Luke 21:5-19
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.
Stand Firm In Jesus To The End
The temple in Jerusalem was truly a marvel of the Roman world. The complex spanned an impressive 36 acres, roughly a third the size of the West Edmonton Mall and triple the size of Rogers Place. The walls surrounding it were constructed with colossal stones, the largest of which measured 45 feet long and 11 feet high. And the temple itself: dazzling gold accents atop polished white limestone and marble. All its majesty sat at the highest point of the city, where all of Jerusalem could goggle at this magnificent structure. It’s no wonder the disciples were awestruck—and maybe filled with a little patriotic pride.
Only, none of it would last. The cool pictures you can find online are only models based on descriptions from the time. About forty years after Jesus foretold it, the temple and much of Jerusalem was invaded and destroyed by Roman armies. Stones from the temple’s roof were thrown down from the Temple Mount onto the streets below, and many of them still lie there to this day.
That wasn’t even the only disaster Jesus foretold that day. He warned his disciples of false prophets who would try to deceive them in his name. He warned them of wars and uprisings, of catastrophes like earthquakes and plagues and terrifying events that would cause them to think the world was ending. He warned them that they would be hated and betrayed because of their faith in him.
I’m guessing that’s not how the disciples thought this conversation would go. You can imagine their smiles turning to looks of horror as they learned that their beautiful house of worship would be obliterated, and things would only get worse from there. How could they stand firm when their worst fears were realized? When everything they held dear was stripped away from them?
Just over a week ago, at our WELS-Canada AGM, I heard multiple people comment that St. Peter has one of the most beautiful buildings of all our Canadian churches. And what a blessing this space has been! But it wouldn’t take an invading army to reduce this beautiful building to little more than memories. How would we stand firm as a congregation, if our place of rest became a pile of dust?
We don’t even have to use our imaginations to see the rest of what Jesus prophesied. Every time we turn on the news, we hear about wars and uprisings, earthquakes and famines, fearful events and ominous indications that even harder times are on the way.
When we realize how fragile things really are, we start to hear whispers of “What if?” What if these tariffs don’t go away and prices keep going up, or I even lose my job? What if the “wrong” people get elected and turn this city or province or country into everything I despise? What if sickness knocks on my family’s door and takes me—or worse, leaves me behind?
How do we stand firm, when life as we know it could fall apart in a matter of moments?
We can try to predict the future, asking endless “What ifs,” but we won’t find any comfort—only more fear.
But Jesus doesn’t just offer predictions. He gives us promises. He knew even 2000 years ago that these disasters would happen—that they must happen—before the end of the world. They’re the telltale symptoms of a world infected with sin, and they only get worse as the disease spreads. But as conditions deteriorate and our fears grow to a galactic scale, Jesus zooms in on the microscopic: “Not a hair of your head will perish.”[1]
If that promise came from a commercial for hair loss treatment, I wouldn’t blame you for being skeptical. But this comes from the one who knows the exact number of hairs on your head, and the number of cells in your body—just as well as he knows the number of stars in the night sky. Nothing in this universe happens outside of Jesus’ control, from the day he created it to the day he will bring it to an end. Nations may rise and fall, economies may boom and bust; disasters may bring changes and challenges we never could have imagined. But nothing can catch our Lord Jesus off guard; not even the end of the world will come without his decree. So don’t be frightened; Jesus knows what comes next, and he’s got you safely in his hands.
But fear isn’t the only threat Jesus has to warn us about. If the devil can’t scare us, he often tries to distract us. Sometimes when we watch the news, instead of being afraid of what might happen, we get frustrated because we know what should happen. Or at least, we think we do. And suddenly, our focus turns to what we have to do to set things right.
We hear about the threats to our planet’s ecosystems, and the damage that humans cause. And so we argue that if we don’t take better care of our home, none of us will be around by the time Jesus comes back. We just need to save our environment, and then things will be okay.
We hear about the horrible violence and injustice in the world, even in our own communities. And so we argue that even if we can’t force everyone to be Christian, we can at least force them to act like one if we pass the right laws. We just need to fix our society’s morality problem, and then things will be okay.
We hear about the ways Christians are restricted in how they can practice their faith, sometimes with legal repercussions. And so we argue that the only way to make sure the church survives is if we fight for the right of religious freedom, no matter the cost. We just need to make the government bow to the church, and then things will be okay.
We think up new secret solutions all the time. “If only everyone understood this, or did that, or followed this plan, then the world would be better. Maybe then we could at least wait for Jesus in comfort.”
Watch out. Don’t be deceived into thinking there’s a secret way to bring God’s kingdom to earth. The solution to the problems we see is not found in what we can do, but in what Jesus did—and what he promises he will do.
When Jesus came to earth and destroyed the power of sin, death, and the devil, he didn’t keep it a secret—he reveals it to you clearly in his Word. He speaks freely the lifechanging truth that you have been set apart for eternal life by his grace. And he doesn’t hide his plan to make sure you make it safely to the end.
This planet is dying, and it hurts to see God’s creation corrupted by the effects of sinful ambition and carelessness. But in Jesus all things were made, and he will be the one to end it, not us. But once he has purged this ruined creation of all sin, he will also be the one to restore it to perfection, a new Paradise where he will dwell among his people forever.
Violence and injustice run rampant, and so often it seems like the devil has free rein. But Jesus has been seated on his mighty throne, and he will be the one to deliver perfect justice—not one of his enemies will remain free, so that his people will never have to fear again.
Believers everywhere face threats for their faith and are told to keep silent or be silenced. But Jesus watches over his flock with perfect care, and he will be the one to preserve and nourish it until he gathers all believers in the banquet halls of heaven.
You don’t need any secret solutions. You can stand firm in the knowledge that Jesus already has a better one. Not only will he preserve every last hair under his care, he promises you victory—“Stand firm, and you will win life.”[2]
There’s one more threat Jesus warns us of. Even though the battle is already won, even though Jesus reigns over all creation, we will still be ridiculed and persecuted on account of his name. We will find ourselves in positions where we are called to stand trial, even literally, for our faith.
A coworker hears that you go to church, and suddenly they demand how you can possibly support an institution that has caused so much pain and hatred.
Your agnostic friend tells you they just can’t see how you can believe those children’s stories about miracles and creation when the evidence for evolution is so obvious.
A client accuses you of discrimination, and now a committee is the only thing standing between you and a hefty fine, maybe even the loss of your business.
When accusations are made against us, our instinct is often to get defensive. Or we may try to compromise so we can avoid conflict and consequences. But Jesus helps us put things in the right perspective. We aren’t just helpless defendants; we’re witnesses. This is an opportunity to testify. To win souls to the truth.
And then, Jesus gives us some unusual legal counsel. He doesn’t instruct us to prepare ourselves with the most compelling arguments from history and science and philosophy, so that we can confidently denounce our opponents. Instead, he says, “But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.”[3]
I can’t imagine many judges or juries would look very favorably on someone who clearly didn’t prepare for trial. But Jesus follows that with a promise so bold that no one else would dare to make it: “I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”[4]
You don’t need to become an academic to stand firm in the truth. Books on apologetics can make for interesting conversation, but there’s only one book that has the divine power to change hearts and plant the seed of faith. You don’t need a degree in theology to share the simple Scriptural truths of God’s grace, of his power, and of his righteousness. So make up your mind not to worry about how you’ll defend yourself; you have the unflinching Word of God to fight for you.
No argument of man, not the devil himself can ever debunk the invincible words of Jesus. Yet even when they came from Jesus’ own mouth, the Pharisees refused to accept them. You may face the same stubborn rejection when you testify. But stand firm, because their judgment of you is nothing compared to the verdict Jesus will pronounce on you when he returns: victory is yours forever.
That is why we can have confidence, despite the threats of fear and deception and persecution that try to tear us from our Saviour’s hands. When the world falls apart around us, Jesus promises there is nothing he can’t protect us from. When deceivers point to secret solutions, Jesus points to the ultimate solution he already provides. When persecutors put us on trial for our faith, Jesus gives us words that will never fail.
So stand firm in Jesus. Because in him, you win life. Amen.
[1] Luke 21:18
[2] Luke 21:19
[3] Luke 21:14
[4] Luke 21:15