January 19, 2013
Evening Service

The last several chapters Jesus has been working his way to Jerusalem.  Along the way, He continues to perform miracles, as we saw this morning, and continues His teachings along their journey.  Chapter 17 has given us both as Jesus taught on offences, faith, and the attitude of servants as well as healing ten lepers.  As we finish out the chapter we again see the Pharisees questioning Jesus.

Luke 17:20-21 And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation.  (21)  Nor shall they say, “Lo here! or, behold, there!” For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

• This question was bound to arrive.  The Jews all looked for the Messiah to come and set up His kingdom and wondered about the timing.
• Part of their problem was that Jesus did not fulfill their expectations for the Messiah.  They were looking for Him to come as a warrior and overthrow the hold the Roman nation held over them.  Their view of the Messiah’s mission was very small and very short sighted.  He came to overthrow the hold sin had on mankind.
• Jesus’ answer was not what they expected either.  They were looking for a grand entrance full of a show of power and might as a king would enter a city.  Jesus came in much more humility, as a lamb born in a stable.  They were unable or refused to see Him as the One they were seeking.

 

Jesus now, as His custom was, took His disciples later and explained His answer in greater detail.

 

Luke 17:22-24  And He said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it.  (23)  And they shall say to you, “Lo, here! or, behold, there!” Do not go away, nor follow.  (24)  For as the lightning which lights up, flashing from the one part under heaven, and shines to the other part under heaven, so also shall the Son of Man be in His day.

• Jesus here changes the thought of the kingdom being now (present) to the coming of the kingdom at His second coming (future).
• He warns them to not be deceived by the many false messiahs that will appear.  His second coming will not be hidden or secret but would be as obvious as a lightning bolt across the sky.

 

He now begins preparing them for the immediate future that awaits them at Jerusalem and this is not the first time He has mentioned this.

 

Luke 17:25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.

• The disciples never come to grips with this until after the resurrection, but as they recall His foreknowledge of His fate it had to build their faith.

 

Luke 17:26-30 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it also shall be in the days of the Son of Man.  (27)  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and the flood came and destroyed them all.  (28)  So also as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;  (29)  but the day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from the heaven and destroyed them all.  (30)  Even so it shall be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

• Here the Lord uses two examples of His judgment to foretell of what to expect upon His second coming.
•  People were busy living life; eating, drinking, getting married, buying, selling, planting and building. None of these things are evil in themselves, except that they are placed at a higher priority than God was in their lives.
• We can certainly find ourselves in that situation very easily.  There is so much that calls out for our attention.  Work, kids, television, sports internet, hobbies can all replace the time we are to be spending with our Lord. 
• Our men’s group study touched on this very fact yesterday.  The path we are taking follows what gets our attention.
• The people in Noah and Lot’s days ignored the warnings given to them and sudden destruction followed.  What will happen to our generation?

 

Luke 17:31-33 In that day he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, he who is in the field let him not return to the things behind.  (32)  Remember Lot's wife.  (33)  Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 

• Jesus is asking us to be more committed to Him than to our own lives and well-being.
• Are their things in our lives that we cling to tighter than Jesus?  We do not want to end up like Lot’s wife.  Though she was taken out of Sodom, but Sodom was not taken out of her.  There is no looking back; we must “press on.”

Php 3:12-14  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.  (13)  My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

• Do not get caught up with a short sighted view of life, as the Pharisees were, look forward to the eternal.

 

Jesus now gives us a glimpse of what most people refer to as the “rapture.”

 

Luke 17:34-37 I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.  (35)  Two shall be grinding together, one will be taken, and the other left.  (36)  Two shall be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left.  (37)  And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

• Just as Noah, Lot and their families were saved and spared the wrath of God, so shall it be at the second coming.  One will be taken away to glory and the other left to experience judgment.

Look at how Jesus explains this in Matthew’s account of this teaching.

 

Mat 24:44-51 Therefore you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of Man comes.  (45)  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season?  (46)  Blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find him doing so when He comes.  (47)  Truly I say to you that He shall make him ruler over all His goods.  (48)  But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delays His coming,  (49)  and shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken,  (50)  the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he does not look for Him, and in an hour which he does not know.  (51)  And He shall cut him apart and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

• In being here tonight, you certainly demonstrate that you are a faithful servant.  You will be and are blessed of God.

 

This teaching is intended to keep us from being deceived and to remind us to keep our “eyes on the prize.”  Don’t get caught looking to the right or left, but focus straight down the path that we are on that leads to God.

 

Lord please grant us the desire to finish strong this journey we walk together towards You.