March 26, 2012
Central Truth
Jesus, the Son of Man, is coming again to establish His eternal kingdom, and He will judge the living and the dead of all humanity (2 Timothy 4:1). Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight (Matthew 3:3)!
"Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." (Luke 17:33)
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin 1 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 2 17:2 Greek stumble 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7 Will any one of you who has a servant 3 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, 4 17:8 Greek gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; 5 17:10 Or bondservants we have only done what was our duty.’”
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, 6 17:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” 7 17:19 Or has saved you
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.” 8 17:21 Or within you, or within your grasp
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 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. 9 17:24 Some manuscripts omit in his day 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 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. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 10 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse 11 17:37 Greek body is, there the vultures 12 17:37 Or eagles will gather.”
Growing up in a big family, we spent countless hours playing games. One of our favorites was Hide and Seek. As a tomboy, I never thought there was a remote space too small for me to squeeze into. I can still remember the butterflies when I heard, "Ready or not, here I come!" Most of the time, my hiding places were well-planned, leaving me quite secure. But there were times when I wasn't ready and would hear that fateful call. Aware of my impending doom, I would have to settle for a place that left me exposed and vulnerable to getting caught.
In Luke 17, Jesus foretells His Second Coming as His "ready-or-not, here-I-come" moment. But like a Good Coach, He huddles up His team and opens His playbook, so that they are disciplined, trained, and prepared for a game-time victory. He warns them that there will be false teachers, rebellion, immorality, and materialism. Today, many people are consumed by their earthly pursuits and possessions at the expense of a relationship with the Lord and are not prepared for His Coming. But Jesus warns that whoever seeks to keep his life (wealth, position, power) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (or a willingness to surrender everything) will preserve it (verse 33). Christ's return will reveal those who are faithful.
In this chapter, Jesus teaches us ways to live for Him: not tempting another to sin (verse 1), forgiving others (verses 3-4), believing in Him (verse 6), obeying His commands (verse 10), being thankful (verses 15-16), being steadfast (verse 23), and being alert and prepared for His return (verses 31 and 33).
Are you ready to meet Him and give an account for how you have stewarded this earthly life? The first thing to do is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. If you already belong to Him, be on your guard (verse 3), girded by truth, and be His faithful ambassador. Be obedient to do today the things the Lord has called you to do so that you are found faithful at Jesus' "Ready-or-not, here-I-come" moment!
1. If Jesus came today, are you ready to meet Him and give an account for your soul? Why or why not?
2. Are you living expectantly with an eternal perspective, or are you more preoccupied with your earthly pursuits and possessions? How well are you stewarding this life that God has given to you?
3. What is the next step you need to do to prepare for His Coming? Maybe there is an area of sin struggle or disobedience to God you haven't dealt with? Or, maybe you are harboring a spirit of unforgiveness toward someone? Or, maybe because of your life circumstances, you simply aren't living each day with a joyful and thankful heart?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
LUKE 17-21 (MARCH 26-30)
Read Luke 17:11-19.
• How many lepers called to Jesus for healing?
• How many did He heal?
• How many came back to thank Him?
• Have you made a practice of thanking God for what He does in your life?
Activity: Get a piece of poster board and a pack of sticky notes. Fold the poster board in half; write "THANK YOU, GOD" on the front; and decorate the front and back of the card with crayons or markers. Give each person five sticky notes. Write on the sticky notes things that you want to thank God for. Then set the card in a place in your house where you can add to it all week the sticky notes identifying the things you want to thank God for being and for doing for you.