Jesus' Second Coming Luke 17:22-37

6 The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ March 18, 2018 Luke 17:22-37 (NASB) 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. 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. 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. 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. 30  "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31  "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. 32  "Remember Lot's wife. 33  "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34  "I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35  "There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36  ["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left."] 37  And answering they *said to Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered." Last Sunday we looked at Luke 17:20-21 We learned that the Kingdom of God is Invisible , Uncontainable, In the heart of believers. Today we listen to Jesus and hear him talk about the day that His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, is revealed, (verse 30) and made visible for all to see. The Bible teaches the reality of Christ’s second coming just as certainly as it does that of His first coming.MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. All true Christians who understand Scripture, love the Lord Jesus Christ, and are concerned about His glory desire His return. They desire to see Him set aside His long humiliation and return in majesty and glory to reign. MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. At the close of the book of Revelation, the apostle John responded to Christ’s promise, “Yes, I am coming quickly” by saying, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. It is a characteristic of the spiritually mature that they long for the second coming not for personal gain, but for the glory of Christ. They desire to see Jesus vindicated and exalted instead of reviled and dishonored. MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. The glory of God is the goal of redemption, and the salvation of sinners is a means of accomplishing that goal.MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. John 17:24 (NASB) 
 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 
 The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is essential for the following reasons. First, the promise of God demands the second coming. Of the more than three hundred prophecies in the Old Testament related to the coming of Christ, only about a third of them were fulfilled at His first coming. That leaves about two thirds—more than two hundred—prophecies yet to be fulfilled at His return.MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. Second, the teaching of Jesus Christ demands the second coming. The Lord repeatedly spoke of His return MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. Luke 17:30 (NASB) 
30 "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 
 Luke 21:27 (NASB) 27 "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.  John 14:3 (NASB) 3  "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 (NASB) 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Jesus’ Coming Will Be Desired By Believers 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. (17:22) MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. BELIVERS WATCH – WAIT Patiently James 5:7-8 (NASB) 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Jesus’ Coming Will Be Visible Globally They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them. 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. (17:23-24)MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. false teachers will try to deceive believers by enticing them to look there or look here for Christ. They will claim that He has returned in secret and revealed Himself only to insiders. But such people will be false christs; charlatans and deceivers MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. His return will be obvious to all, just as lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky. Like a flash of lightning, His appearance will be sudden, unmistakable, and visible. MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. Revelation 19:11-16 (NASB) 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Jesus’ Coming Will Be Unexpected In Its Timing And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 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. 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; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. (17:26-30) MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17. As will be the case on the day that the Son of Man is revealed, devastating judgment came suddenly and inescapably in the days of Noah and Lot. Jesus’ Coming Will Be Revealing On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (17:31-33) The Lord’s return will disclose people’s hearts and reveal what they love. Jesus’ words in these verses stand as a warning against preferring the things of this world to Him. Jesus’ Coming Will Be Divisive I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.” (17:34-36) In this passage Jesus described the ultimate and permanent division that will take place when He returns. On that night there will be two in one bed and on the part of the globe where it is day… Jesus’ Coming Will Bring great judgement And answering they said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.” (17:37) Unable to grasp the scope of the judgment Jesus described, the disciples said to Him, “Where, Lord?” Failing to comprehend that the Lord’s coming would trigger a worldwide judgment, they wanted to know the specific location of this event. The Lord’s enigmatic reply, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered,” was possibly a Jewish proverb. Vultures are scavengers, and will feed on the corpses of those killed in the judgments associated with the second coming. Wherever in the world the bodies of the unregenerate lie and the vultures gather will be where Christ has been in judgment. Those who fail to heed the warnings of imminent judgment and reject the Son of Man will be caught in that judgment and will not enter the eternal kingdom.