Luke 17:22-24
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-Let me invite you to...
...turn in your Bibles back to Luke 17.
Three weeks ago now...
...we started that long final section...
...that begins in Verse 20...
...and goes through to the rest of the chapter.
But, we only made it through the first two verses.
So, we’re going to be picking back up...
...where we left off in Verse 22, this morning.
-And let me remind you of something...
(While you’re turning)
...that I mentioned to you last time...
...and that I think is important...
...for us to be aware of:
This is NOT the Olivet Discourse
(Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)
This sounds a lot like it...
There are some parallel themes and sayings...
But, as far as I can tell...
...this is being given at a different time.
So, for now, let’s just...
...be careful not to conflate the two together.
-Also, while you’re turning, let me...
Thank you...
...for affording me the time to study that you do.
Ask you to keep entreating the Lord’s help for me...
...as I dig into this chapter and chapter 21.
I need it!
-Alright, let’s jump on in.
We’ll begin reading back in Verse 20.
This is the Word of the Lord:
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.
24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
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Pray
-Alright, let’s begin with a bit of review.
(It’s particularly needed this week)
Look at Verse 20:
Remember, that it had all begun, with Jesus...
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come...
And we took a moment right there...
...to consider what they were assuming in their question.
This was a helpful summary:
Many Jews in that day expected that when the kingdom of God came, the enemies of God’s people would be destroyed immediately and a new world would be ushered in (see Isaiah 65:17–25). — Mike McKinley
(And we saw the reasons for those assumptions...
...in much of the language of the Old Testament.)
Yet, Jesus told the Pharisees:
20 … “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
i.e., observable to the physical eye
It’s wasn’t going to be inaugurated...
...in the way that they assumed.
And he doubled down on that in Verse 21:
21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ . . .
You’re not going to find it on a map.
It’s not going to be localized...
...in an earthly city.
You’re most fundamental conceptions of its inauguration...
...are all wrong.
So, he told them:
20 . . . “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
21 ...for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Meaning (I believe)...
JESUS, HIMSELF, was the embodiment of the Kingdom of God
And that HE was present in their midst!
Therefore, the Kingdom of God...
...was ALREADY there before them...
...in the person of its King!
-Now, that was Jesus’ word on the matter...
To the Pharisees.
But in Verse 22, he begins to speak...
22 And he said to the disciples...
And, this is something we’ve seen him do...
...many times before:
Saying something somewhat cryptic...
...to those who have no spiritual ears to hear...
...but then, at some later point...
...providing some clarity on what he said...
...to his disciples.
Here’s what he tells them:
22 . . . “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
Now, the first thing we need to recognize in that...
...is that Jesus has shifted the focus...
From the present reality...
...that he had affirmed to the Pharisees...
To a reality that was yet future...
...for his disciples.
(That’ll make more sense in a minute)
-Secondly, we need to be aware...
...of the prophetically significant nature...
...of that opening phrase...
22 . . .“The days are coming...
That’s a phrase that’s usually used to introduce...
...an event of eschatological significance.
For example:
5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch...
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,
But it wasn’t always positive:
25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—
29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’
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Now, Luke is the only gospel writer...
...to record Jesus using that exact prophetic construction...
(that I’m aware of)
...and all four times that he does...
...it’s in reference to a matter of great significance.
-So, when we read that phrase...
We need to pay careful attention...
...to what he’s about to say.
-Let’s read it again (Verse 22)
Here it is:
22 . . . “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man...
Now, who is that?
Who is “the Son of Man” ?
That’s Jesus, right?
That was his most common self-designation:
20 . . . “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
6 ...the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” . . .
Here’s a little hint for later:
64 ...I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
(Remember the language of Daniel 7:13)
-So, what does that title designate?
Well, as Peter rightly said...
...it means that Jesus is...
16 . . . the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
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-Alright, let’s put together...
...what we’ve learned so far:
The Kingdom of God has come
Jesus is its King.
It was present...
...because he was present.
But NOW, he’s telling his disciples, that...
...they were about to enter into a period...
...where they would...
22 . . . desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
Why?
What was going to change?
What was going to happen...
...that would bereave them...
...of the physical presence of their King?
If he’s the Messiah (and he was/is)...
If he had come to inaugurate his theocratic kingdom...
What could possibly take him away from them?
Was the success of the Messianic Kingdom...
...not certain?
-So, let’s reduce all that to two questions:
1.) Why was he saying this to them?
2.) What event did he have in mind?
Consider this on the first: (Lange)
A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Luke Exegetical and Critical
It is as if He feared that His friends, from the assurance that the kingdom of God had already really come, would now also draw the conclusion that the King
A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Luke Exegetical and Critical
As He is far from blowing up again even the weakest spark
i.e., His absence from them.
-Now, as to the second (what event he had in mind)...
...consider some of these...
...other statements that Jesus made:
To the Pharisees who were trying to arrest him:
33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.
34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
More affectionately, he told his disciples:
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
Then Peter asked:
36 . . . “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”
Later on, again, he told them:
16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”
And he went on to say:
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
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-Now, some of these statements...
...could have in mind:
Their sorrow over his crucifixion
Their subsequent joy over his bodily resurrection.
And I would certainly...
...affirm the validity of that understanding...
...as far as it goes.
But, I don’t think that...
It goes far enough...
has a large enough scope...
...to encompass all of what Jesus said...
in those passages...
or, what he goes on to say in ours.
I think… that he’s ultimately referring to...
His bodily Ascension into heaven...
Where he is enthroned as the Son of Man
Remember what happened a little while later:
After he had been raised from the dead...
...Jesus told them:
8 ...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
I think this is what our text is referring to:
Think about it:
22 … “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
He will no longer be physically or visibly present among you.
And you'll wait in longing for His return
But... The promise when we read on, is:
He will come again!
In the same manner that he went away!
-However, what he goes on to say shows us...
a.) It probably wouldn’t happen as soon as they thought/hoped
b.) There would be a lot of false claims about it...
...in the intervening time.
-Look at the warning of Verse 23:
23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.
Do you see what he’s saying?
Do you see the pastoral warning in that?
We need to take it to heart ourselves!
He’s acknowledging, that...
...because of the Holy Spirit’s work in their hearts...
...they will...
22 ...desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man...
And because they will so desire His return...
(and rightfully so)
(because they love him with a supernatural affection)
...because they’ll be so eager for it to happen...
...they might be susceptible...
...to false claims that are made of his arrival.
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(BTW, this wouldn’t make any sense at all...
...if he was ONLY referring to...
...something that would happen in 40 years)
Why?
Because these disciples:
Knew what He looked like!
They knew what his voice sounded like
They could recognize his gait
They probably knew the smell of his clothing.
He OBVIOUSLY meant for these warnings...
...to extend to disciples...
...of future generations as well!
And so, he warned them...
...and by extension, us:
23 ...they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.
They’re false prophets!
They’re not going to lead you...
...to the authentic Son of Man!
-Consider the similar warning he gave...
...in the Olivet Discourse.
(Perhaps this was particularly applicable...
...to the disciples living in the 1st Century)
(I’m not sure at this time)
Either way, the principle transcends that period:
21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.
22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
This is what he’s doing in our text...
Just in a more generic context.
He’s saying:
23 ...Do not go out or follow them.
They’re false prophets!
They’ll only lead you astray!
-And brethren, the same is true for us today.
We can be 100% sure...
...that any claim that Christ...
has already returned...
or will return on a certain date...
...is patently false!
And I say that for two reasons:
1.) Jesus said that it couldn’t be predicted:
36 “...concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Now, don’t fall out with me on this...
But, I think that applies equally, to:
A.) The approach of the Roman Army in 70 A.D.
B.) A recognizable 7 year period in the distant future.
(You be good Bereans...
...but I can’t square either one of those circles myself)
2.) Because of what he says in Verse 24 of our text:
23 ...Do not go out or follow them.
24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
In other words, it will be...
Obvious
Undeniable
YOU WON’T HAVE TO GUESS...
YOU WON’T STRUGGLE TO FIGURE IT OUT!
-Think about that similitude with lightning:
There are two aspects of it...
...that are emphasized in Verse 24:
24 ...as the lightning flashes...
What’s that like?
It’s undeniable
It’s sudden and unexpected
It’s awe-inspiringly powerful
It’s audible and visible
How visible?
24 ...lights up the sky from one side to the other...
How visible is that?
It’s UNIVERSALLY visible!
It doesn’t go unnoticed!
And before the days of electric lighting...
NO ONE questioned what it was when it happened.
-Now, that has two more...
...important eschatological implications to it:
1.) Even for those who are anticipating his coming...
It’s going to be visible and undeniable
It won’t happen secretly, quietly, or invisibly
Nobody’s going to just disappear...
While the rest of the world...
...looks on in confusion.
Remember:
11 ...This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Visibly
In glory and splendor.
2.) The coming referred to in our text...
...is not something that could have already happened!
There’s just too much uncertainty about that position.
It feels too much like Verse 23:
23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ . . .
Or like Matt 24.26
26 . . . ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ . . . ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’...
“He’s here”
“He’s returned”
“You just need some secret knowledge to understand how”
That just doesn’t fit the language of Luke 17.
But this does:
(From Cyril of Alexandria...
...over 1500 years ago)
New Testament III: Luke Jesus Will Come in Glory like Lightning
At the end time of the world, he will not descend from heaven obscurely or secretly, but with godlike glory...
New Testament III: Luke Jesus Will Come in Glory like Lightning
He declared that his coming will be like the lightning...
New Testament III: Luke Jesus Will Come in Glory like Lightning
After his resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, and enthronement with God the Father, he will
New Testament III: Luke Jesus Will Come in Glory like Lightning
He will not descend with his glory withdrawn or in the lowliness of human nature.
New Testament III: Luke Jesus Will Come in Glory like Lightning
In the majesty of the Father with the companies of the angels guarding him, he will stand before him as God and Lord of all.
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That’s what Luke 17 sounds like to me!
-Now, what should all of this mean for us...
...by way of response?
1.) Well, first of all, it means that...
We need to make sure that we’re ready for His return.
Paul said that God...
30 ...he commands all people everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
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Our first response to these truths...
Has to be...
Repentance and Faith (Elaborate)
2.) What does it mean for us...
...once we’ve done that?
Well, Peter speaks to that, in...
10 ...the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God...
We are called to:
Live lives of faithful service to him
Eagerly desire his return
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Let’s pray for grace to do all of that.
