What Jesus Did

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

—Luke 18:1 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus had two points he wanted to impress on the hearts of his disciples. First, he wanted them to be dedicated to prayer and have it as a consistent part of their lives. Second, he wanted them to know that they must never give up, no matter what the circumstances might be. While Jesus made his points clear, why did he feel the need to tell a story? The...

 

"Where will this happen, Lord?" the disciples asked [when Jesus was talking about his return].
Jesus replied, "Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near."

—Luke 17:37 NLT

Key Thought​

There will be signs that these things (mentioned in the previous verses [1] discussing Jesus' return) are about to happen. The sign of vultures in the sky alerts the onlooker that something has died nearby. Well, what are...

 

[Talking about his return, Jesus continued,] "That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left."

—Luke 17:34-36 NLT

Key Thought​

Being taken with Jesus is often called the rapture, although that term is never used in the New Testament in this regard. I prefer to call it "caught up in the clouds!" This phrase comes from Paul's explanation of these events at...

 

[Talking about the day of his return, Jesus continued,] "On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it."

—Luke 17:31-33 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus' coming will be sudden and surprising. We must be ready for that coming at all times. There won't be time to prepare to...

 

[Concerning conditions at his return, Jesus continued,] "And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business — eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building — until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed."

—Luke 17:28-30 NLT

Key Thought​

Just as in the previous verses, [1]...

 

[Continuing to talk about his return, 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...

 

[After talking about his leaving the earth, Jesus continued,] "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...

 

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 three things important to disciples:

1. They will long...

 

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, [1] Jesus was distinguishing between his return in glory and the Kingdom of God. When he said, "the Kingdom of...

 

[When one of the healed lepers came back to thank Jesus,] 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?" [1]
"Judas, would you...