Kingdom within, kingdom coming

The Kingdom of God

When you think about a kingdom, what comes to mind?

What is the job of a king?

(Transition) We know that Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king, and today we are going to be focusing on the kingdom that Jesus is the king of. Our passage focuses on the kingdom of God and the coming of the Son of Man (our King).

Our Study Passage

Luke 17:20–21 NASB95

20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Luke 17:22–23 NASB95

22 And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 “They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them.

Luke 17:24–25 NASB95

24 “For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Luke 17:26–27 NASB95

26 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:28–29 NASB95

28 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:30 NASB95

30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

Is there anything in this passage that sticks out to you?

If you were to try to sum up this passage in your own words, what would you say?

Who is questioning, or have questioned who (v.20)? How does Jesus respond (vv.20-21)?

It was the Pharisees who had been questioning Jesus.

Jesus responds to them, kingdom is not coming with signs to be seen, that the kingdom is in your midst.

Jesus turns His attention to whom (v.22)? What assurance does Jesus give them (vv.22-23); read carefully before answering.

The attention turns to the disciples.

That the Son of man will return, but they will not see it (it would be in the future); The assurance is His return!

Jesus says you will not miss the return, just like you do not miss lightening, but He says something must happen first, what is that (vv.24-25)?

He must be rejected, He must suffer many things.

In (vv.26-29) Jesus gives examples, times of Noah, times of Lot. Why does He give these examples?

People were enjoying life and suddenly there was judgment that came.

What will be the same (v.30)? How do you know that answer?

Eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building (v.28); eating, drinking, marrying, given in marriage (v.27).

Judgment came when Noah entered the ark (v.27); Judgment came on Sodom and Gomorrah when Lot went out (v.29)

So will be judgment that will come suddenly when the Son of Man is revealed. Meaning when He returns and all will see.

Nature of the kingdom

Luke 17:20–21 NASB95

20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

If you want to know about the nature of the kingdom, start with knowing the King!

Jesus is questioned about when is the kingdom coming? He responds it is “with you,” or “among you,” depending on translation.

The religious folks, the Pharisee’s are like saying “Jesus, put up or shut up, stop claiming you are the Messiah unless you are going to prove it.

“Jesus made it clear to the Pharisee asking the question that the kingdom of God won’t be found through a hostile questioning of Jesus. The ancient Greek word translated observation is better-translated, hostile examination. Jesus told the Pharisees that their hostile, doubting eyes were unable to see or receive the kingdom of God.” (Guzik)

What does it mean the kingdom is “with you,” or “among you?”

The kingdom is with you, among you because the King is with you!

The question has to be are we looking for external signs, or do we recognize God’s presence in our lives now?

Application: Seek to live in as kingdom citizens, in the kingdom of the beloved Son daily, not just with the future in mind.

The sudden coming

Jesus is warning his disciples that they will long for His return, to see it, but they must not be deceived by false claims.

Jesus had told them that when he left the earth that the day would come when the people would long to see Him return, but the wait would not be soon.

Do not be one who chases rumors, be one who longs for, waits for His return to be like lighting.

Satan would love to take advantage of Christians looking for Christ’s return that they could be deceived. There were false Christ’s from Christ’s day forward, one scholar put it there were sixty-four individuals who have claimed to be the Messiah. People like David Koresh (Branch Davidians), Jim Jones (Peoples Temple), Sun Myung Moon (Unification church).

What does Jesus mean by His coming will be like lightening?

People who think there is a private return are mistaken, like no one misses a flash of lightening they will not miss the return of Son of Man

Before His return the Son of Man must suffer many things.

He had to go to be arrested, attested a blasphemer, beaten, pierced, be considered sin on the cross.

One commentator put it like this

Jesus must suffer and be rejected

Jesus must suffer and be rejected

Jesus must suffer many things not just a few

How do we, can we, prepare for Christ’s return?

Slow down here, try to get some good input on this.

Application: Be spiritually fit, spiritually attuned, focusing on truth (God’s Word) rather than the speculation of man.

Do not get caught up in spiritual fads trying to explain the “end times,” for we have been in the end times since the days of Jesus (ref: Heb1:1-3)

Like days of Noah and Lot

Jesus compares His return to the days of Noah and Lot - people were just living normal until the sudden judgment came.

By using Noah as the describer, people living their lives like they wanted until the judgment came, it will be the same when the Son of Man returns.

“All things continued as normal, that is until Noah and his family entered the ark, at which time the deluge (kataklysmos; destruction by flood) came and destroyed all the people (ref: Gen7:1, 10, 21; 1Pt3:20) (Pate)

By using Lot, it was like another day, another daily routine, people got up to thier normal day and the judgment came (ref: Gen19:15-25).

The world is going to be caught off-guard when the Son of Man is revealed, just like then.

Jesus did not say the conditions of everything is good, was good, will be good, like in days of Noah and Lot, the world was wicked, and the world was OK with it.

There are plenty of other scriptures that show Jesus saying that when He returns things will not be good.

Matthew 24:21 NASB95

21 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Or consider

Revelation 6:15–16 NASB95

15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

Just as in the days of Noah, 8 were saved, with Lot, he and his wife were saved, others were left for judgment, so will it be when the Son of man comes, some called home (the church) and the rest for judgment.

It says the word “revealed,” let me expound on that just for a minute. In the Greek it is the word “Apokalyptetai” where we get our word apocalypse, but in the Greek it means a revealing or unveiling.

Are we living with an awareness of eternity, with a hope for, an eye on eternity?

Application: Keep your daily focus on life today with an eye for eternity. Be spiritually awake and ready for the return of the Son of Man.

Reflection and take aways

This passage is a strong reminder, a promise that Jesus (the Son of Man) is going to return and that the kingdom of God is among us (it is the church) and in us (the Holy Spirit within the believer).

When Jesus returns it will be sudden and decisive; so be ready, and in expectation of His return.

When Jesus returns it will not be secretive, all will see, all will know, it will be unmistakable

Be spiritually ready, do not be caught off guard by living only for the here and now, keep your eye on eternity.

(Prayer) (Exit)