Luke 21:28–38

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage.

1.   Now just a day or two away from Jesus’ going to the cross, Luke says He is teaching His disciples, and others, in the temple.

2.   Here first is the parable, or an illustrative comparison, about a fig tree, all trees really, coming into bloom. The appearances of the leaves signal that summer is coming close when there will be fruit and flowers.

3.   Then Jesus refers back to those things He had said as recorded in Luke 21:20–28 concerning the temple and the city of Jerusalem itself, and the tumult that will be taking place, that is the wars, harsh weather, diseases, and other terrible events. He is teaching that when these events are evident then they are signs that the kingdom of God is close at hand.

4.   Jesus now asks His disciples not to be terribly troubled about the events that are coming, but to take care for themselves. They must guard against being overcharged with anxiety that could lead to depressed states of mind, even drunkenness.

5.   The disciples are to stay alert, praying for relief and deliverance, and asking for strength to escape the effects of all that is happening in the world.

6.   Almost as a close now, Luke summarizes the last hours of Jesus ministry stating he continued to teach in the temple and camping out at night on the Mt. of Olives.