Jesus is a prophet (Luke 21)

If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is a prophet.

Read chapter 21 of the Gospel according to Saint Luke here.

What is a prophet? While prophets are most famous for foretelling future events, at their core prophets are people who speak God's truth. The Old Testament prophets did foretell of the Messiah, but they also called on God's people to amend their evil ways and hearken back to the word of God.

Jesus is the Word of God. Whenever He speaks, whether He is teaching people how to live in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6), or when He is speaking to His apostles about future events, He is acting in His prophetic role.

In each of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus speaks to His apostles about future events. He does this after they have entered Jerusalem, just before His Passion. He desired to share these things with them before His death and resurrection. He speaks of things that will happen in the near future and the distant future.

Jesus warns the apostles that they will be seized and persecuted because of His name. The persecution of Christians commenced nearly as soon as the Good News was preached by the apostles at Pentecost. Peter and John are arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin in the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles; Stephen is stoned to death in Acts 7; James the brother of John was killed by Herod in Acts 12; the first widespread persecution of Christians, including the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, begin during the reign of emperor Nero in 64 AD.

Jesus likewise warns them that Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed. This took place in 70 AD, during the First Jewish-Roman War.

Most importantly, Jesus warns His followers about the end times. This message was not intended so much for the apostles as for Christians of a later time. Jesus does not reveal precisely when the end will come, but He prepares us for what will happen:

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Jesus warns His apostles about the coming persecutions so they are prepared for them. He likewise warns us about His Second Coming so we can be prepared when He comes. Is He coming again in our lifetime? We don't know. But we can be sure we will see Him some day, either at His Second Coming or at our death, so we need to be prepared to see Him in a state of grace. He has shown us the Way to do this: by believing in Him, rejecting our sinful way of life, trusting in His mercy, and doing as He taught us.

He will warn us before He comes again. Not every war or every natural disaster is a sign of His second coming. The signs that will accompany His Second Coming will be unmistakable. He knows too well how much sin there is in the world and how many people have turned their back on Him. Yet He desires the salvation of all. Every soul is precious to Him, more precious than a newborn baby is to its mother. He will give everyone a final chance to embrace His mercy.

Injustice is a consequence of sin, but Christ will come again to put an end to injustice. Christians are not called to cling to this world, but to look forward to the day when Christ will come again and all creation will be made new:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.” The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

We can all be tempted to be so caught up in the affairs of this world that we neglect our preparation to see Jesus face-to-face. The saints are role models for us in how to be prepared to see Jesus. Blessed Carlo Acutis is about to be canonized as the first Millennial saint. Praise be to God that he provides us with saints in every generation! His mother recently shared Carlo's path to sanctity: "Surely, Carlo was extremely simple in his spirituality. It was a spirituality that can be followed by everybody: the sacraments, Our Lady, the Holy Rosary, prayer, reading sacred Scripture, works of charity."

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day for the salvation of souls.