Straighten Up And Lift Up Your Heads

The first thing he tells them is what it's going to look like. He says, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, recognize that her desolation is near. Now, what is desolation? Well, it's a place where there's no life, where there's nothing of, it's not the sort of place you'd want to live. If you think of a desolate land, there's no water, there's no shelter, there's no good soil to grow things. It's a waste place. And Jesus tells them, when you see armies surrounding Jerusalem down in this valley, when you see armies surrounding her, know what they're about to do. What they're going to do is destroy this place. And they're going to destroy it in such a way as to not leave one stone upon another. Now, we as Americans have a hard time understanding this. And here's why. Unless you've spent a significant amount of time in another country, we have no point of reference in our own lives for living in a time like this.

Where you're living in a place that you're being told is going to be utterly destroyed and wiped out. We don't live in a war zone. We don't live in occupied land. You can imagine a few years ago when ISIS was in Syria and in Iraq and they were taking over land and they were coming in and they were destroying and ransacking and killing. What it would have been like to live in that time or in that place and to go, are we next? Is this where they're going to come? What should we do? That's the kind of thing he's talking about here. And as Americans, since we don't have any personal experience with this sort of destruction, it's hard for us to understand. We can understand in our minds and go, yeah, that would be terrible and that would be awful and that shouldn't be. But what he's telling them is that the homes that they have lived in and the farms that they've kept and the city that they've known for generations is about to be laid waste.

And when it happens, when these armies come and when they surround Jerusalem in the parallel text in Matthew, he tells them, the guy who's up on the roof, don't go down into your house and get your stuff. The guy who's out in the field, don't go get your clothes. When you see this happen, you have to go now or you'll be consumed. This is very similar to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where there's a warning. And you remember when the angel came to Lot and to his wife and he said, you got to get out of here. And Lot gathers together his family, the ones who had come, and said, we have to go. We have to go now. And they had to go now. And as they were going away, and there's this terrible destruction happening right behind them, and Lot's wife looks back to see, she becomes party to the destruction. She's consumed and she's destroyed. This is the sort of destruction that Jesus is warning about coming upon the city of Jerusalem, onto their home.

The closest we can get as Americans is perhaps to people who live down in the Gulf or perhaps in Florida, and you have a terrible hurricane coming. Now, there are hurricanes where it's like, well, we're going to board up our doors and windows, and we're going to wait it out. But there come hurricanes where it's like, You have to get out. They come, they evacuate you, they make you go out. Because there's going to be a type of destruction coming through that is so severe, you can't be there or you're going to be consumed along with it. They're not willing to run the risk. This is as close as Americans as we can come to saying, in our land, what would this be like? And in Florida, when this happens, they take all the roads and they turn them from being two direction, they turn them and go one direction. We are all getting out of Florida. We are all leaving and we are all leaving now because the storm is coming.

And there will always be those people who say, no, we're going to wait it out. We're going to stuff it out. And they're fools. And so that's why Jesus tells the people that are listening to him now, the crowds, he says, when you see this coming, don't go into your house and get your stuff. You don't have time. You don't have time. Don't stay here for this. As I was preparing, I thought, well, why don't they just leave early? If Jesus is telling them this terrible storm's coming, why don't they just leave early? And then I thought, if I was in their shoes, I wouldn't want to leave everything that I knew.

And go where? Leave my house? Leave my, you know, your job? Leave everything that's familiar to you. Just pick up, just leave. The sort of people who live in that sort of fear of calamity, we make fun of. We think that there's something wrong with them because we think, no, it's not going to be that bad. You don't need to have six months of food in a bomb shelter down in your basement. It's not going to happen. It's not going to be like that. And so Jesus spoke first. to move the people off of their expectation of comfort. What he's telling them very clearly and without any doubt is your life is going to change and it's going to change quickly and it's going to change drastically. And if you don't heed my words, you're going to be consumed. And so Jesus' first purpose is to prepare them. And we're not much different than those people wanting to maintain the status quo in our own lives or thinking that things are hard and they couldn't get much worse. And it's a helpful thing to realize they can get much worse. They can get much worse.

Being occupied by Rome is one thing. Being surrounded by armies and having your whole city destroyed and every person in it laid waste is far worse. And so Jesus tells them of the coming destruction so that they might prepare their hearts and minds, that they would be fortified such that when it came, they went, this is what he said, we have to go now. It is now time. He didn't want them to be caught unaware when Jerusalem's destruction came to pass. So this is our first point, the people's expectations. They have to accept what Jesus is saying is true. If they disbelieve it, they'll be destroyed. And it was only a few short decades after Jesus spoke these words that this destruction came upon Jerusalem, where the Romans sacked the city and laid it waste and wiped out everything that was there. Our second point this morning is to look at the destruction of Jerusalem and to see what was actually going on. In our text, we read that those who are in Judea are to flee to the mountains.

Those who are in the city are to leave. Those who are in the country must not go into the city because these are days of vengeance. All these things were written and they have to be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and who are nursing, those who are weak, those who are unable to flee is the implication because they're going to be consumed by this destruction. There'll be great distress on the land and wrath to this people and they're all going to fall by the edge of the sword and they're going to be led captive into all the nations and Jerusalem will be trampled, destroyed, consumed.

So the first thing that we see is the severity of the destruction. Everyone who's in and around Jerusalem is to flee, is to get out, is to leave or be consumed. I spoke earlier about hurricanes. And the death that comes to people through hurricanes is unintentional, if you will. The purpose of the hurricane is not to destroy the people. Often it's the property that's destroyed. When this destruction comes on Jerusalem, I want you to see that one of the purposes is to destroy the people, not just the place. It says that great distress will come upon the land and wrath to this people. They're to be destroyed. That is the purpose of the destruction. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days. This destruction is meant to kill as well as consume. And only those who flee will survive.

The second thing we see about this destruction, beyond its severity, is the time frame of it. We read in our passage that these are the days of vengeance, meaning that this is not a permanent destruction. This is not going to be forever. This is not the end of things. In Matthew 24, the parallel account, we read, there will be a great tribulation, such as not occurred since the beginning of the world, until now, nor ever will. So think Sodom and Gomorrah, what he's saying is it's going to be worse than that. And he says, unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days were cut short. So this destruction that's going to come on Jerusalem is cut short for the sake of God's people. That they wouldn't be entirely consumed so that no life would be saved. And so even in the midst of this destruction, this terrible judgment, you see a glimmer of God's kindness to his people. And that it won't be forever that they endure this destruction.

but it would only be for a season, for a time. Otherwise, they would all perish. The third thing we see concerning the destruction of Jerusalem is the perpetrators. Who are the ones that are doing this work? Well, they're the Gentiles. And this, to the Jews, would be salt in their wound. Not only is their city going to be destroyed, but it's going to be destroyed by those who hate God, who have no regard for his word, and who trample under their foot the holy things of God. Not only will their homes and their city be destroyed, the temple will be destroyed. Now, I want you to realize this isn't the first time that God's people have been disciplined by unbelievers. When you read in the Old Testament, you see time and again the Philistines coming in and oppressing and enslaving and killing God's people. You also see the Israelites being carried off into Babylon and put to hard labor. And so one of the things we have to see when we're looking at who is the responsible party,

for this destruction. We have to see that the agent, the one carrying out, are the Gentiles. But they do it because God has decreed it. He's the one that's behind the destruction of Jerusalem. It's his will that this place where his name has dwelt and his people have resided, it's his desire that it would be destroyed because of their rebellion. This didn't happen outside of his control. This didn't happen because he couldn't do anything about it. He's not quick scrambling, coming up with plan B because, oh no, the Romans are stronger than I thought they were. No, this was his judgment against his people who had forsaken him. They had gone so far away from his laws and his commandments and his statutes and done whatever it is that they wanted to do. And they were about to kill his son, the Messiah, that he lays them waste.

And it's Jesus' kindness to his people to say, you need to get out of here when this happens. And so you see a small picture in the destruction of Jerusalem. You see a snippet of God's judgment when it's unleashed against his people, against those who've turned away from him. And so now we come to the portion of our text where Jesus turns away from the destruction of Jerusalem. And he speaks of his second coming. He says, there will be signs. in the sun and moon and stars. On the earth, dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they'll see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. And I want you to note here that this is not him speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem, but rather of a future event, a different event, because the focus is no longer Jerusalem, but the world.

He's speaking about what's going to be happening in the world and what men are going to be doing. He speaks of nations. There's going to be dismay among nations. There's going to be things that are coming upon the world, judgments. The heavens will be shaken. And so what we have in our text are two destructions going on. We have the destruction of Jerusalem, and then we have the destruction of the world that comes when Jesus returns, when he brings an end to all things. And I want you to consider for a moment which one is worse. The destruction of Jerusalem. Which judgment will be greater? When Jesus returns or when Jerusalem was consumed and destroyed? What I hope is that we would see that Jerusalem was only a precursor or a small picture of what is to come. That it's described as worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. That it in itself is inconceivable to our minds as to how awful it will be. And even at that, it's only a portion of what the judgment will be like when Jesus returns, when he comes with great power and glory. In the second, in the first judgment, and in all these previous judgments, when he's disciplining his people, he uses other men to do it. He uses other nations. They come and he uses them for a time to discipline his people until it's time for them to be judged themselves.

But when Jesus returns, there's no longer another agent that's coming and executing his judgment. He comes himself with his power and with his glory to lay waste to all who have not bowed their knee to him. And there'll be no mercy and there'll be no peace. There will be no hiding. There will be no end. Now, who wants to be around for either one of these judgments? If you were there listening to what Jesus was saying about the temple and the city, and the people. Would you not wish that you lived at another time and in another place where such miserable things would not be yours to see and endure? Of course you would. Of course we would. And I want you to know what Jesus tells his people to do at that time. He tells them, flee, get out of there, avoid it, save your life. But note what he tells his people to do at the second coming. This is not what he tells them to do. He doesn't tell them to flee and to hide and to run.

Which is our natural inclination. When we get scared, when things are difficult, when we don't know what to do, we want to run. We want to hide. We want to avoid. And yet when Jesus returns and he comes with his glory to execute judgment and to reconcile all things to himself and finally bring an end to all things, he tells us not to do that. But rather he tells us, when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads. Don't you hide, for your redemption is drawing near. And so what I want you to see is that while we've never lived in Jerusalem in this time, and we haven't had experience with it personally, we all will have experience with it, and it will be worse when it happens. The judgment will be worse. But along with judgment always comes redemption. These two things go hand in hand. And as Christians, we may not simply stay away from judgment and avoid it and forsake it and despise it. Because in so doing that, when we run away from it and hide these things, we lose the redemption that's ours through the blood of Jesus Christ. There's no way of denying when you read scripture that there's a battle raging between the powers of this world and the Lord Jesus Christ. And that at a time that he's appointed, that battle is going to come to a head.

And there's not going to be any more hiding and there's not going to be any more dividing, but there's going to be fighting. There's going to be war. And Jesus is going to come out on top of that war. He will reign. He will win. And when he does that, his people will stand with him. And they won't be destroyed and they won't be consumed, but they will witness the destruction. It will not be hidden from their eyes. And so as we look forward to this judgment, As we celebrate Advent and Jesus' first coming as a lamb, as a baby, without his glory, we live in the time between that coming and this coming. And as we describe this coming, what is there to look forward to? Isn't that the temptation in our own hearts and our own minds? What is there to look forward to? There's going to be havoc and destruction and misery and pain and judgment. And this time when it comes, it's never going to end.

And we feel in our bones, I don't want that to be me. I don't want that for me. If I could do anything to avoid that, to get away from that, to be absolved from that, I would do it. And then the answer comes to you, then do it. The destruction that's described here doesn't have to be for you. Not all of the world and everything that's in it will be destroyed. In the same way that God limited his judgment on the city of Jerusalem for the sake of his people, that they might escape, that their lives might be saved. And at that time, so that his gospel would go forth into the world. In this same way, his people will be saved through this judgment that's coming. They'll be preserved. They won't be consumed. They'll stand up straight. They'll lift up their heads without fear and with joy because their redemption is drawing near. Only those who've trusted in Jesus will lift up their heads. Only those who've loved him.

Those who haven't, they'll cry out for the rocks and hills to fall down on them, that they would be hidden, that they would be consumed, that they would go to the bottom of the sea in hopes of avoiding some portion of the judgment that is theirs. But they won't escape it. There will be no relenting. There will be no mercy for them. That will be the beginning of their eternal damnation and destruction and pain and misery that will never subside in the least bit. That is the end for those who don't trust in Jesus. That's it. That is not the end for those who do trust in him. As that judgment is being carried out and that destruction is beginning, we're told to lift up our heads, to straighten up, to demonstrate our love and our devotion and our allegiance to and our faith in Jesus Christ, to not run and to not hide, to not be ashamed. You ever notice how everyone, whenever the Lord or one of his angels comes on the scene in scripture,

What is always the response? How do the people always respond when the angels come and when the Lord comes? They're terrified. They're always terrified. And what is always the message to them? Fear not. Stand up. Lift up your head. You're mine and I've saved you. Stand up straight. Do not fear. So as we live our lives and as we consider our behavior and the things that we do and the things that we love, as we work out in our lives what we're about, as men and as women and as mothers and as fathers and as children and as employees and as managers and employees and whatever it is you are, as you work out who you are, you have to bear this in mind, that everything that you are and everything that goes on right now is going to come to an end at some time. And we don't know when. Even when Jesus spoke to these crowds and he told them this destruction is coming to Jerusalem, he didn't tell them when.

He just told them what to look for. And he said, when you see this, it's about to happen. Prepare now for that day. Be ready for that day. Because when it comes, you aren't going to have time to do it. So as we live and as we get our feet underneath us as Christians and decide, what am I about and who am I? What do I live for? What will I die for? You have to ask these questions and answer these questions in the light of the judgment that's to come. It's appropriate that we would consider our end and what Jesus has said will happen and will come to pass. And Satan would have us believe that this is, you know, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. And I say, don't worry about it. See to it. See to it that you're ready. See to it that you're prepared. So this has been a sermon about judgment, hell, the wrath of God. And who has ears to hear it these days? Who wants to be told

to turn from your way or you, like the rest, will perish. And there will be no hope for you. Which of us wants our children told or our loved ones told? Unless you repent, you're going to meet with this judgment and you're going to be without hope. And there won't be anything I can do. And I won't feel sorry for you in it either. I can't because I love Jesus. And there was a season and there was a time and you stiffened your neck. You had your own thoughts and your own ways, and you were going to fix your own problems your way. You were going to make your own path in this life. You were going to make your own decisions. You were going to do what pleased you and what you thought was best. What a dreadful thing to live that way. What a sad thing. What a costly thing to live with such great, lasting, eternal consequences. It's a fearful thing. But what we have to see in Jesus, that this is not a truth or truths that ought to be hidden or neglected.

Because when these things are hidden and when these things are neglected and when the Lord's people are ignorant and don't have their attention drawn to their end, their souls come under risk, come into danger. Because they think that it doesn't matter in what way they live, what they believe, what they do. There are consequences. And so Jesus warns his people, prepare, be ready. Don't be caught flat-footed. Because when the time comes, you won't have time to prepare. You won't have time to get ready. You won't have time to repent and believe. It will have been too late. The door of salvation has been opened by the Lord for a time, and when he chooses, he closes it, and no one will get in after that time. No matter how bad, Lord, Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name? Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness, for I never knew you, is his response. It's my sincere desire that no one in this room and no one that we love would

receive such a damning judgment, but rather that we would be saved from it, that we'd be prepared for it ahead of time, and that we would do our part to minister to those around us. This message is a part of making disciples of Jesus Christ. One of the things I wanted to ask you toward the end of my sermon was, is this message evangelistic? It's certainly not what I think of as being evangelistic. It's not a pleasant message. It's not the sort of message that scratches us where we itch and says, oh, there's Jesus. He's a friend of sinner. He's kind and he's gentle and he's merciful and he's gracious. All of those things true. But he's also a judge. And when he returns, he'll come with his glory. And he will come to judge, to rule and to subdue and to conquer all of his enemies. And not one of them will live. Not one of them will make it. And is it not evangelistic? Is it not loving?

to speak these truths before it's too late? What harm are we doing to ourselves or to those that we love if we neglect these things? And if we say, no, nobody's going to like that. And I say, well, that's not actually true. There are a group of people who won't like it and woe to them. But there will be a people who do like it and who do appreciate it and who are saved by it. who say, I see what he says and I don't want that to be true of me. What must I do to be saved? And so if we're to build God's kingdom and we're to build, see his spirit at work and to see lives changed by the power of the Holy Spirit and to see men come to faith in Jesus and to repent and actually change, this has to be a part of what they're told. This has to be a part of what they're told. If you don't repent, you likewise will perish and you will have nothing to say to God.

about it because he is God and you are not. You say, well, I don't want to hear that. That's too, that's too difficult. I say to the proud man, it is. And God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble, to those who can hear this and not, and not stiffen their necks against it. His grace abounds to them. And when this day comes, they'll stand up straight and they'll rejoice in God's judgment and in his mercy together, both of them. Not just his mercy to them, but his judgment of sin. How long, O Lord? How long will you remain silent? How long until you rise up and deal justly with your enemies? These are the prayers of the Psalms, of God's people. They look forward to it because they love God more than they love anyone else or anything else, more than this world. And when that day comes, and they stand up straight and see the judgment, they will rejoice. This is a difficult truth, but it is true nonetheless. God's people will rejoice when the wicked are judged. Now, our part now, before this time, is not to rejoice and not to usher them along to their destruction. Go to hell, you wicked. No, this is not our place as Christians. This is not our work now. Our work now is to love and to care for and to minister and to preach and to

pray with and to correct and admonish and instruct the lost, the wicked, those who stand condemned, those who are going to face this judgment. If we call them the lost, it's like, oh, the lost, like it's a little puppy. When we say no, the condemned, those who are walking dead men, those who will suffer in hell for all eternity, lost doesn't seem to capture it. And so the application to us first is to love all of God's word and all of his messages and to heed his warnings for ourselves. You'll do no one any good unless you believe what you say, unless you believe what God has said. You believe it. You prepare. You work through the things in your heart about rejoicing when Jesus returns, not only to save, but to judge. Pray and ask God to give you understanding and faith to trust that his ways are good and right and that he's just in everything that he does. And as you work through that, you're going to find in your own heart,

an increasing desire to not see that happen to the people that you know and that you care about. You'll have something to say to them. You'll care more about their souls than you will about their impression of you, whether they like you, whether they think you're cool or you understand things. And what they will see is that you fear God and you love God and them more than anyone else does. To tell them that they're okay where they're at is to lie to them and to damn them to hell. No one who who is not a Christian, is safe, is okay, is fine as they are. And it's our place to love them and to care for them and to call them away from that destruction and to life. First, because we believe it. And that we believe it in such a way that we would tell them, call them to it, to repentance and to faith, to bow their knee before Jesus before it's too late. This is our work in the interim between Jesus' birth, his first coming, and his second coming, to be about this work of loving our neighbors.

Let us pray that God would give us words to speak and opportunity to speak them.