Many people today disregard Christianity as weak, irrelevant, ineffective and feeble. They don’t think it has much to offer to real people living in the real world. To them, the Christian faith does not seem to make much real difference or have much real impact. To them, the Christian faith is largely only psychologically comforting to a few fragile individuals.
The Religious leaders of Jesus’ day were similarly not convinced that Jesus was God’s real King. They expected, in line with their understanding of the Old Testament, a conquering hero who would ride into Jerusalem with an angelic host and conquer their enemy – the Roman oppressors. However, when Jesus arrived there was no angelic host, no conquering army, no political overthrow, and seemingly, no major repercussions.
On one occasion the Pharisees questioned Jesus about it.
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:20-21)
Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was coming into the world. It was indeed in the midst of them as Jesus, God’s King, travelled their dusty roads. But the Kingdom did not come with major earth-shattering signs and wonders. Life mostly continued as normal, and the Romans still ruled. Bad things still happened to good people.
Jesus miraculously healed many people, but in comparison to the entire population of the Roman Empire, it was a minute fraction. On one occasion Jesus fed at least 5000 people, but in comparison to the number of hungry people in the world it was an insignificant number.
Jesus may have done a few astounding things, but they were limited in geography to relatively small towns in a remote part of the world.
Humility
Jesus said (v20), “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed” because Jesus first coming was characterised by humility.
Jesus was not born to a king and a queen, but to a carpenter and his fiancé. His bed was not in a palace, but in an animal’s feeding trough. His followers did not wear battle armour, but peasant’s sandals. Towards the end of his life, Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a white stallion to conquer Rome, but on a humble donkey in order to die on a cross and conquer our greatest enemies: sin and death (v25).
Jesus then rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and promised to return to establish the Kingdom of God in all it’s fulness.
Majesty
This is what Jesus said about his future return:
For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. (Luke 17:24)
Jesus’ return will not be characterised by humility. The time for humility will have passed. Jesus’ return will instead be characterized by power, majesty and splendour. The fact that he is God’s King will not be hidden or unconvincing. It will be as obvious as lightning in the sky. No one will doubt or be uncertain.
Not only will Jesus’ be obvious, but it will also be terrifyingly unexpected as it ushers in the judgment of God.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:26-30)
At the time of Noah and Lot in the Old Testament, God’s judgment came completely unexpectedly for the vast majority of people. They were going to the moving, playing sport, booking holidays and paying school fees, when all of a sudden, everything changed. And not for the good.
So too will it be when Jesus’ returns. God will save his people as Jesus has borne the penalty of their sin on their behalf. But for God’s enemies, those who still bear their sin, there can be only judgment and a future apart from God.
Vultures
And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:37)
The image of a corpse and vultures is sobering. In a desert area, vultures could be seen from a long way away, and you would certainly know if they were circling around in the sky. Underneath would be dead body. Likewise, the return of Jesus won’t be private, secret or unseen. It will be obvious and seen by all.
How do we prepare and ready ourselves for that awesome and terrible day?
Jesus told us when he said, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” (v33)
Don’t try to hang on to your life, living how you want and doing what you want. Instead, lose your life, by submitting to King Jesus and you will end up keeping it on the day He returns.
The coming of the Kingdom of God may indeed be psychologically comforting for some, but it is vastly more than that. It is the renewal of all things. It started with Jesus’ first coming and it will be fully realised at Jesus’ second coming.
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This post is based on a sermon by Gareth Maggs. To listen more about the Kingdom, click here.