Luke 17
Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. Luke 17:11-14 NIV
The first part of the story of the ten lepers teaches us what obedience looks like. Jesus asked them to show themselves to the priests, even though they had not yet been healed. They must have trusted that something would happen, because the only reason they would have shown themselves to the priests would be for the priests to confirm that they were healed. The passage tells us that they were healed “as they went.” God works in this same way. Oftentimes we need to obey God first, and then He will act. We cannot make a deal with God and say, “If you do this for me, then I will do that for You.” We need to do what He commands, and trust that He will bless us and take care of us. “The one who keeps God’s commands lives in Him, and He in them…” (1 John 3:24).
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Then He said to His disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There He is!’ or ‘Here He is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” Luke 17:20-35, 37 NIV
Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom of God is, in fact, within each one of His believers. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). But there is also a day coming, when Jesus will come back to Earth and restore it to the perfect place that He initially created. It is during this time that He will establish His promised eternal Kingdom: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). When thinking about the end times and all the related prophecy in the Bible, there are many unanswered questions. Here are a few to ponder:
1. When will Jesus return? Jesus repeatedly said “I am coming soon” (Revelation 3:11, 22:7,12,20). Since God exists outside of time, “soon” for Him does not mean the same thing that it means for us: “A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (Psalms 90:4). It could be today, or it could be centuries from now. The important thing is to make sure that you are prepared for Him, no matter when He returns. Placing your faith in Jesus today is a crucial decision that has eternal consequences. Make sure to emphasize this with friends and family members that have not yet come to Christ. The other thing is to make sure that you have discernment whenever you hear anyone claim to know when Jesus is coming back. The Bible is timeless and true, and says: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).
2. Where will Jesus return? Jesus Himself tells us that: “Men will tell you, ‘There He is!’ or ‘Here He is!’ Do not go running off after them” (verse 23). Jesus will “be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other” (verse 24). In other words, it will be obvious to everyone on Earth, and He will appear to everyone at the same time, regardless of where they live and what language they speak: “It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will acknowledge God’” (Romans 14:11). For those of us who place our hope and faith in Christ Jesus, it will be a glorious day of rejoicing! Although all will acknowledge that He is God, not everyone will be excited to see Him. At that moment, millions of people will regret that they had rejected Jesus throughout their lives. The tragic truth of that moment is that it will be too late to repent and change one’s mind. Disbelief will have consequences on that day: “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out” (Luke 13:28).
3. What will Jesus look like when He returns? The apostle John gives us a glimpse of what Jesus will look like: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter’ (Psalms 2:9). He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16). I definitely want this “Heavenly Warrior” on my side in the end times! Amen!
Regardless of all the unanswered questions that surround the second coming of Christ, there is one thing that we do know for certain: Jesus WILL return. Are you ready?