Departing Words of the Returning King

As we take our seats, it would be helpful if you have that passage open in front of you.

We're going to be referring to it as we go through this morning's sermon.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Alistair.

I have the privilege of being on staff here at the church,

and I have the joy of speaking on this passage.

But before we look at it, let's just take a moment to still our hearts

and pray to the God of this universe.

Lord, we thank you that you are with us.

We thank you that your rod and staff comfort us

and that you have promised to never leave us.

Help us remember these truths as we think about your word this morning

and help us learn and be challenged from it.

In Jesus' name we ask all these things. Amen.

On December 29th, 1913, so it's quite a little bit away,

there was an ad in the London Times newspaper by Ernest Shackleton.

He was a polar explorer, and during his life he led three expeditions to the Antarctic.

The ad in the Times read like this.

Now when I first read this ad, my thought was,

Ernest, what are you playing at?

Why would you get an ad like that?

You're not going to get anyone on your side.

This is the worst recruitment strategy in the world.

If you were going to write an ad like that,

maybe you'd start with something along the lines of

Antarctic cruise, get paid to be on holiday,

skiing in untouched snow, unseen wildlife, majestic views.

See, we'd love to sugarcoat it, wouldn't we?

But the truth is that Ernest was giving an honest picture

of what it would be like to go on an Antarctic expedition.

He put all of his cards on the table,

told the people the way it was going to be,

and let them decide whether they wanted to join him or not.

He didn't promise them a bed of roses,

but told them exactly what to expect.

And the truth is that it wasn't going to be pretty.

Now in the passage that was read out to us earlier on,

Jesus gives his disciples a similar kind of description, doesn't he?

Jesus is telling his disciples what life is going to look like

when he is taken away from them.

Now at this point in Luke's Gospel,

we are in Jerusalem with Jesus.

Jesus arrived in chapter 19,

and he's been teaching in the temple every day.

But now Jesus turns and focuses on his disciples,

because the cross is just on the horizon.

In just a few days, their Lord and Savior will be crucified,

but he will be raised from the dead.

And when he is in heaven with the Father,

there will be a time of waiting until his return.

There will be a time where King Jesus is physically absent,

and so in our passage this morning,

we see the departing words of the returning King.

The departing words of the returning King.

Jesus is preparing his disciples

for what life is going to be like

as they wait for his second coming.

And he gives them three imperatives,

three actions that they are to do

as they live in anticipation of his return.

Watch out, stand firm, and look up.

So let's look at these departing words

of the returning King together.

The first thing we see in verses 5 to 8,

Jesus says to his disciples,

Watch out, watch out.

If you have an NIV this morning,

or one of the Pew Bibles,

look down with me at verse 8,

and you'll see that Jesus says,

Watch out that you are not deceived.

What is it that the disciples are to watch out for?

And why?

Well, in verse 5,

they are standing admiring the temple.

They see the massive stones,

the beautiful furnishings,

the vast grounds which all point to

the spectacular architectural achievement

that the temple is.

The temple is beautiful.

It is big.

It is a monument to remind people

of the strength,

power,

and beauty of the God

who is worshipped there.

And quite rightfully,

the disciples stand there

and they're taken aback.

And they're discussing

how beautiful it is together.

And then Jesus drops a bomb

on their conversation.

One day,

Jesus says,

this monument which is dedicated to God,

this magnificent place of worship,

will be gone.

It will be destroyed.

Not one stone will be left

in its place.

The outward beauty of the temple

is no indication

of the spiritual state

of those who are in it.

If you remember back to chapter 19,

you'll remember that the spiritual state

of those in the temple

was not great.

The temple was beautiful

on the outside,

but the hearts of those

who were in it

were far from beautiful.

God's judgment is going to come

on the people of Israel

because of their disobedience.

And the temple

will be destroyed.

Devastating news

for any Jew.

The temple was their place

of worship.

It was the place

where they went to show

their dedication

and devotion to God.

The place where they met with God

and worshipped Him.

And one day,

it's all going to be gone.

Can you imagine

some of the questions

running through the disciples' minds

as they hear this?

But Jesus,

haven't you come

to kick out the Romans?

To sit on your earthly throne

here and rule over Jerusalem

as God's king?

How can you say

that the temple

will be destroyed?

Where will we worship God?

Tons of questions

running through their minds.

But the question they ask

is not

to do with

exactly how all this will happen,

but they say,

Jesus, when?

When will this happen

and what are the signs

of its coming?

You see that in verse 7.

When will these things happen?

And Jesus answers their question

and tells them

the first sign

of the coming kingdom of God.

The first sign

that the kingdom of God

is coming

is that false teachers

will rise up

and claim

that they are Jesus.

They will claim

that they are sent

by God

and Jesus says

in verse 8,

watch out.

Do not be deceived.

Do not follow them.

Now we might sit here today

and think,

well, obviously.

If someone stands

on the corner

of the street

and shouts

that they are God's king

and that God's kingdom

is coming,

we're not going to

believe them, are we?

But put yourself

in the shoes

of the disciples.

In just a few days,

their teacher,

their Lord,

their friend,

is going to be crucified.

Once he is resurrected

and with the Father,

they will be looking

for Jesus' return.

They will be eagerly

expecting him

to come back.

And so Jesus warns them,

says, watch out.

People will come

and they will try

to divert your attention

from the kingdom of God.

They will try to pull you

away from me.

Watch out,

Jesus says.

One of the signs

of the coming kingdom

of God

is that false messiahs

will appear

and try to distract you

from God.

Do not be deceived,

Jesus says.

Do not follow them.

Are we watching out?

And we sit here

this morning

around 2,000 years

away from the events

described here.

But the warning

to watch out

is just as true today

as it was back then.

King Jesus

has not yet returned.

We are still waiting

for God's kingdom

to come in its fullness.

And so like the disciples,

we have to watch out.

We need to pay attention

to the things

that we read,

to the things

that we listen to,

to the things

that we allow access

to influence

our hearts and minds.

Now the internet

is a wonderful thing.

I love the internet.

I really do.

Not just for the cat videos,

but for everything else.

It gives you access

to some wonderful resources,

great sermons,

great books,

great articles,

great podcasts,

you name it.

But it also has things

that aren't helpful,

things that can be

quite dangerous.

Just like the temple,

on the surface,

it all looks fine.

But if you dig around

a little bit,

you'll find that

it is not fine at all.

It is just as deceitful

as the hearts

that are currently

worshipping in the temple.

We need to watch out

and not be deceived.

Do not listen to those

who speak of themselves

as more than mere people.

Do not listen to those

who proclaim

that they have

a greater knowledge

of God's kingdom

or of God's timing.

Be careful

and watch out

for those

who proclaim

Jesus plus something

equals salvation.

Because the truth is

that Jesus plus anything

equals wrong.

Jesus is everything.

Jesus is all.

And we need to watch out.

Jesus says,

do not be deceived

and do not follow them.

The King will come back

and if we trust in Him,

if we are at peace

with Him,

we will be in His arms

and His comfort

will be with us.

We need to watch out.

And the second thing

that this departing King says

is that His disciples

need to stand firm.

In verses 9 to 24,

stand firm.

The disciples need to stand firm

in light of different signs

of the coming kingdom of God.

these signs are

wars and disasters,

the destruction of Jerusalem

and persecution.

And in light of all of these signs,

Jesus says in verse 19,

stand firm.

In verses 9 to 11,

you see Jesus saying

that they are to stand firm

in light of wars and disasters

that will come upon the earth.

Jesus is explaining

some of the terrifying events

that will happen.

But He doesn't say this

so that they can speculate

as to when the kingdom of God

is coming.

He says this to encourage them

because all of these events,

as terrible and terrifying

as they are,

they are pointing to the great event

of the King's return.

These are the signs

which will affect the whole world.

But in verse 9,

Jesus encourages His disciples

and says,

do not be frightened.

Can you see the tenderness

of Jesus?

Even though He is predicting

times of difficulty,

He looks at His disciples

and says,

don't be scared.

This is the Son of God

who is speaking.

This is the one

through whom

the whole world

was creating.

He knows what's going to happen.

He knows the end result.

These wars,

yes,

they will be painful.

Yes,

they will destroy people

and places.

But Jesus knows

they will not last forever

because the King will come

victorious

and there will be

no more crying,

no more pain

and God will dwell

with His people.

And until then,

there will be wars

and disasters.

But do not be frightened

because these wars

will not hinder

the kingdom of God.

and nor will the kingdom

of God delay.

God is working

according to His perfect timing,

according to His perfect plan

which no war can foil,

which no person can mess up.

God's plan will be accomplished.

And then in verses 20 to 24,

Jesus is speaking about the signs

that will befall Jerusalem.

Now we've seen this before,

haven't we?

Again,

in chapter 19,

Jesus has warned Jerusalem

of their coming judgment

for how they've rejected God.

In verse 22,

if you look down,

you'll see it says,

for this is the time

of punishment

in fulfillment

of all that has been written.

God has been warning

the people of Israel

for hundreds

and hundreds of years

that they need to repent

and turn to Him.

God has been patiently waiting

and calling them back

to Himself,

but they have not listened.

They have continued

in their lives of rebellion,

but now,

Jesus says,

the time of fulfillment

has come.

Judgment is coming.

Now if we look back

in history,

we can see that this judgment

came in 70 AD

as the Romans march in

and destroy Jerusalem.

Jesus is warning

His disciples

of what is going to happen.

He is telling them

that they need

to stand firm.

Jerusalem,

you need to stop

putting your confidence

in this temple.

Stop putting your confidence

in a building.

Instead,

focus on the King Jesus.

The glory of a temple

is nothing

compared to the King

who will return one day.

and all people

will see His power

and His majestic glory.

Sandwiched in between

the wars

and the destruction

of Jerusalem

is the third sign

which points

to the return

of the King.

Verses 12 to 19,

Jesus explains

that the disciples

will be persecuted.

And in light

of all of this,

in verse 19,

Jesus says,

stand firm.

Jesus is laying out

the difficult truths

about the cost

of being a Christian.

They will be persecuted,

betrayed,

taken to court

and some of them

will be killed.

Why is all of this

happening?

Why?

Verses 12 and 17,

Jesus says twice

that all of this

is happening

because of His name.

Jesus tells His disciples

that they will be

taken to court.

They will be imprisoned.

They will be betrayed

by family members

and friends,

even put to death.

Why?

Verse 17,

because this world

hates me,

Jesus says.

Whilst these horrendous

acts affect the disciples,

the truth is

that they are actually

an attack

on Jesus Himself.

Imagine the fear

of the disciples

when they hear

these things.

It's not like

the departing king

is giving them

a nice to-do list.

Make sure the grass

is cut when I'm gone.

Make sure the grounds

are kept neat

and tidy.

Make sure the people

of my house

are kept happy,

healthy and well fed.

No.

Jesus is saying,

in my absence

you will be mistreated.

You will be hated

and looked down on

all because of me.

You can imagine

the disciples asking

in their minds,

can't you,

Jesus,

what is the point?

Why are you going

to let all this happen?

In verse 13,

Jesus says,

all of this will happen

but you will be

bearing witness

of me.

The way you

conduct yourselves,

the stands

that you take

for me,

the way you act

in front of your

persecutors,

all of it

will bear witness

to my name.

The way you live

and show

what the gospel

really is.

All of this

is an opportunity

for you to tell people

about me,

Jesus says.

All of this

is not meaningless

but it is pointing

to me,

the future king

who will return.

Now,

I know that

for some of us

this morning

this is a very

live situation.

Maybe you've

come from a week

at work

in the office

or at home

and you've been

struggling on account

of your faith

in Jesus.

You've had to

take a stand

for something

because of what

you believe.

Listen to Jesus

as he encourages

you through his

word that none

of it is in vain.

In all the

difficulties of

living life

as a Christian

in a world

that hates Jesus,

we are bearing

witness to him.

In all of this

stand firm,

Jesus says.

In verse 14

we see the

fourth and final

do not statement.

Follow along

with me.

In verse 8

you see

do not be

deceived,

do not follow

them.

In verse 9

do not be

frightened of

the wars

and disasters

and in verse 14

Jesus says

do not worry.

How can Jesus

say this

in light of

all of these

things?

Well,

verse 15

the amazing

promise that

is there.

Jesus says

you don't have

to worry

because I

will be with

you.

Jesus isn't

going to leave

his disciples

empty handed.

He isn't

going away

and leaving

them to their

own devices.

No,

Jesus says

I will be

with you.

That is why

you do not

have to

worry.

Do not

worry about

what you

are going

to say

because I

will give

you the

words to

say when

the time

is right.

I will

give you

the wisdom

that you

need so

that your

enemies,

so that

my enemies

will not

be able to

contradict or

resist you.

In all of

this,

Jesus says,

stand firm

and not a

hair on your

head will

perish,

Jesus says

in verse

18.

Now this

doesn't mean

that the

disciples won't

die.

Jesus has

just told

them in

verse 16

that they

will,

but it

means that

Jesus is

offering them

a greater

protection,

a more

important

protection,

the protection

of their

souls.

The worst

thing that

your persecutors

can do,

Jesus says,

is they

can kill

your body.

That's it.

They cannot

harm your

soul.

Your soul

is protected

by God.

Stand firm

and you

will win

life.

As you

stand firm,

Jesus says,

you are

bearing witness

to me,

living in a

world which

hates me.

Remember

all the

time that

your soul

is hiding

in the

protection of

the king.

Richard

Wurmbrand

is a

practical

example of

what it

looks like

to stand

in light,

to stand

firm in

persecution.

For those

of you who've

never heard

of him,

he was a

Romanian

pastor who

spoke out

against the

communist

government as

they tried to

control the

church in

Romania.

He was

imprisoned and

tortured for

14 years

because of

his outspokenness

and his

illegal work

with the

underground

churches in

Romania.

and he

has to

say this

about

standing

firm in

Jesus in

his book

Tortured

for Christ.

I

tremble

because of

the sufferings

of those

persecuted in

different lands.

In the

depth of

my heart,

I would

like to

keep the

beauty of

my own

vineyard,

to not

be involved

in such

a huge

fight.

I would

like so

much to

be somewhere

in quietness

and rest,

but it is

not possible.

the quietness

and rest

for which I

long would

be an escape

from reality

and dangerous

for my soul.

Richard is

saying that

yes, we can

shy away from

standing up for

Jesus, but that

is dangerous

and it is

detached from

reality.

Instead, Jesus

is calling us to

a life of

sacrifice as we

face a world

which hates

him and as a

result of that

hatred will

persecute us.

Jesus

says, stand

firm to

his disciples.

Are we

standing firm

this morning?

As we

live in a

world which

hates Jesus,

which persecutes

and judges

Christians because

of their faith,

are we taking

a stand?

Are we

representing

Jesus?

This is the

cost of being

a Christian.

You will be

hated.

We will be

rejected and

despised.

We will be

judged and

persecuted, but

not because of

ourselves, but

because of who

we serve.

What might it

look like for

us to stand

firm?

For some of

us it might be

a very public

thing because

we're naturally

in the public

eye.

For others it

might mean not

joining in with

something or not

encouraging something

within our

families.

In any case,

for each and

every one of us

this definitely

means that in

all situations,

in all

circumstances,

we are to

bear witness

to Jesus.

And we are

to take every

opportunity to

explain why we

are different.

Our obligation

is to God,

not to this

world.

Our duty is to

serve the

King, the one

who protects

our souls,

not to serve

people who can

only destroy

our bodies.

Take courage

in the promise

of verse 15.

Jesus is with

you.

The King of

this universe

is on your

side.

The hands

which created

and sustained

the whole world,

the God whose

power spoke

this very world

into being,

is with you.

In all of the

persecution that

we suffer now,

or that we will

suffer in the

future as a

result of our

faith in Jesus,

stand firm.

So we are to

watch out.

We are to

stand firm.

And then Jesus

tells his

disciples in

verses 25 to

38 that they

are to look up.

25 to 38,

look up.

So Jesus is

telling his

disciples about

all of these

signs that

will come,

but not so

that they can

speculate as to

the timing of

the King's

return.

Instead,

he's telling

them all of

these things so

that they can

remember,

even though he

is gone,

he's coming

back.

All of these

signs are

pointers to

the King's

return,

but the

question remains,

how will

Jesus return?

Well, look at

the marvelous

description that

we see in

verse 27.

Jesus will

return coming

in a cloud

with power

and with

great glory.

Jesus'

return will

not be a

secret event

hidden from

the world,

but all will

see him as

he comes.

And on that

day, all

people will

acknowledge his

power and

his glory.

When Jesus

entered Jerusalem

in chapter 19,

we looked at

this a few

weeks ago,

he entered the

city on the

back of a

donkey.

But when

he returns,

there will

be no

mistake about

who Jesus

is, because

his power and

his glory will

be on display.

The rightful

King will

return with

true authority,

with glory and

sovereign power.

All nations

and peoples from

every language

will gather and

worship him.

His dominion is

everlasting and

his kingdom will

never, ever be

destroyed.

This is God's

King and this

is how he will

return.

But notice the

two responses to

Jesus' return in

verses 26 and

28.

In verse 26,

you see some

people who will

be terrified as

they see the

King returning.

And then in

verse 28, you

see some people

who will welcome

the King.

They will stand

up, lift up

their heads and

rejoice because

their redemption

is drawing near.

These are the

two responses

to Jesus.

If people

reject Jesus,

if they don't

believe in him

and have faith

in him,

then when he

returns they

will be afraid

of the coming

judgment.

God will

be

and have faith in

Jesus.

They will rejoice

because he is

returning to reign

over his people

and we will be

completely reconciled

with God.

That is the great

news of our

returning King.

They will rejoice

because their

redemption, their

salvation will be

complete.

God will dwell with

them and we will

dwell with God.

these are the two

reactions to the

King.

How will you react

this morning?

Will you rejoice

because your King

is coming or will

you tremble because

judgment is coming?

Your response is not

insignificant but it

has eternal

implications.

Your response to

Jesus affects your

eternal state before

God so please let me

ask you how will

you react at

Jesus' return.

In verses 29 to

31 Jesus tells

them a story so

that people can

understand everything

he has been saying

in this chapter.

He says just as the

leaves of a tree

indicate that summer

is coming, that

summer is just

around the corner,

all of these events

in verses 8 to

28 are signs of

the return of the

King.

And in verses 32

and 33 Jesus

says these signs

will take place

almost imminently

but the return of

Jesus will come

one day.

There will be a

time of waiting.

These signs will

start as soon as

Jesus departs and

they will continue

until he returns.

That's what Jesus

means when he says

that surely this

generation will not

pass away until

these things happen.

Jesus says this

world will pass

away.

It will be

destroyed but the

words of God,

the words of God's

Son will not pass

away nor will they

lose their power or

their meaning but

they will last

forever.

God's word is

everlasting.

The promises that

Jesus is making in

this passage from

this morning, they

will not pass away.

the promises that

he will be with

his disciples, the

promise that he

will protect his

disciples, they are

everlasting and just

as true today as

they were then.

And in light of all

of this, in verses

34 and 35, Jesus

reminds his disciples

to look up and have

their focus on him.

In light of all of

these events and signs

of the coming

kingdom of God,

they need to be

careful.

They need to pay

attention.

Watch and pray,

Jesus says, because

the king's return will

come suddenly.

And these signs are

already happening.

Watch and pray that

you will be found in

faith and able to

stand at the coming

of the king.

Jesus is saying,

don't get caught up in

the things of this

world but have your

gaze fixed on me.

They are to remain

faithful until he

returns.

And each day, people

gather to hear Jesus

speak in the temple.

People come day after

day to listen to Jesus

but the question is,

does it seep into their

hearts?

Or are they listening

but not understanding?

Are we looking up?

Are we eagerly

expecting the return

of our glorious

king?

Which reaction will we

have when King Jesus

returns?

Will you have the

first reaction of

people in verse 26

who listen to Jesus

every day in the

temple but who never

came to believe in him?

Or will you be like

those in verse 28 who

are waiting and who

are rejoicing when

the king returns?

This is an important

question.

Without Jesus, there

is no hope for today

and there is no hope

for the future.

Your response to

Jesus is the most

important thing in the

world.

If you've never thought

about it in these

terms, please this

morning, think about

it.

Consider Jesus, the

king.

Do not leave without

thinking about your

state before God

this morning.

How will you

respond?

Turn to Jesus, find

true hope and

lasting confidence

which can only be

found in him.

As Christians, we

have a certain hope

and a certain future

with Jesus.

As the well-known

evangelist Billy Graham

says when he expresses

his hope in Jesus, he

says this,

Someday you will hear

or read that Billy

Graham is dead.

Don't you believe a

word of it?

I shall be more

alive than I am now.

I will just have

changed my address.

I will have gone into

the presence of God.

This is the confidence

that Christians have in

the returning king.

Do you share that same

confidence that your soul

is at rest with God?

If you can say that

with Billy Graham,

are you shaping your

life around the king's

return?

Is your life built on

anticipation that Jesus

is coming back?

Are we living the life

that Jesus is asking us

to and calling us to in

this passage?

As we draw to a close

this morning, let me

encourage us all to heed

the departing words of

the returning king.

Let us watch out for the

things that would seek to

distract us from God.

Let us keep our gaze fixed

on him.

Let us stand firm in the

knowledge that all the

attacks that we face are

not on us, but they are on

Jesus.

They are because of who

we serve.

And let us see them as an

opportunity to bear witness

to him, the king who

promises to be with us.

And let us look up.

Let us keep our eyes fixed

on our returning king.

And let us have confidence

that we will be with him

forever.

Let us pray together.

Heavenly Father, we thank

you that you have not left

us to our own devices, but

that you have promised to be

with us in all of the

difficulties of our lives.

We ask, Lord, that you'd be

with us this week as we put

into practice what your word

has been challenging us on.

Help us watch out.

Help us stand firm.

And help us look up.

In all of this, remembering

that we are living for your

glory as we eagerly await the

day of your triumphal entry.

We pray all of this in the

holy, powerful, and precious

name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.