Luke 17:20-37
20 Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can 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.”
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 And they will say to you, ‘Look there,’ or, ‘Look here!’ Do not leave, 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 will it also be in the days of the Son of Man:
27 people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and 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, and they were building;
29 but on the day that Lot left 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 will be on the housetop, with his goods in the house, must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one in the field must not turn back.
32 Remember Lot’s wife.
33 Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep 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 responding, they *said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”
When is the Kingdom of God Coming?
The kingdom of God has come
The central message that Jesus proclaimed was “the kingdom of God.” The Pharisees, aware of this, asked Him, “When is the kingdom of God coming?” Jesus corrected their misunderstanding. (1) The kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom, but a kingdom of the heart. (2) The kingdom of God has already come. “The kingdom of God is in your midst” (v 21) means that the essence of the kingdom of God is present in the person and works of Jesus. At Harvest Time, the staff begins each day by reading the Bible together and offering prayer before starting work. This is an act of inviting King Jesus into the office and into the work itself. Without this, even in a workplace where everyone is a Christian, there will be clashes of ego. Are you inviting King Jesus into your workplace, your home, and your fellowship at church every single day?
The kingdom of God will be completed
The kingdom of God, which has already come, will one day reach its completion. Before that happens, the Son of Man (the Messiah, Jesus) must suffer greatly and be rejected by the people of that generation. This is a prophecy of the cross. The second part about the prophecy of Jesus’ return is concerning the events that are yet to come. Here, Jesus taught the importance of being prepared for His return. Let us recall the days of Noah and the days of Lot. (1) The people in those times were overly concerned with daily matters rather than spiritual ones. The failure of Lot’s wife serves as a lesson for us. (2) The destinies of those who are prepared for the Second Coming and those who are not differ as greatly as heaven and earth. No matter how close two people may be physically, one (who is prepared) will be caught up to heaven, while the other (whose concern was only for their own life) will be left behind on earth (ref. 1 Thess. 4:17). (3) The return of Jesus will surely take place. The disciples tried to ask where it would happen. Jesus did not answer directly, but said, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered” (v 37). In other words, God’s judgment will surely fall upon those who are spiritually dead. Do you have the assurance that you would be ready even if Jesus returned today? If you feel unprepared, now is the time to cling to God’s mercy.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, now, in this devotion, I welcome King Jesus and declare that the kingdom of God has come here. Today, please allow me to walk with King Jesus throughout. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.