Twenty-Second Sunday After Trinity, 2025

Luke 21:5-19

“Teacher, when will these things be?”

At the beginning of our Gospel passage, some people speak to Jesus of the Temple, saying that it is adorned with stones and votive offerings. Jesus replies in an unexpected way: “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

His disciples ask him when these things will be and what signs will accompany such a monumental event. Jesus then begins a discourse in which he warns of false messiahs, international wars, tumults, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, terrors and great signs from heaven. He also predicts the persecution of his followers: arrests, trials, and ostracization from their own families.

What is all this about? Most scholars and theologians have agreed that Jesus is doing two things in this discourse. Firstly, he is predicting the destruction of the Second Temple, which occurred in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Roman Empire.

But this alone does not account for the imagery of the passage. In the typical style of the Jewish prophets, it seems that Christ was speaking of events both near and far. He was speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem and using that as a symbol of the very end of history. In Christian theology we call this subject “Eschatology” or we speak of it as the “End Times”.

Signs of the End

I have already mentioned that Jesus describes a situation of great global instability, talking of natural disasters on an unprecedented scale: famines, pestilences, earthquakes. He speaks of international wars: kingdoms and nations turned against each other. He implies that people will, at this time, be terrified. And he tells us that many will come in his name, saying, “I am he!” and “The time is at hand!”

Let’s think about this for a moment. We can observe a clear dynamic in the text.

It starts with a crisis – perhaps something unprecedented - which leads people to be afraid. And, being afraid, they look for solutions that promise hope and deliverance. More than that, they look for people who promise these things.

These false messiahs of whom Jesus warns are very interesting. Firstly, they are not purely secular but invoke the name of Jesus Christ, claiming to represent him and his values.

Secondly, they exalt themselves: “I am he!” they say, and “The time is at hand!” Meaning, of course, that their rise to prominence is the crucial moment of history and that they will bring deliverance.

There is also urgency about these statements: “It must be now. You must do what I say immediately and, if not, we will all be doomed because of your lack of compliance.”

This is a psycho-spiritual dynamic that, Christ warns us, has the capacity to deceive and lead astray many. He is telling us so that we might be aware of it and so that we might not suffer this fate.

But what is the relevance?

You may ask, “What is the relevance of these things if we are not living either in AD 70 or in the final moments of history?”

I would answer this question in two ways. The pattern Christ describes is for all of history and not just for the very end. We know this because the pattern is observable not just in AD70 but at all times.

These discourses are given to us so that we might recognise the signs of the times. As strange as it might sound, we may very well be getting close to the end of history. It will come at some point and so Christ tells us these things so that we might be prepared.

To elaborate on this theme, Christ appears to be describing global crises that affect the majority – if not all – of the world’s population. Indeed, this is confirmed when we look at other relevant texts in the Bible. We might look here at Revelation 13, which describes a diabolical beast given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. “All who dwell on earth will worship it” (Rev. 13:8) we are told. Later in the chapter, a second beast rises out of the earth and is given similar authority. The beast is said to cause all, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead with the mark of the beast, which is the beast’s name and the number of its name. No one can buy or sell unless he has the mark. The number is six hundred and sixty-six (Rev. 13:11-18).

One must be cautious with the symbolic imagery here, but Revelation 13 really does seem to be describing the creation of a worldwide economic system. People will be locked out of this system unless they take the mark of the beast upon themselves. Who knows whether this will be a literal mark upon the body or a mark of some other type. But what is clear is that it will apply to everyone in the world and will constitute some pledge of idolatrous loyalty to the beast who has set himself up in the place of God.

I mention all of this because we now live in a world in which this sort of thing is possible for the first time. This is true of many things of which Jesus speaks in this passage: global wars, for example. These have only been possible for about a hundred years or so. Worldwide famines: these are perhaps uniquely possible now because of the interconnected global supply chain that could leave nations starving were some economic, climactic, cyber or technological catastrophe to come about.

It is only now that a false messiah could arise and appear on billions of screens simultaneously the world over to proclaim his message of universal deliverance. It was not possible before. It is now.

And we’ve seen previews of this dynamic: global crises arise concerning disease, the climate, war, and other things - and voices arise demanding conformity and obedience in exchange for safety and deliverance: “Entrust yourself to us completely and we will save you!” Be wary of these sorts of promises. Remember to be discerning, even in the midst of the tumults of our times.

What does Jesus tell us to do?

Jesus gives us some clear commandments about what we are to do – not just at the end but always. Let’s listen to him.

Firstly, “Do not be led astray” and “Do not go after them” (v.8), that is, the false messiahs. I have already observed that fear may lead us to make unwise decisions. This is why Christ says to us, “Do not be terrified” (v.9). Now this doesn’t mean, “Feel no fear” because we cannot totally control what we feel. But it means, “Don’t allow fear to dominate you. Make your decisions based upon faith in Christ and not fear of disaster”.

Observe here also that peer pressure plays a role in all of this. It’s very tempting to go with the crowd, especially at a time of crisis. Later on, Jesus warns us that we may even be rejected by our closest family members. Be prepared for this. It is not always the case that we must be in a minority but as followers of Christ we must be prepared to say “No” to the people who are around us because we are saying “Yes” to Jesus – not always but sometimes.

How can we tell when we are being led astray? There is no simple answer to this question. But we might observe that when we are told to disobey the commandments of God - or even to worship another God in some idolatrous fashion - then we are in spiritual danger. The deception will probably be more subtle at first but it will tend in this direction.

The guarantee is to know who Jesus is, to know what he says, and to be prepared to follow him come what may.

I recall here the words of the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans, ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect’ (Romans 12:2). We can only know what the will of God is if we attend to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ which we learn about primarily through the Holy Scriptures. If you don’t understand the content of the faith then you will have no defence against the deception that arises from the world. That is true now and it will be increasingly true towards the end.

Secondly, we must persevere. Christ warns us that persecution will come. Especially at times of global crises but at other times too, the world will place pressure on us to conform. We will be rejected by those closest to us. We will be delivered up to political authorities for Christ and we will be tried before them. Do not be afraid, Jesus tells us: I will be with you and I will give you a mouth and wisdom which your adversaries will not be able to contradict. “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish” (vv.17-18).

These are the promises by which we are to hold fast. Christ tells us elsewhere, “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matt. 10:28). Rather, put your trust in God who will sustain both according to his power and his steadfast faithfulness.

May God give to us a spirit of discernment, that we may be able to know wisdom from error, truth from lies, and the spirit of Jesus Christ from the spirit of his enemies.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.