Luke

By Joyce Webb 2021

Chapter 17 Verses 20-37

Verses 20-21 The Jewish leaders asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come?

(They were expecting the Messiah to be an earthly king that would rule over the Jewish people—and Rome or other nations would not be over them.)

Jesus’ answer to them was a surprise.

Jesus said that they would not be able to see the Kingdom of God. They would not be able to say–There it is, or here it is.

Jesus said the Kingdom of God in within you.

They could not understand the meaning of that. How could a Kingdom be inside of you?

Jesus coming to earth the first time was to die on a cross as payment for man’s sin, so man did not have to die to pay for his own sin.

When a person believed in what Jesus did on the cross and asked Jesus for forgiveness of sin—then the kingdom of God came into his heart and mind.

Jesus was talking about a spiritual kingdom. When we sin we are allowing Satan to rule over us. Satan’s kingdom is ruling over us.

When we obey Jesus and do what he teaches—-we are allowing Jesus—the Kingdom of God—to rule over us and in our hearts and minds.

In the future, Jesus will come to earth again—and that time he will rule the earth as king.

Verse 22 Later Jesus was talking with the disciples. He said, in future days —-you will hear people say—Jesus has returned.

Jesus said, Do not go after these people. Do not believe them.

Do not follow them.

(There is a religious group today—that say that Jesus has already returned secretly and silently.

One of the reason they say that is because one of their leaders made a prophecy of the year Jesus would return.

When it did not happen—and life on earth continued as before—the leader said—well, he came quietly and secretly.)

Jesus said in verse 24 it would not be a secret–everyone will be able to see it. Revelation 1:7 “every eye will see him”

Verse 24 Jesus said You will know when I return—it will be like lightning in the sky—that shines from one part to the other part of the sky. You will see it, You will know.

Mathew 24;27 Says from the east to the west

Verse 25 Jesus said, First, I must suffer many things. This group of people will reject me—will not believe in me.

Verse 26 Jesus said, As things were in the days of Noah, so things will be in the days when the Son of Man (Jesus) returns again to earth.

(I could write pages and pages about things that are happening now days with artificial intelligence–robots, chips, etc. —-using them in animals, people, etc.

Taking DNA and genes and mixing people DNA into animals etc.

The Book of Enoch—was not chosen to be part of the Bible—but is known to be an important book of old —talks a lot about what the Sons of God—rebel angels who came down to women on earth—it tells some of the sinful, wicked things they did.

Now days, we are seeing things like that happen in our modern days.

It is too much for me to talk about all that here.)

Verse 27 Jesus says—in Noah’s time—they ate, drank—had a happy party —got married— then Noah went into the ark and it began to rain.

It took many many years for Noah to build the ark. All that time he told the people to stop doing sin and get right with God because it was going to rain a lot and it would flood.

But the people ignored him—and kept doing whatever they wanted to do. But when it started to rain—they all wanted to get in the ark—-but God had shut the door.

Jesus is warning. By the time Jesus is to come back down to earth, people will be doing many sins. They will not listen to preachers telling them that Jesus is coming in the clouds to take away those who believe.

They laugh at that. Imagine, people just flying up in the air to go to heaven. How silly.

So they will continue their sin. When Jesus comes in the clouds and takes up all believers—-it will happen faster than a blink of an eye.

It will be too late for them.. It will happen too fast for anyone to ask for forgiveness at that time.

We need to keep our heart clean—so we are always ready.

We can see by what is happening in our world today—that times are getting close to Jesus’ coming again.

Verse 28 Jesus gives another example of the days of Lot.

When the towns of Sodom —the men of Sodom were so sinful.

Verse 29 Then God made fire and brimstone fall from heaven and it destroyed the city. (Some people think it could have been a meteor–breaking up and many many pieces falling like rain.)

Verse 30 Jesus said, the people of the world will be doing sinful things, just like those people. They will not listen to the word of God. They will not stop doing sin. They will keep doing their

own ways.

Verse 31 -36 Jesus tells them—in that day—when Jesus returns—there will not be time to “get ready”. One person will be taken up to be with Jesus, and another person next to them—will be left on earth. It will happen in a blink of time.

(The people who will be left—will wonder what happen to the person next to them. They will be gone.)

Think about that. A pilot flying a plane is a believer—then he is gone from his plane. A driver of a car is a believer—he is taken up–his car has no driver.

Think of all the jobs that will be empty of people—think of what is going to happen. It will be a time of great confusion, accidents, and other people getting hurt.

The whole world will be talking about what happened to millions of people disappearing.

You want to be one of those who are taken up to be with Jesus.

You do not want to be left behind.

After the believers are taken up to heaven—-terrible, terrible things are going to start happening on earth.

Verse 37 The disciples asked Jesus when this would happen.

Jesus said “When you see vultures (birds that eat dead animals) flying around in a circle—you know there is a dead animal somewhere nearby. So, when you see things begin to happen in the world, you will know it is near my time to come back.”

In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus tells of things that will happen.

There will be many famines, many earthquakes, many storms, sicknesses —a list of things. Not just a few, but they will become more and more often.

When we see things happening in world governments.

All of these things show us that we are getting very close to the time that Jesus will come back to earth again.

Keep your heart right with God all the time—you want to go up to meet Jesus in the air when he comes.