THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM
We have been praying for countries where Christians
have been experiencing intense persecution for the past several weeks.
Information on these countries is available at Open Doors' annual World Watch
List 2023[1]. For instance, "North
Korea is the number one country in the list as the most hostile place for
Christians to live. Even owning a Bible is a serious crime and will be severely
punished. North Korea is followed by Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea, Lybia, Nigeria,
Pakistan, and Iran, all are facing either war or internal strife or under
authoritarian regimes, where Christians suffer the most. Yet, they continue to
hold on to and proclaim their faith.
In India, where Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist
government has curtailed the rights of members of other faiths, 1,750
Christians were arrested without trial in 2022. Open harassment is often
accompanied by more subtle pressures, including daily abuses at workplaces,
schools, and public facilities. Though difficult to quantify, they strongly
impact communities and contribute to forcing Christians to displace internally
and internationally."
What would your prayer be like if you were living in
one of those countries? I would pray, Lord, when would your Kingdom come, and
when would you establish Peace on Earth? You are not the first one who has
asked such a question. The Pharisees asked Jesus the same question, when will
the Kingdom of God come? The essence of this message is Jesus' answer to that
question. I title this message "The Coming of the Kingdom." Luke
17:20-37.
We will be shifting our focus from Satan to the
Savior. For the next six weeks, we will trace the Journey of Jesus to the Cross
and how He healed, delivered, interacted with religious leaders, saved people,
and taught principles of God's Kingdom at several crossroads. Our journey will
conclude with the grand celebration of His resurrection from the dead.
I.
What is the Context of this passage?
As Jesus traveled through the region of Galilee, he
healed the sick, delivered people affected by demons, fed the hungry, and saved
sinners. For much of his ministry, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God,
preparing people to enter it, and the cost of following Him.
For the last time Jesus left Galilee, he would not
return before his death. He passed through Samaria, met and healed ten people with
leprosy, and continued to Jerusalem. One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When
will the Kingdom of God Come?
They were focused on "when" the Messiah
would come, topple down the Romans and establish his earthly Kingdom. His
disciples asked in Matthew 24:3, "Tell us when will all this happen? What
sign will signal your return and the end of the world? It looked like the
skeptics and saints had the same questions, "When"? Let's see how
Jesus responded to their questions.
II.
The Coming of the Kingdom
Vs. 20-21, "Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of
God can't be detected by visible signs. ( Or by your speculations. You won't be
able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is
already among you." (Or is within you or is in your grasp).
The Pharisees asked when God's Kingdom would come, not
knowing that it had already arrived. The Kingdom of God is unlike an earthly
kingdom with geographical boundaries and military power. Instead, it begins
with the work of God's Spirit in people's lives.
When Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is already among
you. He referred to His Kingdom's work of healing the blind and the sick and
saving lives. Jesus wanted Pharisees and his Disciples not to be fixated on
when it would come but on where the Kingdom was. They were to live in the
moment and see God's Kingdom at work. Where do we see God's Kingdom at work among
us? God is at work when lives are changed, and people live as Children of
light.
We see God's Kingdom among us when lies become
truth-tellers and thieves stop stealing. When angry, people become kind and
forgive one another when people clean up their act, and grumblers and
faultfinders become people of praise, gratitude, and appreciation.
We see God's kingdom right here when people stop
reveling in drinking and parties and instead pursue God's righteousness and
peace. When people stand up for justice, care for the poor and the needy,
and come together on Sunday to worship, read God's word, and love and serve one
another. We only see a fraction of God's Kingdom's work among us here and now.
We
will see its fullness when the Son of Man returns and establish His earthly
Kingdom.
II.
Who is the Son of Man?
Vs. 22-23, "Then he
said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see the
day when the Son of Man returns, but you won't see it. People
will tell you, 'Look, there is the Son of Man,' or 'Here he is,' but don't go
out and follow them." Who is the Son of Man?
Son of Man is the primary title Jesus used when
referring to Himself. Other titles for Christ, such as Son of God, are overt in
their focus on His deity. Son of Man, in contrast, focuses on the humanity of
Christ. Son of Man is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14.
"As my vision continued that night, I saw someone
like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One
and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty
over all the nations of the world so that people of every race and nation, and
language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His Kingdom
will never be destroyed." What a glorious day that would be when God finally
reigns.
One day Jesus will fully fulfill this prophecy. Suffering
must precede glory, however, as his death is necessary for the kingdom's
arrival. We will look into Jesus' suffering more on Good Friday, but for now,
we will pay attention to the signs that Signify His return to the earth.
III.
The signs that signify the return of the Son of Man
Jesus compared the days before His
return to the days of Lot and Noah. He
was not referring to the wickedness of those days but people's preoccupation
with Mundane things.
People of both times were occupied with banquets,
parties, weddings, feasting, drinking, buying, selling, farming, and building.
Lot's generation continued their daily activities until the fire and burning
sulfur rained on them and destroyed all of them.
Noah's generation ignored the warnings and continued
their revelries until he entered the Boat, and the flood came and destroyed
them. Jesus draws parallels to the days of his return. Vs.30, "Yes, it
will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is
revealed."
Are we any different than those two previous
generations who neither knew God nor sought His Kingdom? As we look around for
many, including Christians, it is business
as usual. Instead of seeking His Kingdom and righteousness first, we run after material
things like the pagans. We are preoccupied with pleasure, comfort, security,
wealth, and success.
After laying out what signs to watch for, Jesus warns
them to be ready for his imminent return. Similarly, he warns us to be
prepared. He may return anytime. Matthew 24:40, "So, you, too, must keep
watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming."
Finally, the disciples seemed to have gotten the
point, so they asked Luke 20:37, "Where will this happen, Lord? Jesus
replied, "Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass
nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. What does this mean? A
single vulture flying over our heads can be a random act and no big deal, but
if you see a swarm of vultures suddenly appear in the sky, it indicates a dead
body nearby. Similarly, when we see one earthquake, crime, murder, and famine
in one place, it is no big deal. But when we see them happening at random
speeds and intensity, we pay attention to the signs and prepare. His return is very
near.
