Events Before the End, Part 3

Sermon 90 in Series

Luke 21:20-24

[20] “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. [21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, [22] for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. [23] Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. [24] They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  Looking back to last week’s passage, what two reassurances does Jesus give amid persecution? How have you experienced or heard of these graces at work today in the face of opposition?
2.  How does the temporal marker that begins vv. 12-19 also help us interpret what Luke is doing in vv. 20-24? How is this emphasis different from the other Gospels, and particularly Matthew?
3.  How does the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21:20-24 serve as a picture or anticipation of the end-times events described in Matthew 24:15-22? What clues in Matthew tell us that these events far surpass what happened in AD 70?
4.  How does Jesus demonstrate his care for his followers with the instructions given at the beginning of the passage? How does this encourage you as you live out the Christian life today?
5.  What does Jesus say in this passage will happen to Jerusalem? As you contemplate God’s wrath and its removal through Christ, how does it make you deeply worshipful and grateful?
6.  What is the significance of the “until” in v. 24? How does this relate to other passages?
7.  How has your eschatology deepened or shifted as we’ve gone through the Olivet Discourse so far? How has it reinforced the need for attention to detail and interpreting Scripture with Scripture?

References: Luke 23:13-31 (corporate reading); Matthew 24:3; Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44; Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Luke 17:31; Luke 20:15-16; Daniel 9:26; Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 28:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Matthew 24:14; Romans 11:25-27; Zechariah 12:3; 13:1.