Luke 21NASB
Books
All books

Luke21

New American Standard

1Now He looked up and saw the wealthy putting their gifts into the temple treasury.

2And He saw a poor widow putting in two lepta coins.

3And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;

4for they all contributed to the offering from their surplus; but she, from her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”

5And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts, He said,

6“As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down.”

7They asked Him questions, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

8And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them.

9And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”

10Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

11and there will be massive earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

12“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name.

13It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.

14So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;

15for I will provide you eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute.

16But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death,

17and you will be hated by all people because of My name.

18And yet not a hair of your head will perish.

19By your endurance you will gain your lives.

20“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.

21Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city;

22because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.

23Woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people;

24and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25“There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,

26people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29And He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees:

30as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near.

31So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

32Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.

33Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

34“But be on your guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that this day will not come on you suddenly, like a trap;

35for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth.

36But stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.

38And all the people would get up very early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Luke 21.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Christ commends a poor widow. (1–4). His prophecy. (5–28). Christ exhorts to watchfulness. (29–38).

vv1-4

From the offering of this poor widow, learn that what we rightly give for the relief of the poor, and the support of God's worship, is given unto God; and our Saviour sees with pleasure whatever we have in our hearts to give for the relief of his members, or for his service. Blessed Lord! the poorest of thy servants have two mites, they have a soul and a body; persuade and enable us to offer both unto thee; how happy shall we be in thine accepting of them!

vv5-28

With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot be losers by him, in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous, trying times, to secure the safety of our own souls. It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper. We may view the prophecy before us much as those Old Testament prophecies, which, together with their great object, embrace, or glance at some nearer object of importance to the church. Having given an idea of the times for about thirty-eight years next to come, Christ shows what all those things would end in, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and figure of Christ's second coming. The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, the words of Jesus shall not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the real, nor the spiritual Jerusalem, shall any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles shall be turned to the Lord. When Christ came to destroy the Jews, he came to redeem the Christians that were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then had the churches rest. When he comes to judge the world, he will redeem all that are his from their troubles. So fully did the Divine judgements come upon the Jews, that their city is set as an example before us, to show that sins will not pass unpunished; and that the terrors of the Lord, and his threatenings against impenitent sinners, will all come to pass, even as his word was true, and his wrath great upon Jerusalem.

vv29-38

Christ tells his disciples to observe the signs of the times, which they might judge by. He charges them to look upon the ruin of the Jewish nation as near. Yet this race and family of Abraham shall not be rooted out; it shall survive as a nation, and be found as prophesied, when the Son of man shall be revealed. He cautions them against being secure and sensual. This command is given to all Christ's disciples, Take heed to yourselves, that ye be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions. We cannot be safe, if we are carnally secure. Our danger is, lest the day of death and of judgment should come upon us when we are not prepared. Lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be the furthest from our thoughts, which ought to be nearest our hearts. For so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven. It will be a terror and a destruction to them. Here see what should be our aim, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things; that when the judgements of God are abroad, we may not be in the common calamity, or it may not be that to us which it is to others. Do you ask how you may be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Those who never yet sought Christ, let them now go unto him; those who never yet were humbled for their sins, let them now begin; those who have already begun, let them go forward and be kept humbled. Watch therefore, and pray always. Watch against sin; watch in every duty, and make the most of every opportunity to do good. Pray always: those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world, who live a life of prayer in this world. May we begin, employ, and conclude each day attending to Christ's word, obeying his precepts, and following his example, that whenever he comes we may be found watching.

Cross References

Luke 21
v1Mark 12:41-44thematic

Direct parallel account of Jesus observing the treasury and the poor widow's offering.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v5Matthew 24:1thematic

Direct Matthean parallel to the disciples admiring the stones of the temple.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v5Mark 13:1thematic

Direct Markan parallel of the disciples pointing out the temple's buildings and stones.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v6Matthew 24:2thematic

Direct parallel prediction that not one stone of the temple will remain upon another.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v7Matthew 24:3thematic

Direct parallel showing the disciples asking when these things will occur.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v8Matthew 24:4thematic

Direct parallel warning against being deceived by those coming in His name.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v8Matthew 24:5thematic

Parallel warning that many will come saying, 'I am Christ,' deceiving many.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v2Mark 12:42thematic

Explicit cross-reference identifying the 'two mites' as making a farthing.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

Paul's teaching that acceptance of an offering is based on what one has.

Supported by JFB

v12Mark 13:9-13thematic

Markan parallel on trials, delivering up to synagogues, and bearing testimony.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v12Matthew 24:9thematic

Matthean parallel regarding disciples being delivered up, afflicted, and hated.

Supported by JFB

v20Mark 13:14thematic

Parallel regarding the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not.

Supported by JFB

v20Matthew 24:15thematic

Direct parallel linking the surrounding armies to Daniel's abomination of desolation.

Supported by JFB

v20Daniel 9:27allusion

Daniel's prophecy of the desolation of Jerusalem referenced by Christ.

Supported by JFB

v24Romans 11:25thematic

Pauline exposition on the hardening of Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v27Daniel 7:13allusion

Old Testament prophetic vision of the Son of Man coming with clouds.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v14Luke 12:11thematic

Luke's earlier record of Jesus warning not to worry about defense before synagogues.

v15Luke 12:12thematic

Lukan parallel promising the Holy Spirit will teach what to say.

v15Exodus 4:12thematic

God's promise to Moses to be with his mouth and teach him what to speak.

v15Acts 6:10fulfillment

Stephen's opponents being unable to resist the wisdom and Spirit by which he spoke.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v181 Samuel 14:45thematic

Idiomatic expression that not one hair of the head shall fall to the ground.

v20Luke 19:43thematic

Jesus' earlier prophecy of Jerusalem being cast about with a trench and compassed.

v24Revelation 11:2allusion

The holy city being trodden under foot by the Gentiles for forty-two months.

v29Mark 13:28-30thematic

Markan parallel to the parable of the fig tree signaling summer's approach.

v29Matthew 24:32-35thematic

Matthean parallel to the parable of the fig tree and the generation not passing.

Pauline warning that the day of the Lord comes like a thief or sudden labor.

Supported by Matthew Henry