What Jesus Did

[Jesus said,] "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all."

—Luke 17:26-27 NLT

Key Thought


Noah's message and preparation went totally unappreciated by his contemporaries. They ignored his warnings about God's impending judgment and their need to repent. They went on doing what they had...

 

[Jesus said,] "But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation."

—Luke 17:25 NLT

Key Thought


Before Jesus can reign as King, he must first suffer and be rejected! Jesus' glory will come after the cross. Our deliverance comes only at the cost of Jesus' rejection. Our salvation depends upon Jesus' sacrificial suffering. We are saved, we are made a part of God's eternal Kingdom, and we are given glory at a terribly high price. Yet...

 

Then [Jesus] 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. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes."

—Luke 17:22-24 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus warns about two things important to disciples. First...

 

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God can't be detected by visible signs. You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you."

—Luke 17:20-21 NLT

Key Thought


What in the world did Jesus mean? In light of his comments in the following verses, Jesus was distinguishing between his return in glory and the Kingdom of God. When he said, "the Kingdom...

 

Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you."

—Luke 17: 17-19 NLT

Key Thought


"Where are the other nine?" During his earthly ministry, Jesus said some sad things that tear our hearts apart:

"Simon son of John, do you love me?" (John 21:16)
"Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a...

 

One of [the ten lepers], when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

—Luke 17:15-16 NLT

Key Thought


How do we respond when our cry for mercy receives our desired answer from our Master? This story is a reminder of our need to praise and thank Jesus unabashedly for his healing power, mercy, and grace. When was the last time you fell...

 

[Jesus] looked at [the ten lepers] and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

—Luke 17:14 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus healed people in all sorts of ways. He told these ten with leprosy to go show themselves to the priests just as the law commanded them to do if they were healed. Jesus didn't heal them before they left, but as they were on their way to the priests. Healing happened after they stepped out in...

 

As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

—Luke 17:11-13 NLT

Key Thought


Mercy! Isn't that what we so often need? Life is filled with many unexpected challenges. Coupled with the predictable developmental challenges that come our way, these unexpected challenges can make life seem unbearable. For those...

 

[Jesus said,] "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"

—Luke 17:7-10 NLT

Key Thought


In Jesus' day, a...

 

The apostles said to the Lord, "Show us how to increase our faith." The Lord answered, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you!"

—Luke 17:5-6 NLT

Key Thought


At first glance, Jesus appears to be making an incredible promise. On a closer look, however, this is a reprimand. Even a little faith is powerful. The apostles would have so much more impact on...