Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20100602.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part LXXVII: Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Advice To Tribulation Saints
(Luke 21:29-36)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus is the true God's Savior of the world, we should expect Him to go beyond predicting the Great Tribulation to disciple those who will trust in Him at that time when they see His words begin to come to pass, and they realize He truly is God's true Savior and Messiah!
    2. Jesus did this in Luke 21:29-36, and we apply this to a similar situation we face regarding prophecy today:
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Advice To Tribulation Saints, Luke 21:29-36.
    1. After His prediction of the Great Tribulation in Luke 21:8-28, Jesus gave instruction to those who would see His words about that era begin to be fulfilled, and thus realize He was to be heeded, Luke 21:29-31.
    2. <+@>That instruction is clarified in Luke 21:29-36 as follows:
      1. <+C>Jesus taught that when the Tribulation Period saints began to see His words about their era be fulfilled, they were to take a lesson from the fig tree: when fig leaves sprout in April, the summer is near, Luke 21:29-30; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 257. Thus, when Great Tribulation era saints see the predictions Jesus had made of their era start to be fulfilled, they were to know His Kingdom was near, Luke 21:31.
      2. Christ then predicted that generation would not pass away until all His words on the Tribulation were fulfilled (Lk. 21:32), and in view of great misunderstanding on this statement, we clarify it as follows:
        1. Some think Jesus here predicted the generation of His disciples would see the A. D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem's temple, Ibid., p. 258. Yet, this view fails to reflect Jesus' predictions in Luke 21:11 and 25 about huge changes in stellar space, changes that have yet to occur.
        2. Rather, the context shows Jesus spoke of the generation when all these things would occur, that this specific generation would see the arrival of the long-sought Kingdom, Luke 21:31-32. This view is preferred as it fits Jesus' contextual intent to encourage believers who lived in the Great Tribulation!
      3. Jesus added that heaven and earth would not pass away until all His words were fulfilled (Luke 21:33), so Tribulation saints were to appreciate His truthfulness when they saw His words begin to be fulfilled!
      4. In that time of great trial, Jesus warned believers would be tempted to become distracted from godly living by the affairs of this life that focused on material excesses and substance abuse, or on anxieties due to the trauma of that time, Luke 21:34.
      5. Such a worldly way of thinking would be a spiritual snare for the ungodly who would not be prepared for Christ's return (Luke 21:35), so the godly were to watch out for such distractions that they not cease looking for and living for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Luke 21:36.
    3. Though we are not destined for the Great Tribulation, but for the pre-tribulation rapture, there are signals in prophecy for our era that we should heed and respond by similar godly living in our era (as follows):
      1. Paul taught in 2 Timothy 3:1-5a the end times of Church history would be marked by an increase of troublesome people, and we have seen this prediction come true in various ways. We are to avoid such folk, a call believers I know increasingly have told me they have learned to heed, 2 Timothy 3:5b.
      2. We have also observed how the last Church era, the Revelation 3:14-22 Laodicean Church era, would mark our time, and we have repeatedly testified how we see that prophecy coming true!
      3. Accordingly, we like the Great Tribulation era saints to come must (a) be encouraged that our Lord's reward for obeying Him is near, (b) that we must then trust the validity of the Scripture that made these proven predictions, and that we thus (c) avoid worldly materialism and (d) anxious living, (e) but fervently focus on doing God's will (f) to prepare to give an account of ourselves upon seeing Him!
Lesson: Jesus' admonition to Great Tribulation era saints who will see His word begin to be fulfilled is an admonition we should apply in our response to Bible prophecies we see coming to pass for our era!

Application: As we see Bible prophecies begin to be fulfilled for OUR era, may WE (1) be encouraged of God's imminent reward for obedience, and (2) trust the validity of Scripture that is signaled by such fulfillments of prophecy. May we consequently (3) live apart from worldly materialism and (4) anxiety, (5) focusing on heeding the Lord (6) as those who will give an account to Him when we see Him!