In the 1966 classic cartoon, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, Every who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch who lived just north of Who-ville did NOT! So the cuddly as a cactus Grinch (with termites in his smile and garlic in his soul) tried to wipe out Christmas for the cheerful Who-villains. That one interesting thing about this story is how the Grinch came not to give but to take. The townsfolk expected gifts but had their gifts taken away. (http://www.amazon.ca/Dr-Seuss-Grinch-Christmas-Blu-ray/dp/B002HQZX8Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1385747369&sr=1-3&keywords=grinch+who+stole+christmas)
In regards to the coming of the messiah, the people of Israel expected Him to give them all the blessings of the kingdom. He in fact came to give His life as a ransom for many. In the prophecies of the coming of Christ, His first coming is theologically linked to His second coming. To understand the first, we must live considering the second. One of the most underexamed and confused actions that Christ promises to take in His second coming is the removal of people.
When people don’t get what they expect they often become upset. We will sometimes soften the blow for folks by trying to adjust their expectations. How important do you think it would be for people to know that the forthcoming of Christ is not about rewarding people’s best efforts, but an eternal separation based on those who are either in or out of the kingdom of God.
The coming of Christ that we consider in Advent must regard the first coming with the theological link to the second. Christ calls us to be ready for His coming. Believers are called to be ready for the: 1) Desired Coming (Luke 17:22-24),the 2) Delayed Coming (Luke 17:25-33), and the 3) Divisive Coming (Luke 17:34–37).
Believers are called to be ready for the:
1) Desired Coming (Luke 17:22-24)
Luke 17:22-24 [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. (ESV)
As was usually the case, the crowd listening to Jesus consisted of both the hostile Pharisees and His disciples. Having addressed the Pharisees in the preceding section (verses 20–21), the Lord now instructed His true disciples, those who are in the kingdom, about His return. Jesus said that His disciples would desire to see one of the days coming. This desire/longing translates a form of the verb epithumeō, which signifies a strong, driving, consuming passion, whether for evil (e.g., Matt. 5:28) or as in this case, for the greatest good (cf. Matt. 13:17). This same desire is expressed in “your kingdom come” (11:2) and in “Maranatha.”254 No major event of salvation history is seen as intervening between the disciples’ time and the Son of Man’s coming (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 438). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Let’s be honest with ourselves right now. Advent is the busiest time of year. What are you most longing for? To complete your shopping, get to all the expected events, or just get through what is for many the most painful time of year. Christ calls us at this time to put our hope and affections on Him. Only He will make things right, and when our desire is for Him and His glory, then the greatest outcomes will prevail.
The singular “day” (vv. 24, 30) refers to the epoch of Christ’s return, while the plural days, as it does in v. 26, refers to the sequence of events within that epoch (cf. Amos 8:11, 13). The time will come when believers will passionately yearn for the Lord to return, like the tribulation martyrs who cried out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10). Like the apostle John they will say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). What will prompt those exclamations will not merely be their desire for relief, but that Christ would be glorified. Like David, who said, “Zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me” (Ps. 69:9), believers will not be able to bear seeing Christ dishonored.
They would desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man. His description here of Himself as the Son of Man is a messianic term connected with the coming of Messiah to establish His kingdom (Dan. 7:13-14).
The title Son of Man, which emphasizes His humanity, was the Lord’s favorite designation of Himself, appearing eighty-four times in the Gospels.
Please turn to James 5 (p.1013)
Despite their desperate longing for the Son of Man’s return, it will be delayed and they will not see it. The phrase “you will not see it” means that they would not see his arrival in their lifetimes. There would be an intervening time between Jesus’ first and second comings (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke (p. 404). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
It will come in God’s perfect timing and until then believers must:
James 5:7-8 [7]Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. [8]You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (ESV)
The first coming of the Son of God was quiet and private. He was born in obscurity when His parents visited the small village of Bethlehem in Judea and lived His first thirty years in an obscure town in Galilee. Apart from His parents and the shepherds, none were aware of His birth. His return, on the other hand, the whole world will see.
Ever eager to corrupt the truth, verse 23 says that satanic false teachers will try to deceive believers by enticing them to look there or look here for Christ. They will claim that He has returned in secret and revealed Himself only to insiders. But such people will be false christs; charlatans and deceivers of whom the Lord warned, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them” (Luke 21:8). In the early days of Christianity such false reports were exceedingly frequent; false Messiahs, too, from time to time sprang up; unhealthy visions of an immediate return disturbed the peace and broke into the quiet, steady work of the Church. This verse is also a warning to all so-called expositors and followers of expositors of prophecy who cry, “See here! or, See there!” every time that war breaks out or revolutions occur (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St Luke (Vol. 2, p. 90). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
The imperative: `Do not go out or follow them`` is in the AORIST SUBJUNCTIVE with the NEGATIVE PARTICLE which means “do not even start.” Believers are not to get caught up in end-time frenzy or fanatical speculation or supposed physical manifestations (Utley, R. J. (2004). The Gospel according to Luke (Vol. Volume 3A, Lk 17:23). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.).
Please turn to Matthew 24 (p.830)
His return will be obvious to all, just as it says in verse 24 lightning flashes and lights/shines up the sky from one side to the other. Jesus compares the coming of the Son of Man with the flashing of lightning, which lights up the sky (17:24), echoing OT passages in which the image of lightning is tied to theophanies, suggesting that the return of the Son of Man involves God acting on behalf of his people (cf. Exod. 19:16–20; 20:18–20; Ps. 97:2–4; Ezek. 1:4, 13; see Bock 1994–1996: 1429). (Beale, G. K., & Carson, D. A. (2007). Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament (pp. 346–347). Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, UK: Baker Academic; Apollos.)
Like a flash of lightning, His appearance will be sudden, unmistakable, and visible. There also will be dramatic changes in the heavenly bodies:
Matthew 24:29-30 [29]"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [30]Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (ESV)
In the second coming of Jesus, He will appear in blazing glory, like a conquering general, mounted on a white horse and accompanied by the armies of heaven (Rev. 19:11–14). As a result, “every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). This is a spectacle that no one will miss.
Illustration: (3129 Remembering His Experience)
Over the desk of Dr. E. C. Norton, for many years professor of Greek at Pomona College, California, there hung a curious decoration. Framed under glass were the burned fragments of a cuff, carefully pasted together upon a piece of cardboard. During his senior year at college Norton was hitching a team to a tree when lightning struck the tree and killed both horses, felling him to the ground and burning his arm and hand so that for a time they were paralyzed. Commenting on the narrow escape, he said, “I guess the Lord must have had something for me to do.” The framed fragments of the cuff on the wall of his office were a constant reminder that God had something for him to do. (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
Believers are called to be ready for the:
2) Delayed Coming (Luke 17:25-33)
Luke 17:25-33 [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. (ESV)
Before the Lord Jesus Christ could return in glory He had to first suffer many things, both from the nation, and from God. The word “must” is important; it indicates the sovereign purpose of God (Acts 4:27, 28) (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Lk 17:25). Nashville: T. Nelson.).
Without His sacrificial, substitutionary death to redeem His people, there could be no internal or external kingdom. The Lord constantly taught that He would suffer both by suffering death under God’s wrath as a substitute for sinners while also being rejected by this unbelieving, perverted (Luke 9:41), wicked (Luke 11:29), murderous (Luke 11:50–51) generation (Luke 9:22, 44; 12:50; 13:33; 18:31–33; 24:26–27; cf. Acts 17:2–3).
It doesn’t take much examination to determine what this generation values. People wish each other seasons greeting or happy holidays. The physical birth of Christ enabled the physical death of Christ which is commemorated in the celebration of Christ. Without Christ, there is no merry, there is no happy and there certainly is no hope.
Jesus offered two historical parallels starting in verse 26, to what life will be like in the days of the Son of Man. Once again, the days refers to the sequence of events involved in Christ’s return to judge the wicked and set up His kingdom. During the time of tribulation (Matt. 24:21, 29; Rev. 7:14) immediately preceding His return, life will be much like it was immediately before two significant Old Testament judgments.
The days of Noah were marked first of all by indifference. People were as verse 27 says: eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage. What is wrong with these activities? The answer is, “Nothing at all.” In fact, by means of them men are able to glorify God (I Cor. 10:31). But when the soul becomes entirely wrapped up in them, so that matters such as these become ends in themselves, and spiritual tasks are neglected, they are no longer a blessing but have become a curse. They have become evidences of gross materialism, false security, and often cold selfishness (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 9: New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. New Testament Commentary (870). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
There is nothing wrong with getting together with others and celebrations this time of year. But when such celebrations overshadow what this season ultimately points to, the return of Christ; and become the ends in themselves, then we sin.
Likewise, the days of Lot in verse 28 were buying and selling, planting and building right up to the moment as verse 29 says that judgment fell; described in verse 27 until the day that Noah entered the ark and in verse 29 the day that Lot went out from Sodom.
The days of Noah and Lot were also two of the most wretched, vile, evil periods in human history. Wickedness was rampant. In Noah’s day “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and … every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). It was a time of widespread demonic activity, as demon-possessed men ravaged women (v. 2). The main point is the unpreparedness of Noah’s contemporaries. Whereas Noah and his family were ready, everyone else carried on oblivious to the threat of judgment, and so, while Noah was saved, they were swept away. The implication is that it is possible to prepare for the parousia, not by calculating its date, but by a life of constant readiness and response to God’s warnings and introductions. There will apparently be only two categories, the prepared (and therefore saved) and the unprepared (and therefore lost) (France, R. T. (1985). Vol. 1: Matthew: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (351). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
Sodom in Lot’s day was also marked by sexual perversion, so much so that the city’s name came to refer to homosexual sin. So vile were its inhabitants that they attempted to rape the two angels sent to rescue Lot and his family from Sodom’s imminent judgment (Gen. 19:4–11).
As will be the case as verse 30 specifies, on the day that the Son of Man is revealed, devastating judgment came suddenly and inescapably in the days of Noah and Lot. People will be condemned not because they are sinners above all sinners, but because they have been self-centred. People like this are so taken up with their own concerns, in the ordinary business of life, that they have no time and no attention to spare for the warnings that come to them from God (Morris, L. (1988). Luke: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 3, p. 278). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
Advent is a time that we prepare for the revelation of the Son of Man. His birth, life, death, ascension all point to His return. In being ready for His return, we most appreciate what He has done, what He continues to do and what He assures us of what He will do in the future.
The Lord’s return will disclose people’s hearts and reveal what they love. Jesus’ words in these verses stand as a warning against preferring the things of this world to Him. When the judgments that will culminate with the return of Christ (triggered by Antichrist’s desecration of the temple [Matt. 24:15–18]) begin, verse 31 warns that the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house not come down to take them away/out; and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.
With such an intense focus on Christ through Advent, the tragedy and warning is to those who will come to the end of this season and turn back in the new year, to worldly aims and desires.
Please turn to 1 John 2 (p.1021)
With judgment about to fall, there will be no need to save anything; nothing of the past needs to be taken into the glory of the kingdom. People who do turn back for their possessions demonstrate that their hearts are fixed on the things of this world:
1 John 2:15-17 [15]Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16]For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. [17]And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (ESV)
They will be guilty of failing to heed Jesus’ warning in verse 32 to remember Lot’s wife. After the angels led Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of Sodom, one urgently warned them, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away” (Gen. 19:17). Ignoring that warning, Lot’s “wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (v. 26). Unable to fully let go of the world, she was destroyed on the brink of safety. Like the weeds in the weedy soil, love of the world’s riches choked out her faith. “To remember” signifies more than a cognitive act in the biblical tradition, but is typically the precursory mental act leading to related activity. The admonition, “Remember Lot’s wife” (cf. Gen 19:26), then, both interprets her action as the manifestation of an unwillingness to relinquish everything at the time of judgment and serves to warn Jesus’ followers against similarly misplaced values (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 635). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
She is a tragic illustration of those who come to the edge of salvation but turn back, and of the principle in verse 33, that whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep/preserve it (cf. 9:23–25; Matt. 10:39; John 12:25).
In this season, with the addition of lighting and heaters, there is a greater risk of fire. One of the greatest tragedies is when someone goes into a burning building trying to retrieve possessions and succumbs to the flames and smoke. There is nothing in this world worthy of our lives. Advent is a season that calls us back to reconsider what is most important: not common Christmas gifts and parties but the Gift of Christ and the celebration of new birth through faith in Him.
Hymn: Life is short. Therefore opportunities to make our lives “shine for Jesus” should be grasped. In this connection there is a Dutch hymn which stresses this very thought. I refer to “Grijp toch de kansen door God u gegeven.” My free translation of the first stanza—in which for the Dutch word kansen, meaning opportunities, I have selected the English equivalent doors (cf. Rev. 3:8)—is as follows:
Enter the doors which to you God is giving;
Few are your days and the time rushes on.
What, would you say, will be left of your living?
Only whate’er out of love you have done.
Nothing abideth, nothing abideth.
Life and its beauty, ’twill wither away,
But what was done out of love for the Savior—
That lasts forever; its mem’ry will stay.
(Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (Vol. 11, p. 810). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
Believers are finally called to be ready for the:
3) Divisive Coming (Luke 17:34–37).
Luke 17:34-37 [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." [37]And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." (ESV)
Jesus Christ inevitably brings division, sometimes even within families. In Matthew 10:35–37 Jesus declared, For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (cf. Luke 14:26).
This time of year will result in an astronomical increase in the demands of our time. There will be so many work, social and family demands. With such demands our priorities become evident. Are we looking to advance the cause of Christ, celebrate Him and His coming or succumb first to family or social pressure?
In this passage Jesus described the ultimate and permanent division that will take place when He returns. In/On that night there will be two in one bed discussing off work/sleeping activity, and on the part of the globe where it is day verse 35 reports that there will be two women (possibly a mother and daughter, two sisters, or two friends) grinding together/at the same place, discussing work activity, as grinding at a mill. Both pairs are engaging in the same activity. It is not a difference in work or situation which causes the separation, but a difference in readiness. (Cf. 13:30 for the idea of a coexistence of the ‘saved’ and the ‘lost’ until the final judgment.) (France, R. T. (1985). Vol. 1: Matthew: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (351). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press )
We should not think of holy and unholy work. We are not called to quit our jobs to some sacred vocation.
The co-existence is actually one of the best avenues for evangelism. Excellent work side by side with the lost, gives a great opportunity for evangelism of the coming realities. We often don't spend enough time befriending the lost in order to call them to the truth.
(Verse 36, which records a third example, is not found in the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts of Luke. Most likely the verse was inserted to harmonize this passage with Matt. 24:40.( Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 249). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
In each case, whether sleeping or awake, one will be taken and the other left. And that separation will occur over the whole world. The verb taken in Luke 17:34–36 does not mean “taken to heaven” but “taken away in judgment” (Matt. 24:36–41). The person “left” is a believer who enters into the kingdom. Noah and his family were “left” to enjoy a new beginning, while the whole population of the earth was “taken” in the Flood. In spite of their sins, Lot and his daughters were “left” while the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were “taken” when the fire and brimstone destroyed the cities (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 246). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The Lord illustrated this same principle in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24–30) and the analogy of the sheep and goat judgment (Matt. 25:31–46). Physical nearness will neither save nor damn anyone. Also, once the final day arrives, every opportunity to be saved is gone forever. The door is shut for those who have not taken advantage of the opportunity to be saved (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (Vol. 11, p. 809). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
Please turn to Matthew 25 (p.831)
About half of Matthew 24 deals with signs ... of Christ’s return (vv. 4–26, 32–35). A very small section describes the return of Christ itself (vv. 27–31). But a third of chapter 24 (vv. 36–51) and all of chapter 25 (vv. 1–46), a total of sixty-two verses, warn us to get ready since we do not know when that day of final reckoning will be. Or to put it yet another way, Jesus stresses this single essential point with seven historical references, verbal pictures or parables—four in (Matthew 24) and three in the next. The application is clear: Are you watching? Are you ready for Jesus Christ’s return? (Boice, J. M. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (516). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.)
Matthew 25:32-46 [32]Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33]And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. [34]Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35]For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, [36]I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' [37]Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? [38]And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? [39]And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' [40]And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' [41]"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [42]For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [43]I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' [44]Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' [45]Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' [46]And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (ESV)
Unable to grasp the scope of the judgment Jesus described, the disciples said to Him, in verse 37 “Where, Lord?” Failing to comprehend that the Lord’s coming would trigger a worldwide judgment, they wanted to know the specific location of this event. The Lord’s enigmatic reply, “Where the corpse/body is, there the vultures will gather,” was possibly a Jewish proverb based on Job 39:26–30. Just as dead bodies attract vultures, so the spiritually dead invite judgment (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Lk 17:37). Nashville: T. Nelson.)
You do not have to know where just as you do not have to know when, Jesus told them. It will be in plain sight and will be as natural and inevitable as (a bird) sensing the presence of a dead animal and gathering overhead to eat. Just as you see the (circling birds) from afar and know what they are up to, so you will see the coming of the Son of Man and know what is happening. It is going to happen (Butler, T. C. (2000). Luke (Vol. 3, p. 283). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Amongst all the common Christmas celebrations, do you ever find yourself uneasy? When people seem so self-consumed, perhaps even through being over-consumed, is there sometimes an emptiness? What difference would it make in our perspective if look at those in the gather to consider there eternal state. Leisure times allow the opportunity for one-on-one discussion. When the discussion is about how things are it provides a great opportunity for personal discussion. Asking how some is, should naturally lead to a discussion about how they will be. Are we looking for His return, and do we really want to see Him come?(Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 247). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Being Ready for His coming mean not only looking at our preparedness but for those around us. Let us not be so consumed with either leisure or busyness, that the whole reason for our delight is forgotten or we fail to watch for His coming. Even so come, Lord Jesus.
(Format Note: Some base commentary from: MacArthur, John F (2013-03-26). Luke 11-17 MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Macarthur New Testament Commentary Serie) (Kindle Locations 6989-6991). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition).
