Once again, a church year is drawing to a close, and the Scripture readings point us to the theme of earthly endings. The Gospel from Luke 21 contains several teachings of our Lord about the end of worldly things and the consummation of the divine kingdom. Many Christians are not very fond of these topics. Nevertheless, thoughts about these matters are aspects of human experience, and reflections about the last things (technically called "eschatology") are important teachings of Scripture. From our Lord's teachings in Luke 21, let us highlight three points.
Point 1. In Luke 21:8, Jesus warns us to beware of false messiahs or false leaders. Many false preachers, philosophers, politicians, educators, scientists, etc., claim the ability to solve all human problems. Sometimes, such people may be impressive, but they cannot bring true redemption; therefore, we should be cautious about all human leaders and institutions.
Point 2. In Luke 21:9-17, our Lord tells us to expect disorders, natural disasters, diseases, and times of persecution for as long as earthly life endures. Worldly chaos and danger are disturbing. They may test us, and they certainly remind us of the transitory nature of earthly life, but they do not mean that the end is coming immediately.
Point 3. In Luke 21:27-28, Christ concludes our selection. He reminds us that final redemption only comes through the divine Son of Man, that is, through our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. At the end of earthly history, the Savior will return “in a cloud with power and great glory.” So believers must always remain hopeful. During the worst of times in our individual lives and in world history, Christ is near His people. He encourages His followers to be confident because His redemption will come. In the end, God’s will shall be done, and His kingdom shall come!
These teachings from our Gospel have been Christian affirmations from the first century to our time. As Christians, Jesus Christ has given us a meaningful perspective on the problems of the world and the trials of our individual lives. We believe that God created this world and has a plan to redeem faithful souls. We acknowledge that evil has entered God’s good creation and that human beings have become corrupt. However, we also believe that the goodness, love, and grace of God will have the final say. The goodness of God in Jesus Christ has already won great victories over evil, and in the end, He will totally defeat evil!
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