Matthew 12:45

12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so ¹  the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”

Matthew 16:28

16:28 I tell you the truth, ²  there are some standing here who will not ³  experience ⁴  death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” ⁵ 

Matthew 23:36

23:36 I tell you the truth, ⁶  this generation will be held responsible for all these things! ⁷ 

Mark 13:30-31

13:30 I tell you the truth, ⁸  this generation ⁹  will not pass away until all these things take place. 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ¹⁰ 

Luke 11:50

11:50 so that this generation may be held accountable ¹¹  for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning ¹²  of the world, ¹³ 

Luke 21:32-33

21:32 I tell you the truth, ¹⁴  this generation ¹⁵  will not pass away until all these things take place. 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ¹⁶ 

[12:45]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.

[16:28]  ² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[16:28]  ³ tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is the strongest possible.

[16:28]  ⁴ tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[16:28]  ⁵ sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.

[23:36]  ⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:36]  ⁷ tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”

[13:30]  ⁸ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[13:30]  ⁹ sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (v. 26), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.

[13:31]  ¹⁰ sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself! For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.

[11:50]  ¹¹ tn Or “that this generation may be charged with”; or “the blood of all the prophets… may be required from this generation.” This is a warning of judgment. These people are responsible for the shedding of prophetic blood.

[11:50]  ¹² tn Or “foundation.” However, this does not suggest a time to the modern reader.

[11:50]  ¹³ tn The order of the clauses in this complicated sentence has been rearranged to simplify it for the modern reader.

[21:32]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[21:32]  ¹⁵ sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (vv. 25-26), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.

[21:33]  ¹⁶ sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself. For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.