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Luke 21:29-33
Jesus uses the budding trees as an example that when the people see the trees budding, they know that summer is near. He teaches the people that just as this is true, so are the signs of the times in which He has been speaking in showing that the kingdom of God is near. Jesus then makes a bold statement in saying that this generation will not pass away till all things take place (Luke 21:32). Jesus speaks of heaven and earth passing away, but His words will last forever (Luke 21:33).
There is some debate on the interpretation of this passage, but the kingdom of God being near (Luke 21:31) could be in relation to the presence of Jesus being with the people and the coming of the crucifixion and ultimately His resurrection which is the fulfilling of bringing in the new covenant of salvation through Him. The people in that generation did not pass away until these things were fulfilled. Also, this prophetic speech that Jesus has been giving includes the destruction of Jerusalem which did take place by the Romans before that generation would have passed away. Jesus ends this passage by saying that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will not pass away (Luke 21:33). This is also a true statement as His words (the Bible) continue to live with us today and will always be our guide to true life in Him (John 14:6).
This is a promise and example of the things in which will be/have been fulfilled through Jesus.
The kingdom of God is with us today through His Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18) in which He sends to live within our hearts through our accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and believing in Him; that He died for our sins to redeem us back to our Father in heaven for eternity (John 3:16). Why? Because living in the sinful nature [which we all do (Romans 3:23)] we cannot redeem ourselves (Romans 3:24-26).
The sinful nature cannot redeem the sinful nature; only purity can redeem. Jesus is the pure sacrifice because purity (sinlessness) is not bound or deserving of death (Romans 6:20-23). So in Jesus’ pure sinless death He became what death could not handle; He became what death could not hold; He defeated death and reversed the curse of sin that should we believe that He did this for us (which He did), He offers true life to us through what He has done for us; not for anything that we have done, but as a gift to us out of God’s great love for each of us that we would be gathered back to Him as His children through His mercy and grace (John 1:10-13, 3:16-18).
Dear Lord,
The signs of the return of Jesus are all around us. We know that we need to accept, believe, and receive Jesus and what He has done for us and that we are not capable of earning our way into heaven, but it is a gift through Your mercy and grace that we are able to become redeemed back to a right relationship with You that will result in eternal life in heaven with You. Please open our eyes, hearts, minds, and souls that we would submit our lives to You through salvation in Jesus and let the light of Christ shine through us to the whole world that we all would be reconciled back to life as You first intended it to be in praise of Your glory. In Jesus name I pray, amen.