A Cold Winter Before Spring

Luke 21:20–28

Have you ever noticed that just before spring, winter seems to fight back one last time?

The snow falls harder.

The wind turns colder.

It feels like the cold will never end.

But if you’ve seen enough winters, you know—this is the final stretch.

Soon, the snow will melt.

The buds will bloom.

Spring is on its way.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about signs that feel a lot like a long, hard winter:

Jerusalem under siege, strange events in the sky, roaring seas, and fear all around.

The ancient historian Josephus even recorded strange happenings before the fall of Jerusalem—

a star shaped like a sword, voices in the temple, and a comet that lasted a whole year.

It must have felt like everything was falling apart.

And yet—Jesus says something surprising:

“Stand erect. Raise your heads. Your redemption is near.” (Luke 21:28)

Why would he say that—when it all looks like disaster?

Because this is what the Bible teaches us again and again:

Just before things are made new, everything gets shaken.

Think of the crucifixion.

When Jesus died, it looked like the end of hope.

Darkness fell, and evil seemed to win.

But then—Easter.

Life, not death, had the final word.

Or look at the last pages of the Bible, in the book of Revelation:

There’s a final, fierce battle.

Evil grows loud and violent.

It seems like faith is finished.

But then, something shifts:

God steps in.

Evil is defeated.

A new heaven and new earth appear.

Tears are wiped away. Peace begins.

So when Jesus talks about “redemption” in this passage, it’s not just about forgiveness.

He’s talking about rescue from evil—rescue from everything that’s broken in our world.

Not just sin, but violence, fear, injustice, and hatred.

He’s pointing to a time when those things will end for good, and love will last forever.

Yes, things might get worse before they get better.

But Jesus promises: they will get better.

So when the world feels like it’s falling apart—

When news headlines scare you,

When life gets dark,

When you feel like hope is slipping away—

Remember this:

Sometimes winter screams the loudest just before it gives way to spring.

And when it does, Jesus says:

“Lift your head. Don’t give in to fear. Redemption is near.”

A better world is not a dream.

It’s a promise.

And spring is coming.

IMPORTANT

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