TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Luke 19:11-27
As we soon begin to focus on the Christmas season and the coming of Jesus Christ into the world over 2000 years ago, I want us to focus on the fact that our Lord Jesus will some day come again. He came the first time according to the promises of the Old Testament. He will come again to bring it all to completion.
The basis of this parable is the false expectations that the people had with Jesus. Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover and it seems that many believed that he was going to establish His kingdom immediately. They were still looking for a political Messiah. As the Passover commemorated the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, many felt that Jesus would be crowned King at Jerusalem and raise an army, deliver them from the Romans, and reestablish the kingly line of David. The apostles dreamed of sitting on the right and left hand of His Kingdom.
Jesus told this story to establish the fact that there would be a period of time before the kingdom would be restored. The king would go away, and then one day he would return and set up the kingdom.
Prior to his ascension back into heaven, the disciples asked him. “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They still did not fully understand his mission.
I. THE RECEIVING OF A KINGDOM (12)
Jesus tells the story of “a certain nobleman” who “went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” This story is based upon an historical event some years earlier. At the death of Herod the Great, his son Archelaus had to undertake a long journey “to receive kingly power.” He could not be king in Judea until his claims had been ratified by the government in Rome. Because of his unpopularity, a deputation of his subjects went to Rome to complain against his kingship.
Of course the “nobleman” in this story represents our Lord Jesus Christ. He was on the way to Jerusalem where he would be rejected, crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. Moreover, he would return to heaven for an undisclosed period of time and then he would return to set up his kingdom.
Many ask, “Is the kingdom present or is it future?” The answer is, both. It has been present since the first coming of Jesus until now. Many parables illustrate the growth of the kingdom. The kingdom began small and has been growing every since. Yet there is coming a day when the King will come again and bring this age to its triumphant conclusion.
II. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SERVANTS OF THE KING. (13)
The followers of Jesus have been given a great responsibility during the interim between His ascension and his return. He tells us what we are to be doing til he gets back. The KJV says, “Occupy till I come.” Other translations, “Do business until I come” (NKJV). “Put this money to work” he said, ‘until I come back.” (NIV). I would translate it, “Take care of my business until I come back.” What is the business of our coming King?
Until He gets back, we who believe in Jesus Christ are subjects of the kingdom and we are involved in the preparation for the return of the King. Our job is not to speculate on the timing of His return, but on the preparation. We are to prepare hearts for the coming of the King. Whether, Jesus returns before this year is over, or during the next year, or even 100 years, or a thousand years, we are to be involved in fulfilling our Lord’s purpose. In 19:1-9, Jesus had just transformed the life of a Publican whose name was Zacchaeus. Then in verse 10, Jesus stated the purpose of his coming into the world. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” “Seeking and saving the lost” was his mission and that ought to be our mission.
In order to do that, the king gave each servant one mina which equals about three months wages. He gave those who believed in him the gift of eternal life. Moreover, he gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us in the fulfilling his mission. He said, “I am going away, but you take care of my business until I come again.”
III. THE REJECTION OF THE KING (14)
It seems that some people are not happy about the fact that Jesus Christ is our king. “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’”
Many of the Jews refused to believe in Jesus Christ. Moreover, down through the ages, wherever the gospel has been proclaimed, there have been those who received Jesus but there have been those who said, “We will not have this man rule over us.” The day will come when “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Yet in the present, many in our nation refuse our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tragically, many reject Jesus as their king. They refuse to let Him rule over them. Listen to our Lord’s indictment on those who reject him. “And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19). John commented, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Jn. 3:36).
Jesus said to those religious leaders who refused him, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).
IV. THE RETURN OF THE KING.
When the King comes back to reign it will be a time of answerability. Believers will face the Lord at the “BEMA“ or the Judgment seat of Christ. Those who reject Christ will face him at the Great White Throne Judgment.:
A. Reward for the faithful (15-19). One servant took the one mina that Jesus had given him and turned it in to 10. Jesus said, I will make you ruler over ten cities. Another made five. Jesus said, I will make you ruler over five cities.
B. Rebuke for the unfruitful (20-26). One servant hid the mina. He didn’t lose it, but did nothing with it. His life was very unfruitful. If you would have a fruitful life, you must begin now.
C. Retribution for the foolish (27) “Bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.” Matthew Henry said, “Whoever will not be ruled by the grace of Christ will inevitably be ruined by the wrath of Christ.”
CONCLUSION: As I have said, I am not on the date setting committee for the return of Jesus Christ. I am on the preparation committee. However, I will say this, we are closer to the coming of the King than we have ever been before. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.” The question you must answer is this, “Are you ready for the return of the King?”
Now many of you are fascinated with the novels that relate to the rapture of the church, and the great tribulation, and the wrath of God. The one thing about those stories that bothers me is that they seem to say that people will have another opportunity to be saved after the church is gone. I am afraid that many are putting off coming to Christ because they believe they will have another chance to be saved.
Don’t misunderstand me. God is sovereign and can do anything He wants to do. It’s just that you and I are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. This is your moment. This is the day the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart. Don’t wait another second to repent of your sins and by faith receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior.
The King is Coming. Are you ready? Are you helping others to get ready?
