in general will witness the events He prophesies of here in these verses.

Heavenly Father, Your faithfulness is amazing! Thank You for giving us Your Son! May we always faithfully serve in His church. Thank You for the good news that we have to share with everyone around us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But when these things being to take place, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

Luke 21:28

Jesus is taking a step back and refers to the whole discourse here. He would not have people to wait until He is revealed to look up. He is saying that when many of the things He references her occur, people should be looking for His return.

It is important to understand the word ‘redemption’ here. Redemption is used in Scripture to refer to any deliverance that God provides, whether by the force of His might or a price paid to His justice. In this case, redemption refers to the yet future works of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the soon return of Your Son! As we celebrate this week the redemption of salvation from sin provided by the death and resurrection of Christ, we look forward to the victory He is bringing to this world on the day that He returns in power and glory! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and much glory.

Luke 21:27

When Jesus returns, it will be very obvious to everyone exactly Who He is.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ! We live not only in constant joy because of what You have done through Him, but we live in rejoicing anticipation of all that is yet to come! Just as Jesus made His way to Jerusalem on a path of palms, we look forward to Him coming to this old world in the clouds. Thank you! It will be glorious! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

With men fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming to the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Luke 21:26

In the time of the end, the devil will have more freedom to do as he will on the face of the earth. But this ‘freedom’ will be short lived and plagued by the judgement of Almighty God. As this verse says, people will be very afraid of God’s power, and the impact of His wrath upon the universe will be obvious.

Heavenly Father, it seems to so many of us that this earth is ripe for judgment. But remind us of Your great mercy and that You are always at work. Send us forth into Your harvest that we might gather to Christ the many souls yet to be saved before the time of the end. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

There shall be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and in the earth anguished nations in perplexity, echoed in sea and surf;

Luke 21:25

There have been and shall be many horrible calamities that will occur before the time of the end. But the last days will be on an order altogether unique. Short of Noah’s flood, nothing has hit this old world that is as bad as what will happen during the tribulation period. Any catastrophe that hits us in this present time is but a portent of what is to come.

Heavenly Father, as we pray for those who are the victims of recent earthquakes, we are glad that the judgment of this world will not last forever. There is a good future to look forward to. I praise You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And they shall fall by the mouth of the sword, and they shall be taken as captives into all the nations. And Jerusalem shall be tread upon by the nations, until the times of the nations are fulfilled.

Luke 21:24

Israel to this day is spread all over the face of the planet. And, even though there is an Israeli nation, Jerusalem is still trodden by the gentile nations to this day. If it wasn’t, the third temple would be a reality already.

Heavenly Father, we rejoice as we see the prophecy of Scripture fulfilled before our eyes. There is much yet to be fulfilled, but the very existence of the nation of Israel is a testimony to the fact that there is much yet to happen in this world that will fill up all that You have told us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath on this people.

Luke 21:23

The young are mentioned often when judgment is described in the Bible. God is not unfeeling or unaware of our plight as mere mortals. Not a single bad thing befalls anyone that He does not take note of. He knows, and He cares.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to serve You! As we read of judgment, we can only be that much more thankful for Your mercy. All of us deserve death and hell, but You have made mercy and grace our possession by Christ. You are Awesome and truly faithful. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

Because, these are the days of her punishment, the fulfillment of all that is written.

Luke 21:22

This is where we begin to see that this is referring primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The diaspora of the Jewish people began in earnest at this time. As far back as Deuteronomy 28:64 it was prophesied that the Jews would be scattered among all the peoples of the earth.

Heavenly Father, thank You for each day that You have given to us. We live as a tale that is told, and it is a story of Your mercy, grace, and truth. Your lovingkindness is new every day; you are always the same, and yet never stagnate. You flow fresh by Your Spirit into our lives every moment. I praise You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains, and let those in her midst leave, and let not those who are in the countryside come into her.

Luke 21:21

During the attacks by Titus in AD 70, this was good advice. In spite of the fact that it took some time to finally destroy all the vestiges of Jewish resistance, the evil job was finally done. Jesus’s words are not meant to discourage the Jewish people, but to serve as a true warning. This verse also has a yet future fulfillment in the end times.

Heavenly Father, Your mercy and grace are a constant joy to my heart! How can I ever cease to praise You? My mouth will find its employment forever in proclaiming Your great goodness, justice, and profound love! I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

But whenever you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that her desolation has drawn near.

Luke 21:20

This has a dual fulfillment. The question the disciples asked in context here in Matthew would primarily be about the first fulfillment. This first fulfillment was in AD 70 when the armies of Rome destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem.

The future fulfillment will come when there will once again be armies around Jerusalem. These will be the armies of the Antichrist which will desecrate the temple in the time of the end.

Heavenly Father, thank You for telling us about the future. Your Truth in Your Word is a great comfort to our hearts and minds. All our lives we will turn to the pages of Scripture and find glorious things that bring blessing and joy to our lives. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

In your perseverance, possess your souls.

Luke 21:19

This is quite an interesting verse. and just like the previous one, we may ask how this is to be understood when Jesus just said some would be killed. But this serves to clear up the matter completely if we understand it properly.

The wording here is quite strange, but also very specific. True saints will persevere to the end. Nothing can separate a true Christian from Christ. If one belongs to Him, he or she shall continue in Christ until death. In that perseverance, true saints of God ‘possess’ their souls. This means that, no matter what may happen to any child of God physically, they are eternally saved and will be resurrected just as Christ has been.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints! It is of great comfort that we can know for sure that we are truly in Christ. But beyond that, we can be confident that our spiritual life will not somehow be cut short. We shall be Yours forever! Oh glorious thought! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Not even a hair of your head shall be lost.

Luke 21:18

How can Jesus say this after He had just said some of His followers would be killed? The statement He is making here about a single hair matches with a comment we have recorded back in Luke 12:7, and also in Matthew 10:30. God values us so much that He numbers the hairs of our head.

This is quite a unique and powerful statement. Regardless of what may happen to any one of the Lord’s servants, He has a log of all that pertains to each of His children. Being the creator, death is no barrier for Him. His power is absolute, and He has a beautiful plan for the future of His people. In this future His children will not only be alive, but evidently even past hair will be remembered to their blessing. We lose hair, skin cells, and other things all the time, so this is a testament to the infinite knowledge of Almighty God.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being so Wonderful! You are amazing beyond all of our wildest dreams! It has always been a special blessing to me that You number our hairs. The passage today is a great encouragement. Regardless of what happens, You know Your people and You care for them. How can we ever thank You enough? I will praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And you shall be hated by all because of My Name.

Luke 21:17

The Name of Christ includes His complete identity. Christians are hated if they believe all that the Scriptures say about Christ. This hatred is due to the guilt and shame of sin in the lives of those doing the hating. They do not like anyone who reminds them of their error.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making the truth accessible through Your Spirit. It is a great mercy that You have given so much to us. Your gracious love and abiding peace are a constant comfort. You are magnificent in Your holiness and amazing in Your wisdom. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

You will be betrayed even by parents, relatives, friends, and brothers. And they will put some of you to death.

Luke 21:16

Friendships and familial relationships have not always prevented betrayal. Jesus knew that His followers would be considered dangerous, overzealous, or even crazy. Some of His disciples did indeed give their life for Him very soon after the gospel of His resurrection began to spread.

Heavenly Father, it is a great blessing to be able to live for You! In spite of any opposition, to know Your will and to do it is worth the test. Your love and truth spur us on no matter what. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all  the ones in opposition to you will not be able to contradict nor resist.

Luke 21:15

The significance of this seems to be that the Lord will give His people not only great wisdom to deal with adversaries, but also the correct attitude to have or approach to take when doing so. He gives an assurance that the defence offered will be coherent and will not be defeated by some logic of the other side. This is a good comfort and encouragement to those who are persecuted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us wisdom! Your wisdom is such an amazing gift, and it provides us with so much comfort. Understanding Your world as it is, rather than as we imagine it, puts life in perspective for us. You are our defense, You are our high tower. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Therefore decide in your hearts not to prepare a defense.

Luke 21:14

Initially, this seems contradictory. There are many Scriptures that suggest Christians should be prepared to defend the faith. However, we must pay close attention to what is being said here. Jesus is not suggesting that we never prepare ourselves to give good answers to those who truly seek the truth, or are at least willing to listen. Instead, He is specifically saying that we should not prepare to defend our faith when persecution brings us before political officials.

In other words, we are to live expecting to have opportunities to freely share our faith, and for such opportunities we should be prepared. Conversely, we should not live in anticipation of persecution, though we suffer under no delusion that it will never come. When persecution does arise, we will be given the words to say, but we are not to prepare in anticipation of that eventuality.

This actually makes a lot of sense. The gospel message is good news and should be shared as such. We are to prepare to share good news with people who are at the least willing to listen to our message. When we share with those who have already made it abundantly clear they are set against Christ, His church, and His gospel, we are not to prepare anything additional or different to fit the occasion. As the next verse explains, the Lord will give us the words to say at that point. We are not to be sitting around dreaming up things to say in response to adversaries. Instead, our focus should be on preparing to share with those who will choose to listen.

Heavenly Father, thank You for working in and through Your people! It is such a privilege to be used by You for Your goals. In Your service we find great joy. Your wisdom is clear. You have sent out Your messengers to those who will choose to hear. Thank You for making Your truth known! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But it will turn out to be an opportunity for you to testify.

Luke 21:13

Christians should always be looking for an opportunity to share their faith. The world is lost and without a legitimate hope, so we must share the hope within us.

What better time for a genuine testimony than when we are persecuted? A testimony at such a time will not be ineffective.

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us to bear the message of Your Son to this world. Oh may we do it faithfully! What a joy it is to know the good news and to be privileged to share it! I will praise You forever for Your wisdom in Your plan. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, betraying you to synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors on account of My Name.

Luke 21:12

This especially addresses the early persecutions of the church. But, this has been the experience of true Christianity throughout history. This persecution is specifically for preaching and teaching in the Name of Christ.

Heavenly Father, may we be always worthy of You! We can never thank You enough for allowing us to be involved in the ministry of the gospel. Thank You for helping us when we are attacked for preaching the gospel. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

There shall be large earthquakes in many places, and famines, and plagues. There shall be terrible sights and loud signs from heaven.

Luke 21:11

It is not surprising that Jesus would know so much about the future. But it is remarkable and amazing. Though He is speaking of things mentioned also in the Revelation account, He is referring to many events that have taken place at various times in history since His time here on earth.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your many blessings on us! How can we ever thank You enough? Even in loss or pain we are reminded of Your power and goodness. Thank You for the love that You have towards us! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then He said to them, “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”

Luke 21:10

There has actually been quite an interesting balance of power in the history of the world. No one kingdom or people have been in control of the world in anything like a permanent way. This lack of unity under a single banner is by design and started way back with the Tower of Babel.

One day the world will unite only briefly under the antichrist. But then, after the judgment of the devil, Jesus will rule a unified world for 1000 years.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wise superintending of all the events of this life. You are so powerful and Your plan will never be frustrated. We are so blessed to be Your servants and we rejoice in Your great love and grace! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And whenever you hear of battles and insurrections, do not be frightened; for these things must take place first, but the end is not immediate.

Luke 21:9

Jesus is here sharing that there would be political unrest at various times and in various places. But this should not be taken to indicate the end of the world has come.

The word Jesus uses here where He says ‘do not be frightened’ is unique. It is not the standard ‘do not fear’ that we usually see. It seems He is reassuring them that although some fearful situations will occur, they need not be terrified as if these things mean the end is already here.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Bible prophecy! It gives us reassurance and help. We are blessed and it is a mercy to know what our future holds. Thank You for guiding us by Your Spirit. You are wise and loving. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

And He said: See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my Name, claiming, ‘I AM’ and, ‘The time has come near.’ Therefore, do not go out after them.

Luke 21:8

Jesus’s answer here in Luke begins with a tipoff that He is going to share some warnings about the future. They had asked Him to share the future with them, and He was doing that.

Jesus does not start here addressing their question directly, but by giving them good instructions for the future in general. Throughout history there have been many that have claimed to be Christ, or to have some special knowledge of Him. Jesus is warning his followers to be discerning.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and care! We cannot afford to ignore Your boundless grace. Nobody has ever surprised You, and You alone can guide us to all of the truth. Help us to rely on You faithfully. Your will is wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So they put a question to Him, saying, ‘When, therefore, will these things be, and what is the sign whenever these things are about to come to pass.’

Luke 21:7

We have recorded for us several of the questions that the disciples asked Christ. Here, they are responding to His words about the destruction of the temple. They did not expect the answer they received. But Jesus did launch into a rather lengthy explanation of the future with this question as the spring-board.

Heavenly Father, You are holy and good. I will forever seek to praise You! Your ways are beyond our understanding and Your love is more than we can fathom. Thank you! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

These things which you see – the days are coming in which a stone shall not be left atop a stone that shall not been thrown down.

Luke 21:6

The ancient building method for structures like the temple was to pile up hewn stones. The idea was to make a permanent edifice that time and disaster would not remove.

Thus, to actually ‘destroy’ such a structure, one had to ‘unpile’ the stones. Because of this, Jesus is describing a complete destruction; one in which the enemy would make the effort to completely erase the formerly existing building.

Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to serve you! Your glory and your holiness are wonderful. We are so blessed to be yours! Thank you for your mercy, grace, and great love. Your faithfulness to us is such a comfort. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise you, Amen.

And as some spoke about the temple, that it was adorned with good stones and consecrated gifts, He said,

Luke 21:5

Jesus was about to impart to His disciples some of His prophetic teaching on the coming calamity that would face the Jewish people. Although the Jews were unhappy about the Romans, they were quite proud of the new temple and were obviously very impressed with the generosity of their countrymen.

The temple was and is the most important thing to any orthodox Jewish person. And yet, at this time the people of God largely missed the Lord Himself. Everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, should learn from this reality. Buildings are great, but God is greater.

Heavenly Father, thank You for building the church! The body of Christ is not a physical building, but it is a beautiful thing. We praise You for the joy and peace that Christ has brought to our broken world. We will always see You as You are, not as we want to make You. You have built a blessing, and we are grateful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

For all these out of abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her lack put in all her living that she had.

Luke 21:4

This woman gave sacrificially. Her focus was on Who the offering was going to, not who all might see and take note of her offering.

The percentage which she gave was high. Jesus saw that. What she had given was all that she had at the time. She gave knowing the Lord would have  to supply her with more. Her dependence upon the Lord was very real.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love for us! You have given us so much! Only by Your will can we survive. Your mercy is new every day. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And He said, ‘Truthfully, I tell you, that the destitute widow, she has put in more than all of them.’

Luke 21:3

Jesus makes a very direct statement concerning this widow. It is interesting here that Jesus uses a different word in verse 3 for the ‘poor’ widow than what we find in verse 2. It is as if the message here is that this woman was seen as just ‘poor’ to most, but Jesus highlights the fact that she is destitute. Indeed, in the next verse Jesus uses yet another word to describe her desperate financial situation.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us in our desperate need. In spite of financial needs, we have all a great debt of sin that is only paid by Christ. We will praise You forever for the deliverance from that debt! You are worthy of all the glory in all of this. You are holy and we will seek always to serve You and rejoice. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

and He also saw a certain needy widow put two small coins in there.

Luke 21:2

This particular woman was not only a widow but had not been left well off by her deceased husband. Being in a disadvantaged position in society, she would likely never have much for the remainder of her life. She may very well have been a victim of the avarice of the Scribes Jesus had just been speaking about.

If ever someone had an excuse to give less, it would have been this poor widow. As little as she gave, she could have given less. Many others would be giving far less of their relative income on that day, though their gifts would be larger. But this woman gave out of a full heart, and she gave a genuine gift.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us to have the proper perspective. We can get so hung up on the world’s thinking and we forget Your Wisdom. You alone are God and You own everything. We owe You ourselves and we can never praise You enough. You are holy, just, loving, pure, kind, and faithful. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

And looking up, He saw the wealthy men putting their gifts into the contribution box;

Luke 21:1

This would have been quite a spectacle. The drawback of public contribution methods is that they are open to ostentatious gifting. These rich folks likely made quite a production of the process. Since money was all physical in that day, a large contribution could take some time and garner a lot of attention.

Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You have given. We can never out-give You! All that we have is Yours anyway. Thank You for the lesson of humility! You alone own all. We see Your blessings every day and we cannot help but be amazed. I love You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Who consume the houses of the widows, and make long prayers as a pretext. These shall receive extraordinary judgement.

Luke 20:47

As experts of the law, the Scribes were looked to for answers about legal matters. Rather than following the guidelines that love, mercy, and kindness would dictate, they interpreted the law in such a way as to enrich themselves as much as possible. Widows were an especially vulnerable target because their position in society had quite a few legal disadvantages. The prayers of the Scribes praised their own activity as if there were nothing wrong.

Heavenly Father, You are pure! You are loving and kind. May we always reflect You in our lives. I will praise You forever for Your wisdom! You know everything there is to know about us, and yet You have made a way for us to be redeemed. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Beware of the scribes, who are fond of walking in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplace, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, and the places of honor at feasts,

Luke 20:46

Each of these things is not necessarily bad. There will be those who appropriately sit in a place of honor, and long robes were not inappropriate attire in every case. But the emphasis here is on the litany of ‘first-place’ honors and recognitions that the scribes loved to always have. Each of these things would afford them the greatest attention and the feeling of superiority.

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us the ignorance of pride. It will always hurt us, and it destroys good society. We will constantly remind ourselves of the truth that You are Sovereign over everything, and we can trust Your tender care. You will see to our honor; we do not have to seek it ourselves. Thank You! Life lived for You is full of joy rather than empty pleasures that fade. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise you, Amen.

The where all the people could hear, He said to His disciples,

Luke 20:45

Jesus had compassion on the multitudes. He attempted to guide the Jewish people to the truth. He did truly desire their repentance, though He knew what would happen.

Heavenly Father, thank You for going on with Your plan in spite of us! You are good regardless of what we do. Your mercy, grace, and love are Your own. We cannot fathom Your character, it is wonderful to us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

David therefore calls Him ‘Lord’, how then is He his Son?

Luke 20:44

The logic here is airtight. The Jewish elites had no idea how to answer such a question. It seemed to them to be an irreconcilable conundrum. And, indeed it is if one refuses to accept the fact of the virgin birth. The Christ would have to be both human and Divine simultaneously, and the virgin birth is the means by which that was possible.

We might be tempted to think that the truth of the hypostatic union was altogether hidden and the Jews were justified in largely missing it. But such is not the case. There is a plethora of evidence for it in the Old Testament, not just the passage from Psalms that Jesus presents here. To miss it requires that one be resistant to the idea.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving to us Your Truth in spite of our tendencies towards unbelief. You are merciful and Your faithfulness cannot be overemphasized. We praise Your Wisdom, the Christ. He has made our lives abundant and free. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

‘Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’

Luke 20:43

This verse is short but loaded with meaning. The ‘until’ here should not be taken to mean that after this footstool business the Lord will be somehow demoted. The point is that there is a process by which all the enemies of the Lord will come to naught. And, God the Son sits on the right hand of the Father, the place of honor, as this process takes place.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. Thank You for reminding us of how You work in our lives each and every day. Your wisdom is something we look to constantly. We search through the pages of Your word and apply ourselves diligently to study, because we know Your words are of inestimable value. We praise You for Your loving kindness and for Your truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

Even David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at my right side,’

Luke 20:42

Jesus is here quoting Psalm 110:1. The ‘LORD’ refers to the I AM, the proper Name of Almighty God. The ‘Lord’ is Adonai, meaning Lord or Master. This is a perfect example of the reality of God the Father and God the Son in the Old Testament. Jesus is setting up for the Jewish leaders one of His most profound attempts to get the truth across to them.

Heavenly Father, You are the One Who we adore! You in Your Trinity are amazing and wonderful beyond description. I stand in awe daily of Your mighty power and perfect truth. Thank You for Your love and goodness! I cannot thank You enough for Your leading. I will look always to Your way for me. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then He said to them, ‘How do they maintain that the Christ is the Son of David?’

Luke 20:41

Jesus is preparing to delve more deeply into the doctrine of the hypostatic union than the Jewish leaders were prepared to bear. Jesus is not here challenging the idea that the Christ is the son of David. He is challenging the means by which the Jewish religious elite could make sense of that truth.

Heavenly Father, thank You for guiding our lives! It is a joy and a privilege to be able to seek Your will and Your face in connection with our daily activities. It is a wonder to be able to turn through the pages of Your Word and see things that help us in our daily lives, as well as our lifelong choices and aspirations. You are merciful, loving, kind, and good to us. We praise you for your great wisdom, power, justice, and faithfulness! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

But they no longer dared to ask Him anything.

Luke 20:40

Jesus was too hot to handle. Interactions with Him were dangerous games for the ruling elite. His intellect, insight, and authority were enough to keep them up at night. They could not afford to rock the boat with the Romans, and any popular uprising could make waves. Their attempts to question Him had been calculated risks. But at this point, the risk had clearly become too great.

Heavenly Father, our earthly wisdom is so limited! We think we know and understand so much, and yet we are still incredibly limited. Without Your Word and Your world to guide us, we are so primitive and evil. Thank You for making Your truth available, and for keeping us humble. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

And the Scribes responded, saying, ‘Teacher, what you said was good.’

Luke 20:39

The Scribes were experts on the law, and like the Pharisees they did not agree with the Sadducees about the afterlife or spiritual things. Some of them may have truly been impressed by the words of Christ. But they likely made this compliment primarily as a barb against the Sadducees who were present.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the good teaching of Christ. The Word is our constant companion. In the pages of the Bible we find comfort, healing, and power. I praise You for the Truth and Your plan to reveal it to us. You are wise beyond all others and we can always trust Your faithfulness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He is not God of the dead, but of the living. To Him they are all alive.

Luke 20:38

Jesus teaches this to His disciples on several occasions. For example He refers to some, who had died, as sleeping. Physical death is not meant to be considered an end in the theology of Christ.

Life comes from God and is determined by God. This is what is meant by ‘to Him they are all alive’ in this verse. To us they are dead. But to Him they are very much alive.

Heavenly Father, thank You for life! We are surrounded by a society full of death and decay. But You are at work for life in every moment. You teach us truth and love and grace and show us the Way to life. Jesus is the Life! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But that the dead rise, even Moses reveals in the bush passage, as he quotes the Lord, ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

Luke 20:37

Jesus is directly quoting from Exodus 3:6. In that verse, Moses records how the Lord identified Himself to Moses. All three patriarchs had of course been long since dead by the time that the Lord was speaking to Moses in the bush. And yet the Lord Himself refers to them as if they are still alive.

Indeed, Jesus could have quoted many Old Testament passages to affirm this truth. Job for example confirmed the resurrection. But for the Sadducees, the reference to Moses would be particularly impactful.

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us Your truth beyond the pale smudge of death. We live so burdened by death, and held down by it. But it is a consequence of a temporary condition. May we live to look beyond the stain of sin to the glorious future in Your love! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Nor can they die any longer, for they are like angels, and are the sons of God, sons of the resurrection.

Luke 20:36

Saints are not angels. But just like angels, the saints will not die after the resurrection to glorified bodies. This makes sense because death was not originally a part of our world. Saints living in the world today are children of God spiritually. But at the resurrection, they become children of God physically.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and our access to it. Your mercy to us is made obvious by Your sharing of Your Word. You have commanded us to take it to everyone, everywhere. That shows Your great love. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But those who are counted worthy to obtain that age, and the resurrection of the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.

Luke 20:35

It is very interesting how Jesus words this. We often use the terminology, ‘those who are saved’ but the redeemed are referred to in many ways in the New Testament, and we should learn from them all. Jesus is not teaching works salvation here, but He is highlighting the fact that the saved are considered ‘worthy’, meaning that the work of grace made possible by the cross does include justification. Justification is the key to understanding how imperfect people are made perfect by the blood of Christ. And, thus, due to the righteousness imputed to the saints, we are accounted ‘worthy’ to obtain that future resurrection.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many things You teach us in Your Word. You have given us so much to consider and learn from. Almost daily I am presented with things from Scripture I had never before considered. Thank you for the constant stream of Your beautiful wisdom and understanding from Your Truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.