Luke 13 v 35. “Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
The result of constantly refusing the appeals of the Lord to repent and to turn to Him is described in v 35, “look, your house is left to you desolate.”
“Your house” refers not merely to the temple, but to the city. The meaning of this verse is that “since you have rejected me, your temple is now left to you to protect on your own. It is a forsaken place and it is now left desolate and abandoned”.
Notice how our Lord respects the human decision to reject him. No one is forced to believe. But even after they reject him, he still steadily goes on his way to the Cross. If they will not receive him as a nation, there is still help for all individuals within to believe and be saved and form a new Israel, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
How awesome a thing it is to have the power to say No! to God. What utter arrogance! It can be no surprise that a day will come when people will knock on the door and say, “We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets.” (v 26), but it will be too late. “Depart from me you evildoers” v 27. What weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
After His ascension he will not be seen again until He comes in glory and every knee bows to him. Then everyone will say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord.”
Some scholars believe that there are indications in the scriptures that there will be a turning to the Lord by the Jews before Jesus returns. Would to God it were so. But whether it be so or not is not our concern now. Right now our concern should be the certainty that we ourselves have repented and believed. And being sure of that, we should seek every opportunity with humility and grace to persuade others to do so.
But at the end of time we all have to answer for ourselves. Suffice it to remember the solemn truth of scripture that the day of opportunity does not last forever.