Scripture Notes on Luke 21
And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “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.” (Luke 21:5-6)
The destruction of the Temple was a death-blow to the heart of the people of Israel. For centuries it had been the focal point of their relationship with their God, and when it was laid waste by Rome in A.D. 70, the loss was devastating.
Jesus knew this when He prophesied the temple’s destruction forty years in advance. He knew how painful it would be to God’s people to see something they loved and cherished and relied upon so quickly and violently removed.
And He knew it had to be done, because of love.
Jesus knew that with the temple still standing, it would be a great rival for the affection and devotion of God’s people, but that it could never truly give them what they needed. Only Jesus could save them, redeem them and fulfill them, and if there was another “savior” in the picture they could never be truly saved at all.
So God, in His mercy, let the thing they loved be taken away.
Sometimes, when you experience great tragedy and loss, you may find yourself wondering, “How could a loving God let the thing that I love be taken away?” Many times, though, it is precisely because of His love that He lets things be taken from us, because He knows that if they remain they will prevent us from receiving and walking in the greatest blessing of all – Himself.
May you have the courage to ask Jesus to be always first in your heart and life, and may you have strength to endure when He removes those things that stand in the way of Him answering your prayer.
-Pastor Phillip
