Meet Dave Sterrett

A disputed saying of Christ is found in Luke 21:32 when Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.” Did Christ make a mistake? No!

Some Christians today believe that the “generation” speaks of the disciples. They argue that the majority of this passage refers to the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. by Roman general, Titus. N.T. Wright contends that the cosmic imagery is not referring to a literal dislocation of the sun, moon, and stars. The apocalyptic language is “an elaborate metaphoric-system for investing the historical events with theological significance.” The Jews knew “a good metaphor when they saw one, and used cosmic imagery to bring out the full theological significance of cataclysmic socio-political events.”

Others suggest that some of this has not been fulfilled. The terminology, though using some metaphor, includes a literal ending and cataclysmic cosmic destruction. For example, John A. Martin argues, “It seems preferable to say his words refer to the generation living at the time of cosmological events that will just precede his second coming. That generation will actually see the founding of the kingdom of God—something every generation of Jewish citizens has longed for throughout the nation’s history.” In the Matthew 24 parallel passage, Jesus said, “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” I tend to believe this language suggests a futuristic event that didn’t occur in the first century.

Christ gave us hope for the future. His Word will never pass away. We can be thankful that not only has God preserved His Word throughout history, but that we live in a time and place of greater abundance of copies of Scriptures than in any culture or generation before us. Let’s also remember Christ’s warnings. Be careful and don’t let your hearts be weighed down with the anxieties of life. That day will come like a trap, but let’s watch and pray so that we will be ready when we stand before the Son of Man.