Luk 17:20-37 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Luke 17:20-37: 17:20-37 This is the first of two discourses in Luke’s Gospel on the coming of the Kingdom and the return of the Son of Man (see also ch 21 ). Summary for Luke 17:20-21: 17:20-21 When will the Kingdom of God come? The common understanding among Jews was that the Messiah would establish God’s Kingdom in Jerusalem; he would defeat Israel’s enemies and bring in a period of peace, prosperity, justice, and righteousness (see 3:15 ; cp. Acts 1:6 ). The Pharisees were apparently challenging Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah because he was not defeating the Romans or establishing his Kingdom physically on earth. Jesus did not reject this future manifestation of the Kingdom (see Luke 21:27 ; Matt 24:30-31 ) but pointed out that the Kingdom of God was being revealed to them through his ministry, though they were missing it. • The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs: Jewish apocalyptic literature of Jesus’ day looked for visible signs in the heavens to signal the coming of the Messiah’s kingdom. Jesus elsewhere affirmed that such signs would appear (see Luke 17:24 ; 21:25 ; Acts 2:19-20 ), but the Pharisees were missing the manifestation of the Kingdom in Jesus’ immediate ministry (cp. Luke 7:22 ). • the Kingdom of God is already among you (or is within you, or is in your grasp ): The Kingdom of God was already being revealed through Jesus’ words and actions. It is unlikely that Jesus would say, “The Kingdom of God is within you,” to those who were rejecting his message.

Summary for Luke 17:20-37: 17:20-37 ^a This is the first of two discourses in Luke’s Gospel on the coming of the Kingdom and the return of the Son of Man (see also ch 21 ^b).
Summary for Luke 17:20-21: 17:20-21 ^c When will the Kingdom of God come? The common understanding among Jews was that the Messiah would establish God’s Kingdom in Jerusalem; he would defeat Israel’s enemies and bring in a period of peace, prosperity, justice, and righteousness (see 3:15 ^d; cp. Acts 1:6 ^e). The Pharisees were apparently challenging Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah because he was not defeating the Romans or establishing his Kingdom physically on earth. Jesus did not reject this future manifestation of the Kingdom (see Luke 21:27 ^f; Matt 24:30-31 ^g) but pointed out that the Kingdom of God was being revealed to them through his ministry, though they were missing it.

• The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs: Jewish apocalyptic literature of Jesus’ day looked for visible signs in the heavens to signal the coming of the Messiah’s kingdom. Jesus elsewhere affirmed that such signs would appear (see Luke 17:24 ^h; 21:25 ⁱ; Acts 2:19-20 ^j), but the Pharisees were missing the manifestation of the Kingdom in Jesus’ immediate ministry (cp. Luke 7:22 ^k).

• the Kingdom of God is already among you (or is within you, or is in your grasp): The Kingdom of God was already being revealed through Jesus’ words and actions. It is unlikely that Jesus would say, “The Kingdom of God is within you,” to those who were rejecting his message.
17:22 ^l you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns (or you will long for even one day with the Son of Man): The Greek says simply, you will long to see the days of the Son of Man, which may refer to his time on earth with his disciples or to the time of his second coming.
Summary for Luke 17:23-24: 17:23-24 ^m People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man’: False Messiahs have arisen throughout history, but expectations for the Messiah were particularly high in the first century, as a variety of figures claimed to be God’s agents of deliverance (see Acts 5:36-37 ⁿ; 21:38 ^o). Jesus warned his disciples not to follow these imposters.

• For as the lightning flashes: Lightning lights up the whole sky and is visible to everyone in the area. Similarly, when Jesus suddenly returns, it will be evident to everyone.
17:25 ^p suffer terribly: Jesus would soon suffer crucifixion (see study note on 9:22).
Summary for Luke 17:26-29: 17:26-29 ^q in Noah’s day ... in the days of Lot: See Gen 6–9 ^r for Noah and Gen 18:16–19:29 ^s for Lot; both are stories of God’s cataclysmic judgment against human wickedness.
Summary for Luke 17:32-33: 17:32-33 ^t Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt when she looked longingly back at Sodom (Gen 19:26 ^u). She exemplifies those who cling to ... life.
Summary for Luke 17:34-35: 17:34-35 ^v one will be taken, the other left: Some consider this separation to refer to the Rapture of the church, but the parallels drawn to God’s judgment in the Flood and against Sodom (17:26-29 ^w), as well as the reference to vultures and a dead body (17:37 ^x), suggest that it occurs at the final judgment (see Mal 3:18 ^y; Matt 25:32 ^z).
17:37 ^aa so these signs indicate that the end is near: This clause, which does not appear explicitly in the Greek, explains the significance of the cryptic saying about the vulture.