Stand Up, Raise Your Heads: God is in Control
Jesus stood in the temple in Jerusalem, and people around him were amazed by its beauty. The temple was adorned with gifts from nations around the world. Beautiful stones, gold, jewels. It was stunning. People had put their trust in this building. They believed it represented God’s presence with them. It made them feel secure.
But Jesus looked at it all and said something shocking: “As for these things that you see, the days will come when no stone will be left upon another. All will be thrown down.”
Less than 40 years later, in 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem completely. Not one stone was left on another. Everything Jesus said came true.
Looking for Signs
The disciples asked Jesus, “When will this happen? What sign should we look for?” It’s a natural question. We all want to know when trouble is coming so we can prepare. We want a warning sign that gives us time to change our behavior or get ready.
But Jesus warned them about looking for signs. He said many false messiahs would come claiming to have answers. He said wars would break out, nations would fight nations, there would be earthquakes and famines and plagues. And here’s the hard part: by the time you see these signs, you’ll already be in the middle of it. There won’t be time to prepare then.
This isn’t just about the fall of Jerusalem. It’s about how we live today. When we’re constantly looking for the next sign, the next big event that will tell us when to get serious about God, we can be easily led astray. We can start following anyone who promises to have the answers. We can jump from one thing to another, looking for something that will make us feel safe.
Where Do We Put Our Trust?
The people in Jerusalem put their trust in the temple building instead of the God of the temple. They focused on the physical structure, the beautiful stones, the wealth on display. They missed the fact that God himself was standing right in front of them.
We do the same thing today. We put our trust in things that feel solid and real. Our jobs. Our bank accounts. Our relationships. Our reputation. Our health. None of these things are bad. But when we make them our security, when we put our hope in them instead of in God, we’re doing exactly what those people did. We’re trusting in stones instead of the one who made the stones.
And when those things are taken from us or threatened, our hearts get weighed down. We feel anxious. We feel like everything is falling apart. We might try to escape those feelings through distractions or unhealthy habits. Or we just get overwhelmed by worry about how we’ll survive.
Stand Up and Raise Your Heads
But Jesus gives a different response. In the middle of describing all this chaos and destruction, he says something powerful: “When these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Think about that. When everything around you is falling apart, when the things you trusted in are being taken away, when there’s persecution and betrayal and suffering, Jesus says to stand up. Lift your head. Don’t let your heart be weighed down.
Why? Because these things mean your redemption is close. When the false securities of this world fall away, that’s when we see most clearly that God is our only real hope. That’s when we’re forced to trust him instead of trusting in stones and jewels.
This is only possible when we have real faith in God. When we trust that he’s in control even when everything feels out of control. When we believe that he sees us, knows what we’re going through, and is walking with us through it.
God Makes a Way
Throughout this prophecy, Jesus is warning people about judgment. But God never brings judgment without providing a way of escape. He told them to flee to the mountains, to get out of the city. He gave them warning so they could make a choice.
He does the same for us. When we see chaos in the world, when we see things falling apart, we have a choice. We can let it weigh our hearts down, or we can lift our heads up and remember that God is in control.
He’s in control. He knows where you are. He knows what you’re going through. He knows what your parents went through and what their parents went through. He gets it. He sees it. He understood everything from the moment Jesus stood in that temple all the way to where you are right now. And he was still obedient to the cross.
He is your salvation today.
What This Means for Us
So what do we do with this? First, stop looking for signs as an excuse to wait. Don’t tell yourself you’ll get serious about God when you see certain things happen. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to trust him. That moment is now.
Second, check where you’re putting your trust. What are you relying on for security? What do you think about when you imagine losing everything? Those are probably the things you’ve made into your own personal temple. Ask God to help you trust him instead.
Third, when hard things happen, when chaos breaks out around you or in your life, practice standing up and raising your head. Choose to believe that God is in control. Choose to believe your redemption is drawing near. Don’t let your heart be weighed down by fear or anxiety.
The people in Jerusalem missed their moment. They were so focused on the beauty of the temple that they missed the beauty of God standing right there with them. Don’t make the same mistake. God is with you right now. He’s in control. And when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your head, because your redemption is drawing near.