In these passages, Jesus begins to think and talk about last things.
He talks about last things for his locale, last things for the world, and last things for himself.
His words and parables have a strongly apocalyptic flavor in these passages. We don’t often think of Jesus as one who talks and thinks about the end times, the last judgment and the end of the world, but if you have read the passages for the week, you know that he does. He talks about a time when time’s up, when final sorting takes place. As full of grace as Jesus is, he is also clear about the fact that we will all run into a wall at the end of life or the end of time. The parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46 is about the sorting of people into heaven and hell at the end of time, and it’s all done based on the compassion they’ve shown in life. There will be a time of judgment; Jesus is clear about this.
It’s also clear that in our passages, he is talking about all kinds of final things: the personal end of things for himself and us, the end of things for Jerusalem, and the end of history/end of the world. The stakes could not be higher.
Let’s start with endings for Jerusalem first. In Luke 21:20, Jesus speaks about something that, during his lifetime, has not yet happened: the defeat of Jerusalem by “armies” (they will be Roman armies) which occurred in 70 AD. He says in Luke 21:6 that not one stone will be left on another in the Temple. In Mark 13:14, Jesus speaks of the abomination that causes desolation. During the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, one thing the victorious Roman armies might well have done is desecrate the Temple to dismay the residents of Jerusalem.
Jesus moves on to telling what the end of the world will be like, and he describes many cataclysmic events: falling stars, celestial disturbances, and a sighting of the Son of Man in the heavens. (Mark 13:26-27) In these last times, he will gather his elect to himself from everywhere in the world.
Jesus also warns his listeners that there will be many false rumors and fake prophets, even fake Messiahs. (Matthew 24:4-7) There will be wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and other alarming events that presage the end.
(By the way, during nearly every age in history, much ink has been spilled to say that the End is coming. None of the theories have yet been right.)
Jesus even tells his followers that their own persecution and time of trial is approaching. (Matthew 24:9) He encourages them to keep sharing the gospel and to stand firm in the faith. He says all of this is part of what will happen toward the end of time and history. Should they be afraid? Jesus says in Luke 21:27, 28 “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Uniquely of all observers, Christians will be able to be confident and free from fear, because they know that their Redeemer is near.
One thing that is often not noted by people who have a deep interest in learning exactly when the End is coming is in Mark 13:32-33 and in Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” If not even Jesus knows when the End will be, then what exactly is the point of trying to find that out? Instead, we should do as Jesus suggests and be ready, be alert, be about our Father’s business. Matthew 24:42 says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” There are several parables about this kind of readiness. Note the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, and the Parable of the Bags of Gold in Matthew 25:14-28.
Jesus speaks about the end of the Temple, the occupation of Jerusalem by Rome, and the persecution coming to the Christians as the end of time (and so it will be, for some.) In apocalyptic literature, there is some blurring between the end of an era, the end of some faithful lives, and the end of history. We all tend to think our own times are the worst ever, and apocalyptic literature seems to say there are endings that only seem final, but there will be a final end that truly is the end of time, history and the world—and God has a plan even for after that! We do know that history and time did go on, after the terrible events of the fall of Jerusalem and the persecution of the early church—thankfully so for us, as we have been able to know Jesus and help our own churches.
Finally, Jesus begins to do last things and say last words to his friends. He knows he is doing last things, saying last words, walking last steps—and it is very painful for him.
He speaks kindly of a woman who pours out her most precious perfume on him, saying she has done a beautiful thing and is preparing him for burial. (Mark 14:3) He has a last meal, the Passover meal, with his disciples. (Mark 14:12-26) He tells them the bread and wine are his body and blood. He tells Peter he knows he will deny him three times. (Mark 14:30) Then he goes to Gethsemane and prays, asking that the cup of death and crucifixion pass him by, but he says, “Not my will but yours be done.” He is dismayed by his friends sleeping as he suffers and prays. He says, “Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:42) Soon he will pass from his friends’ heedless company into the custody of soldiers, chief priests and Pilate.
As Jesus talks about last things, whether the last events of his earthly life, the last throes of evil empires, or, finally, of the end of life, history and time, we know that at our endpoints, Jesus himself will meet us, that he has overcome all things: life, death and the world. Only the Father knows when the end (of our lives, or of the world) will be. But we are to remember this: ”When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:27, 28) We hold our heads high because Jesus is waiting at the end.