December 1, 2024
"Signs That the End Is Near"
Luke 21: 25-36
Every day begins with the rising of the sun and its setting. I realize that on cloudy days we can’t see the sun rise or set, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rise or set. God established this order at the beginning of time. This is how it has been since then.
It’s the same with the heavenly bodies. The moon, for example, rotates around the earth, and light from the sun reflects off of it. The moon is most visible at night. God created the moon and established the order it follows.
The stars are visible at night. They give off light. They have their place in the sky. The constellations are identifiable if you know where to look. God made the stars we see and put them where they are.
When we look at the sun, moon and stars, we don’t think that they will ever change. As long as we have been alive, they all have followed the order that God intended them to follow. Never has the sun risen in the west—always in the east. And it has never stopped shining. It has always given off heat and light. The moon has always followed its course around the earth and given us light at night. The stars light up at night, and have done so for as long as we can remember. So, when we look at the heavenly bodies, we don’t think about them ever changing.
But just because we don’t think about changes ever occurring in the heavenly bodies doesn’t mean that there won’t ever be changes in them. In our text from Luke, Jesus says that signs or changes in the heavenly bodies will precede His second coming. These changes will indicate that the end is near. In verse 25, Jesus says, “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars.” I think Jesus means more than just eclipses and the coming together of a few planets. These things have been going on for years. I’m not exactly sure of the signs Jesus is talking about, but my guess is that they will be signs people have never witnessed before. This will be the clue that the end is coming near.
I should mention what prompted Jesus to say these things in the first place. If we look at the beginning of chapter 21, starting at verse 5, we see that Jesus’ disciples are remarking about how beautiful the temple is in Jerusalem. It’s adorned with beautiful stones and other materials, all meant to give glory to God. It’s a structure pleasing to look at.
But then Jesus gets into the conversation. In verse 6, Jesus says, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” Jesus predicts the destruction or end of the temple in this verse. And it did happen as Jesus had said it would. In the year 70, the Romans took the city of Jerusalem and burned the temple. They destroyed it, and to this day it hasn’t been rebuilt.
At Jesus’ remark, the disciples ask in verse 7: “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” The temple was the crown jewel of Israelite religious life. I’m sure Jesus’ words alarmed the disciples somewhat.
In response to their questions, Jesus describes what it is going to be like at the end of time. Events and signs preceding the destruction of the temple will be similar to those preceding the end of time. This helps us make sense of our text for today.
I should mention that in Matthew’s account of this conversation between the disciples and Jesus, Mattherw adds to Luke’s account of chapter 21. In Matthew chapter 24 verse 3, the disciples ask, “Tell us when this will happen (referring to the destruction of the temple), and what will be the signs of your coming and of the end of the age?” This helps us better understand Jesus’ response to His disciples in our text for today—why He tells about the end times and the signs which will precede them.
As I mentioned, changes in the sun, moon, and stars are one of the signs that will precede Jesus’ second coming. The signs will indicate the end is soon.
Now, do we all need to get a telescope and look for the changes in the heavenly bodies? Do we need to spend considerable time trying to figure out what any changes may mean? I really don’t think so. When we hear of or observe any change, we simply need to understand that these changes are a sign that Jesus is coming for us soon.
None of this changes the fact that we are to be ready for the Lord. Jesus has told us to be ready and that is what we should mainly concern ourselves with. The changes that Jesus speaks about are a reminder to us to be ready. If we aren’t ready or aren’t taking our readiness seriously, I hope that the signs that Jesus talks about will incite us to think about our readiness.
Being ready for Jesus’ second coming involves believing in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and living our lives for Him. This is what we ought to be concentrating on. This we know for certain ought to be done. Jesus has made it very clear that being ready for Him ought to be our top priority.
When it comes to signs we need to take a sober approach in interpreting signs. I think it’s easy to misinterpret the meaning of signs, especially regarding the end times. When Jesus talks about signs pertaining to the end times, He does so to encourage believers. We believers may not accurately interpret His signs about the end, but they are a means Jesus uses to remind us that He is coming soon. What I’m trying to emphasize here is not to become preoccupied with trying to interpret them.
When it comes to the sun, moon, and stars, there are many things we don’t understand about them. And if changes do occur in them, are we to interpret them to mean Jesus is near, or are we to understand them as some natural phenomenon taking place? I think it can be hard to differentiate between the two. Are the oddities occurring in the sun, moon, and stars just that, or are they something more? We don’t know for sure. What we do know is that the end is coming.
What we also know is that our entire life should be focused on being ready for the Lord. That is abundantly clear. There is no guess work involved in that. We don’t have to wonder “what does Jesus really mean by being ready?” He has made that very clear to us. It’s quite clear in the Bible. So, I would encourage us to be ready for the Lord. Continue to believe in the Lord unto the end.
Now I’m sure temptation will come along. “It’s taking the Lord forever to come back. Who knows if He ever will. People have been saying that for a couple of thousand years now. How much longer?” Some have given up on the Lord altogether because it seems the Lord is taking His time coming back. Has He forgotten His promise? We must beware of the temptation to think this way.
We may encounter the temptation to follow after someone else besides Jesus. Jesus warned His disciples to be on their guard because many will come and say that they are the Christ. We know, however, that Jesus is the Christ sent to save the world from its sins. There is no other.
Jesus also warned His disciples not to go after those who say the time is near. We all would agree that we are in the latter days, but how close are we to the end? We don’t know. Through the years people have tried to predict the year in which Jesus would return. All of those predictions have not come true. However, Jesus Himself said that no one knows when God will return. So why try to put a date on His return? I would encourage us to avoid those who believe they know the day and year our Lord will return. They are blind guides. Beware of them.
In our text, Jesus says there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. These signs will precede Jesus second coming. We’re not exactly sure what those signs will look like. But it certainly sounds like the sun, moon, and stars will experience changes that have never been seen before. They will simply be an indication that the end is near.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will keep us ready for our Lord’s return. When He does come again our redemption will be complete. I pray that we will look forward to our Lord’s return and what it means for us eternally.