Luke 17, and we'll begin with verse 20. Now when he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, see here or see there, for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you. Then he said to the disciples, the days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, look here or look there. Do not look after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in his day. But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Amen. You may be seated. We spent several weeks looking at the coming of our Lord and Savior, the doctrine of Christ as we consider his incarnation and birth. Listen again to John's Gospel, John 1 and verse 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The eternal nature and divinity of the Son of God. The Son of God is eternal, but we also then confess God the Son became true man. He became true man in his incarnation, which is then the start of his earthly ministry. which continued, of course, with his birth, his life, a life of perfect obedience and suffering, his death, his burial, his resurrection and ascension. And now we speak of the session of Jesus Christ. The term is called the session, the reign of Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. So sometimes that is called the session of Jesus Christ. And one day, as Scripture teaches us, Jesus Christ will physically return, initiating the final judgment of all humanity and angelic beings. Now, there is one other important aspect of his ministry that was proof of his ascension, that was a testimony, indeed, that he is at the right hand of the Father. That aspect was the judgment, the incredible judgment that came upon Judea and Jerusalem, culminating in the year AD 70. The year 70, the Jewish war against Rome, which the Romans One in a horrible measure. Many, many that were murdered, crucified, the blood that flowed in Jerusalem. A horrible time of judgment. Now there are some passages in the New Testament where it's difficult to know is Jesus speaking about this judgment, the judgment that culminated in the year 70, or is he speaking about his second coming? As I say, there are some passages where it may be difficult for us to know what aspect of our Lord's ministry is in view. We can say this, the judgment in the year 70 was a foreshadowing. It was a picture, we can say in some sense, of the final judgment. And yet it was not the final judgment. It was not the end of prophecy. It was not the time of resurrection, as some have heretically claimed. Sometimes the term is hyper-preterist. Those who believe all has passed, essentially, everything was fulfilled in the year 70. And they mistake the truth of scripture. It's a twisting of important doctrines. Now our text in Luke 17 is speaking of a coming of Christ. And R.C. Sproul, in his commentary, his commentary on the gospel of Luke, says this. He says, when I come to this text, I'm uncertain at different points what Jesus is referring to. It's not that I haven't studied the text. It's not that I haven't followed the insights of commentators through the ages. I have done that. My homework has been rigorous. But I'm still not sure about everything that Jesus says here in this passage. I'm afraid I have no other choice but to be less than dogmatic in my interpretation of the text. Believe me, being less than dogmatic is not my nature at all. Well, not that R.C. Sproul is the end of all commentary, but we do consider someone that was as wise and prudent as his when he says something like that. There's a lesson for us to learn there, and I'm not an R.C. Sproul in any way, but I can sympathize with his words. I've studied these matters, some of them, for many, many years, and will continue to give close attention to God's word. So yes, there are some interpretive challenges. It's not God's word, that's the problem. There's nothing amiss in what God has revealed. We are the problem. We are the ones that haven't always studied, haven't always understood as well as we should. So yes, we admit there are those challenges, but what we want to see is how Jesus is the clear focus of this text. We rejoice in his finished sufferings. We seek first his kingdom. and we long then for his final return. That's what we will consider as we look at these verses, verses 20 through 25. We'll divide the text, verses 20 and 21, the question that Jesus answers, and then his continued instruction to his disciples about them longing to see, desiring to see the days of the Son of Man. Let's begin with verse 20. Jesus is again approached by the Pharisees. And we understand that the ministry of Jesus, his public ministry as we call it, was about three to three and a half years. We come to that conclusion actually as we look at John's Gospel and the different feasts that Jesus attended. Not so much the synoptics, but more John's Gospel actually gives us an idea of the chronology. So about three to three and a half years. By the time we're in Luke 17, Jesus is getting close to Jerusalem. He's not there in Jerusalem yet. In Luke 19, he's in Jericho, so he's getting close when he meets Zacchaeus. But he's getting close to Jerusalem, so for about three years, we can say, Jesus has been showing very clearly who he is. He has demonstrated over and over his word and power. And so the fact that the Pharisees here are coming to Jesus, we can say, is a little suspect. We'll talk about that in just a moment. The Pharisees were not given their question so much. We have the answer that Jesus gave, but their question basically is when the kingdom of God would come. And the term or the word kingdom is something that we've seen repeatedly also now in Luke's gospel. In fact, in the very first chapter. Gabriel gave a promise to Mary about the kingdom of Jesus. This is Luke 1.33, part of what's called the Annunciation. Gabriel said, speaking of Jesus, he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic promise. he will have a kingdom of which there is no end. In Luke 4, verse 43, Jesus said, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also because for this purpose I have been sent. The purpose of Jesus was to preach the kingdom. In Luke 9 and verse 2, Jesus sent the 12 disciples also to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. In Luke 9, verse 27, Jesus said to his disciples, but I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God. When we pray the Lord's Prayer, one of the petitions of the Lord's Prayer is what? Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Your kingdom come, Luke 11, verse two. In Luke 11, 20, Jesus said, but if I cast out demons, with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. And Luke 12, 31, but seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew uses the term kingdom the most, but Luke is second. Luke uses the word kingdom 46 times, so throughout the 24 chapters of Luke is the term kingdom. Now, it's interesting, something so common sometimes becomes more difficult to explain. We can understand, though, a kingdom is a territory, a place that is ruled by a king. There has to be a king and he has to have some sort of a territory to have a kingdom. When we looked at Matthew's gospel, I defined the kingdom this way. It is the present and active rule of the Lord in bringing restoration to creation and salvation to all of God's people, especially revealed in the person and work of Christ. There is something very special about, obviously, the ministry of Jesus, which is why the Pharisees, when they ask this question, perhaps they are asking it because they are mocking Jesus. That's what John Calvin thought. After Jesus has been preaching about the kingdom, maybe for about three years, the Pharisees, perhaps, and we're not given the tone in which they asked it, so you have to be careful. but they well could have been coming to Jesus. Where is this great kingdom of which you speak? It's been now several years. What's going on here, Jesus? And we know that for many, the kingdom was the idea that Jesus would kick out all of the enemies of Israel and establish his dynasty and rule in Jerusalem. That was the idea of kingdom that many were looking for. So Jesus answered the Pharisees, we could say, in two parts. First, he tells them, this is the end of verse 20, the kingdom of God does not come with observation. The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, see here or see there. The word observation was a word that was used in medical writings and also astronomical writings. something you would carefully consider and then say, there it is. You're looking for a comet, you're looking for a planet and its movement in the heavens, or it could be, again, some medical thing that you're saying, there it is. Jesus says, that's not how the kingdom of God works. It does not come with observation. Some Jews, I don't think we can say all, but some believe that there would be signs in the heavens that pointed to the coming of God's kingdom. Jesus says, no, that's not how it is. Now sometimes in history, there are decisive battles that change history as we know it. Some great defeat of one empire or kingdom, another kingdom now dominates. You think of the fall of Babylon and the Medo-Persian Empire that happened basically in one night. So we can watch earthly kingdoms, they come and go, but not the kingdom of God. It's not that the kingdom of God is just this invisible or something that's just a mystery, but the kingdom does not function as earthly kingdoms would function. We don't just say, see here or see there, as Jesus says. And then the second half of verse 21, for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you. And it's this last part of verse 21, both the translation and the interpretation that even Christians who love God's word are not always in agreement upon. There are different opinions for how we should translate that phrase and then how we understand that phrase, and I say these are not liberals. This is not a liberal versus a conservative issue, but sometimes even those who do truly love God's word don't always come to the same conclusion. The ESV Study Bible, for example, says the translation should be, in the midst of you, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. And that's a possible translation and understanding. Sproul also wondered about the interpretation that the kingdom of God is within you, thinking, that's just too restrictive. If Jesus only lives in my heart, then his accommodation is far too small. That was his reflection. But as I say, he said that somewhat tentatively. It's a difficult translation. No. Our versions have the kingdom of God is within you, We can understand Jesus is not saying it's in the Pharisees. That would be wrong. He's not saying, oh, the Pharisees, you have the kingdom of God within you, but I think Jesus is making a point about where his kingdom and rule begins, not where it ends. Where the kingdom of God begins its rule, not where it ends its rule. And I think we can take that, verse 21, connecting it also with verse 25. But first, he must suffer many things. The kingdom of God, we can say, begins as God causes sinners to be born again and regenerates them, brings them to an understanding of why Jesus came in the first place. And this is not restricting God's work. It's saying, this is where the work of redemption must truly begin. There must be an internal change. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, and not just to Nicodemus, remember, you must be born again. That's in the plural. Speaking to all of Israel, including Nicodemus, you must be born again. The kingdom of God is within you. The rule of God is not restricted to just our hearts, but that is where we see it especially manifested in salvation. Now, since we are both physical and spiritual creatures, we have to consider both the spiritual and the physical. We don't downplay the physical and say, well, the physical doesn't matter. Only the spiritual matters. No, that's not true. There is a priority, though, that we see in Scripture, but not just a restriction. But man tends to look on the outward appearance. That is just the nature of who we are. We tend to look at just the outward appearance. Of course, we can't see people's hearts. We don't know what God only can see. And so take, for example, beautiful cathedrals. that in some cases, maybe were once built for the glory of God. Some of these great cathedrals, maybe they once preached the true gospel, but consider them today. How many of the great buildings of Christendom preach the true gospel today, or in some cases, ever preach the true gospel? Think of the Washington Cathedral in Washington, D.C., a beautiful building. I've visited there several times. Does that cathedral represent the true kingdom of God? What's the message that is preached day in and day out? I know they've had many pagan services there. It can't be just because the building says it's built to the glory of God, that doesn't mean that that's true. God has also blessed us as a local church with an amazing facility. We're thankful to have a place to operate, but truly we can say only as we are focused on God's truth can we say this facility then represents an aspect of God's kingdom. John Calvin wrote this. It must be observed. Christ speaks only of the beginnings of the kingdom of God. Verse 21. For we now begin to be formed anew by the Spirit, after the image of God, in order that our entire renovation, and that of the whole world, may afterwards follow in due time. This is in a little bit of a different context, but the Apostle Paul said this. This is Romans 14, 17. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. He's dealing in that chapter about food and drink, different people's opinions on that. And Paul says, the kingdom of God, it's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, not just about the external things of eating and drinking. So that's the first portion of our text, the nature, of the kingdom. And then we observe verse 22, Jesus specifically now spoke to his disciples. The Pharisees, as it were, fade into the background. They're not the focus now, starting in verse 22. They've asked maybe an important question, even if it was out of mocking, and Jesus gives a very needed answer. But then there is this transition where Jesus speaks to his disciples. And one of the things we should always marvel is what Jesus did accomplish in only about three or three and a half years. Training the disciples, giving them an understanding that they would not fully have during his ministry, but they would later have as the Holy Spirit came. We see this in John's Gospel, in chapters 14 through 17, where Jesus reminded his disciples, I am leaving, but I will not leave you as orphans. This is John 14, 15 through 18. If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. The spirit of truth. whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. So in John's gospel, Jesus told his disciples that he would not always be with him, and that's what Jesus is saying here. The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. Now, we can't appreciate this as the first disciples did. The only thing we could perhaps long or compare to is a family member, a friend that either has moved away and we don't see them, or perhaps a family or friend that has died, and we think only if only if we could share those moments together. So, verse 22 is a reminder. How could the disciples not long again for the presence of their Lord and Master when they had spent so much time with him? Jesus says, you're gonna long for those days and you will not see it. Now later, in Matthew 24, and I would encourage you, as you study the end of Luke 17, study also Matthew 24. There are a number of parallels, even if the context is not identical. Jesus says some of the same things, though there's another passage in Luke 21 that's a closer parallel to Matthew 24. But listen to Matthew 24, verses 23 through 25. Then if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ, or there, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Jesus says, there will be people who come after me and say, I am the Messiah. And we know that from history. People who claim to be the true Messiah somehow come back. Or I've seen documentaries of people, they claim to be Jesus. They gather people who follow them. And you think, how deluded. But that's the nature of man apart from the truth. People can be extremely gullible. You add to that not only the people who falsely claim to be Jesus, but the cults that somehow said we know exactly when Jesus is going to return. Or we have some secret knowledge that only we have determined from the Bible, we have the secret. Come and join us. There have been countless, countless groups throughout history that you might say have this Gnostic tendency. And so the warnings of Jesus here, Both in this chapter, in Matthew 24, other passages, we say, oh, I don't really need that warning. Oh, yes, you do. Because if you carefully study history, you see how many people ignored what Jesus has said here. Verse 23, they will say to you, look here or look there. Do not go after them or follow them. And yet, so many people have done The exact opposite. They've been entrapped by this false teaching, false doctrine. As I say, people who claim to be Jesus or people who claim they have some secret that only they have the Mormon Church. Other cults would be examples of that. Jesus has in verse 24 a contrast. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in his day. And what Jesus is saying here, you don't need to follow those who say look here or look there, because it will be perfectly clear when Jesus is revealed. It will be, as it were, like a bolt of lightning that you clearly see flashing from one area of the sky to the other part of the sky. Jesus said, this would be a parallel, Matthew 24, 26. Therefore, if they say to you, look, He is in the desert, do not go out. Or look, he is in the inner rooms, do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. The words of verse 27 there in Matthew 24, very similar to what we have here in Luke 17, 24. I think Jesus there is speaking of his second coming, not AD 70 in this case. the coming of Jesus will be perfectly obvious. It will be no secret that only some have that they have to share with you. Then verse 25, but first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Notice Jesus is speaking in the third person because he's speaking of the Son of Man. The language, son of man coming from Daniel chapter 7. The one who comes before the father to receive this great kingdom that will never pass away. So Jesus is saying this is The fulfillment of Daniel 7, this is the fulfillment of the Son of Man in me. It's very significant, Jesus uses that language. It may sound strange, he's speaking in the third person, but he's identifying, I am the Son of Man. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Here we reflect Jesus is not just a victim of cruel and wicked forces that wanted their own kingdom instead of the kingdom that Jesus was bringing. Notice Jesus says he must suffer many things. He knows what is going to happen and he is going to willingly offer himself. There is something fantastic about the death of Jesus that is completely unrepeatable. If we are put in a place of suffering, we do also face a choice. Will we compromise or will we give in? There's a sense where we also face that. If you want to avoid suffering, the answer is very easy. Just do what the world says and you can resist suffering. But Jesus willingly gave himself in a way that goes beyond what we just endured. Because Jesus had all the authority and power to destroy his enemies. That's what we don't have in common. We don't obviously have the power of Jesus. So the text here reminds us, no, Jesus willingly laid down his life. He's not just a victim of the wicked and the cruel, he submits himself to the will of the Father, giving himself for us. That's the glorious truth of verse 25. Matthew 6.33 tells us this, seek first the kingdom of God. and his righteousness. All these things shall be added to you. And the context of Matthew 6.33, very similar to what is in Luke. The text is slightly different, but Jesus, in that context, is talking to people who are very concerned about what they were gonna eat or drink, where they were gonna get their clothing. He was talking to a people that we cannot also truly relate to. We don't really worry about where our next meal is coming from. We're not really concerned, do I have enough clothes to wear for the next day, for the next week? And to people that were in far worse straits than we are, Jesus told them, no, your first priority is the kingdom. Seek that. We're not the center. Our greatest priority, then, is not our own comfort or ease or our future. It's what God has called us to do as his people. Seek first the kingdom. We want, then, or we should want to see the rule of Jesus Christ in all areas of life. And we know this must begin with regeneration. It's not just external change. Regeneration is what is needed. It's not the end of God's work, but it must be the beginning of God's work. And so as Jesus, in the midst of talking about these things, pointed to his own death and his own suffering, that is what we must always hold. Turn, if you would, to Matthew 28. The final command and promise of Jesus is found there, at least in Matthew's Gospel. We know this text very well, but I stress it for several reasons. The command is to go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. The central command is to make disciples. That is accomplished by going, by baptizing, and by teaching. So there's a command to go, a command to baptize, a command to teach, all connected with making disciples. And so it's not just, again, it's not just an external change, it must be an internal change that's brought about by the Holy Spirit in accordance with the preaching of God's word. And so the fullness of the Christian life is very, very rich in obedience to this. In 2 Peter chapter three, Peter talks about the coming of our Lord, his return. Some denying it because it's been so long in their opinion. And Peter said this in verse 14, 2 Peter 3, 14. Therefore, beloved, looking forward, to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. We are to look forward to the return of our Lord and Savior. There is to be a proper longing for that. We're to look forward to these things. Verse 15, consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him has written to you, the Lord is long-suffering and is very patient. And there were those who falsely taught, Jesus taught that everything would be wrapped up in the first generation and Jesus is wrong, that never happened. They distort the truth of God's word. by saying Jesus was preaching that there was something climactic that was gonna happen, well, that didn't happen, so Jesus is wrong, the gospel is foolishness. That's what some have, they've twisted the scriptures. God is very patient, long-suffering. We've waited almost 2,000 years. How long it will be before he returns, that's in God's hands. That's not for us to know or to worry about. We do his bidding even as we consider what he has told us. Notice the end of verse 20, Matthew 28, 20. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. That's the last promise. that our Lord gives to us. I am with you always, even to the end of the age. We know the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ when we walk in obedience, and especially then in mission and in worship. The presence of our Lord with us is especially known when we're serving him, when we're worshiping him. and our celebration of the Lord's Supper is a reminder that the Lord is with us, not physically, not the bread and the wine turning into the body and blood of Christ, but this promise, I am with you always, that's what we celebrate in the Lord's Supper in a very clear way. We share in his body and blood. That's the presence of the Lord with us. So even as we long for his return, we know I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we do rejoice in the richness of your word. It has been twisted, it has been denied, but we thank you that it stands above us. And it does call us to study, to be diligent. We desire that where we are unclear or uncertain, if we hold false opinions, that you will correct us. Correct us gently, O Lord. Lead us always in terms of your truth. And we thank you that there is a testimony of your truth, even in the messy record of church history. that there is a testimony of error, those who have rebelled, but there is that gospel that has been held, lost and recovered, but your truth does stand, and we rejoice in that. As we continue now in our celebration of the Lord's Supper, we thank you again for the precious promise of your presence. We eat and drink, remembering what our Lord suffered, remembering that he rules over us, and until he returns again, this will be our focus. We pray this.