“My Words Will Never Pass Away”
Luke 21:33

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Christ the King Sunday–Last Sunday of the Church Year—November 24, 2019

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus declares: “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

There’s an old adage, “Nothing in life is certain.” That must be how the disciples felt as they sat with Jesus on the Mount of Olives, and he gave the distressing discourse in today’s Gospel Reading.

Across the Kidron Valley stood the magnificent temple and the stunning city of Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is not only an ancient city, but also a modern one, and today on the Mount of Olives, right where Jesus sat with his disciples, is the luxurious Intercontinental Hotel.  Their famous restaurant has an enormous wall of huge windows facing Jerusalem, where you can sit while you dine and look across the Kidron Valley, just like Jesus and his disciples did that day.

Herod the Great was a wicked king, not even Jewish, and despised by the people over whom he ruled.  BUT, even those who hated him had to admit, he sure had knack for building things.  That’s WHY he is called Herod the Great, because of all the great buildings he left behind, many of which are still standing today.

The spectacular buildings of Herod’s Jerusalem were constructed with huge limestone blocks.  And the temple it took Herod 46 years to build was so marvelous it was considered by many the new eighth wonder of the world. If you’ve seen pictures of the Wailing Wall, that still exists in Jerusalem, that wasn’t really part of the temple, but just a retaining wall.  Yet, still today it is very impressive.  All this was built on solid bedrock, atop Mt. Zion, surrounded by the massive stone walls of the city.  It would seem nothing could be more firm, solid, and secure.

Luke: But, Jesus does not admire the magnificent temple and other beautiful buildings, or enjoy the spectacular view. Instead, he proclaims to his disciples the END of it all: “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.”  That came true about 40 years after Jesus spoke, when the Jews rebelled against the Romans, and in retaliation they utterly destroyed Jerusalem and its beautiful temple, with “not one stone . . . left on another.”

“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events. . .  they will lay hands on you and persecute you . . .  and all on account of my name. . .  You will be betrayed . . . and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. . .  nations will be in anguish and perplexity . . . Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world.”

Despite the beautiful view, it was a dark, dreadful discourse.  But, Jesus closes with a comforting, precious promise: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Does it sometimes seem like the end is near for you, for your own personal world? Do you feel like nothing in your life is certain? Your health is failing; your finances are dwindling; your family and friends are leaving or dying; everything is changing; like Jerusalem with “not one stone will be left on another,” your world is crumbling.  Jesus gives YOU this comforting, precious promise: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Though all else change and crumble, the promises of Jesus to you stand firm: “I am the good Shepherd; I lay down my life for the sheep.” “Everyone who believes in me shall have eternal life.” “Lo I am with you always.” “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”  Psalm 46 puts it this way: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. Though the earth give way, and the mountains crumble . . . the Lord Almighty is with us.”

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Even though all else change, and crumble, and fail, God is with you, your refuge and strength in times of trouble. His words will never pass away, his promises to you will never fail. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” That means he forgives you—yesterday, today, and forever; he loves you—yesterday, today, and forever. That will never change, that will never crumble, that will never fail. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

And Jesus gives us in our text another comforting, precious promise: “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” By the words “this generation,” Jesus does not mean what we normally think of as a generation. He means the family of God, down through the centuries, the Christian church, all who are born again, RE-generated as children of God through faith in him.

“This generation—the family of God, the Christian church—will certainly not pass away.” Jesus promises that the Christian church will never die; the voice of the Gospel will not be silenced.  As long as this world endures, there will be Christians, the church faithfully proclaiming the Good News of salvation. 

Jesus declares in the parable of the wise and foolish builders: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  Not even Jerusalem’s massive stone blocks built on solid bedrock were in the end firm, solid, secure.  “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.”  But, the church is built on Christ and his word, his word which will never pass away. Built on that rock, the church shall stand.

Nothing in life is certain? When it seems that nothing in your life is certain, amid all the turmoil in your life, and the world around us, turn to Christ, trust his word, take comfort in his precious promises.  Build your life on the firm, solid, secure foundation that will never be shaken, Christ and his word.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”