The River of Redemption
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Tracing the flow of God's "River of Redemption" from heaven to Jerusalem's Temple and beyond!
Text: Luke 21:20-24
Date: 06/01/2025, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 195
Description:
As His "Discourse on Things to Come" continues, Jesus turns His attention once again to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This time with a warning that will prove essential for the early church to flee Jerusalem when the signs become apparent. After painting a bleak picture of suffering and distress, Jesus ends the paragraph with an enigmatic statement about the "times of the Gentiles". We will look carefully at this statement and realize it is the only positive aspect of this otherwise very negative prophesy. We will notice the subtle shift in Luke's narrative concerning the flow of God's plan of redemption. To this point, all movement has been relentlessly towards Jerusalem. But now, and continuing through the book of Acts, the movement will be away from Jerusalem and the Old Temple. Ultimately we will see this overarching narrative as a mighty river of redemption, flowing from heaven directly to Jerusalem and the Cross. And afterwards, as a river that continues to flow, but away from Jerusalem to a dark and dying world. Ultimately we will find "there is a river that flows from the throne of God and the Lamb". And it is the River of Redemption.
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I. Introduction
A. The Heavenly River, Rev. 21:22, 22:1-5.
B. Flowing TO Jerusalem.
C. Flowing FROM the Temple, Ezek. 47:9.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 21:20-24.
A. Context
1. Focus on Jerusalem and the Temple.
a. The Temple in the Nativity narrative, Luke 2:11,30-32,34-35, 20:17-18.
b. The relentless march towards Jerusalem, Luke 9:51, 13:33-35, 18:31-33.
c. The "River" reaches Jerusalem, Luke 19:41-44, 20:17-18, 21:5-6.
2. The discourse on "Things to Come", Luke 17:30-35.
B. The flight from Jerusalem.
1. The sign, vs. 20, Luke 21:7.
a. Looking at the words, Luke 17:31.
b. Determining the time.
i. Differing views.
ii. Prophetic foreshortening, Matt. 24:15.
2. Preserving the early church, vs. 21.
a. Flight to the mountains.
b. Fleeing the fortress.
c. A re-directed "flow".
3. Acts of divine judgment, vs. 22, 23b.
a. A touch of eschatology, vs. 22.
i. Days of vengeance, vs. 22a, Deut. 32:35; Joel 2:1-2; Micah 5:15.
ii. Fulfilling prophecy, vs. 22b, Amos 3:11; Jer. 18:11; Mal. 3:1-2; Zech. 11:6; Joel 2:31.
b. Days of distress, vs. 23.
i. Woe to mothers, 23a.
1) A word of woe, Matt. 23:15; Luke 10:13.
2) Women who are pregnant.
3) Mothers with small children.
ii. Days of tribulation, vs. 23b.
1) Focus on humanity.
2) Focus on the intensity, Matt. 24:21.
iii. Days of wrath, vs. 23c, Luke 13:34-35.
4. The fall of Jerusalem, 24a.
5. The hope of the Gospel, vs. 24b.
a. Focus on the "nations".
b. A message of hope, Acts 1:8, 9:15, 28:25-28; Rom. 11:12,25-27; John 4:21; Luke 20:17.
III. Application, John 3:16, 7:38; Eph. 5:25-27; Ezek. 47:12; Zech. 14:8.
IV. Conclusion
