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Luke 
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Day 217

Luke 17 : 31-37 "DID THE DISCIPLES BELIEVE ALL THAT JESUS TAUGHT CONCERNING HIS RETURN?"

Day 217 – Luke 17

Text: Luke 17 : 31-37

DID THE DISCIPLES BELIEVE ALL THAT JESUS TAUGHT CONCERNING HIS RETURN?

Jesus took time to explain the doctrine of The Day of the Son of Man, a reference to His Return. Let’s take a quick review of what Jesus taught, before we ask ourselves whether His Disciples believe all that He taught…

1. Jesus spoke about the fact that He would Return for His own one day. Luke 17:24

2. However, He must first undergo much suffering. Luke 17:25

3. His Return would not be much believed, and may thus be compared to the days of Noah. Life would carry on as usual, as if Jesus would never come back . Luke 17:26

4. His Return would be associated with His Judgment, and many would be caught unprepared as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Luke 17:29-30

Did the Disciples believe all that Jesus taught? The indications are “Yes”! They did not express any doubt at all. However, what they did ask was quite strange. They asked “Where, Lord?” (Luke 17:37).

This indicates that they did believe that their Master would return… and soon. They expected that Jesus might return in their life time and thus they asked WHERE Jesus would return. The idea is that they wanted to be there to receive Him when He returned.

DID THE DISCIPLES FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THAT JESUS TAUGHT CONCERNING HIS RETURN?

It is one thing to believe. The Disciples had developed a very strong relationship of faith and love with the Lord Jesus, and thus they did not have any difficulty believing in what He said. However, it is another thing to ask whether they fully understood what Jesus had taught them.

We would never be able to fully fathom just how much the Disciples actually understood their Teacher at this point of time. Their question, “Where, Lord?” indicates that they probably did not have a full understanding of the Doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ.

This is understandable for the following reasons…

1. Jesus had not fully explained the Doctrine of the Second Coming to His Disciples at this point of time. Thus the Disciples cannot be expected to understand this doctrine fully.

2. The Disciples were still struggling with the Doctrine of the Suffering of the Lord Jesus. If they could not fully understand that He had come to suffer for the sins of the world at His first coming, they could not be expected to understand Him teaching about His Second Coming.

3. There may have been a general understanding of the Concept of the Second Coming, but the details of the Second Coming were not easy to grasp. The Disciples were still at the stage of being trained and therefore they should not be judged harshly if they did not show complete understanding at this stage.

Do we fully understand the Doctrine of the Return of the Son of Man?

“WHEREVER THE BODY IS, THERE THE EAGLES WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER” Luke 17:38

The answer of the Lord Jesus to the question of His Disciples must have appeared quite cryptic. The Disciples did not ask “When, Lord?” Instead, they asked “Where, Lord?”

Let us try and understand the imagery used by the Lord Jesus.

1. The “eagle” was used as a general term. In this category the word could also refer to “vultures”.

2. The “body” would refer to a carcass or simply carrion.

3. It was common to see vultures circle overhead a dying body. Vultures feed on carrion. That was a common phenomenon well understood by people who had any understanding of the wilderness regions.

What did Jesus mean? The Doctrine of the Return of the Lord Jesus may not have been easily understood by all at the moment, but at the end of the day, the truth and the reality of this doctrine would be obvious.

However, when it becomes obvious, would it be too late? The dying victim observes that the vultures are circling overhead. He can do nothing to prevent them from swooping down when he dies.

Must the acceptance of the truth always come at the very last moment? Would the last moment be too late?

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

What Jesus was trying to convey to His Disciples went beyond what they asked! The Disciples had believed in what Jesus said, and they wanted more specific details as to His return.

Jesus’ answer went beyond just where He would return. The imagery He used was a solemn one and we must not miss the powerful truth that He wanted to drive home! An appropriate response was needed to this important truth. He was going to return one day, and this time round, He would come as Judge, dispensing justice!

What would be appropriate response to this very important truth?

1. Surely, there must be the recognition of the presence of sin in our life. We may not be as sinful as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, but we are sinful enough and we will be judged!

2. Surely, the thought of facing a Righteous Judge must cause us to repent from our sins. He has not come as Judge yet. He presents Himself as Redeemer now. Appropriate response must be to open up our hearts to receive Him as Saviour and Lord.

3. How do we evidence the fact that we have received Jesus as Saviour? The heart must surely desire to walk in His ways as His beloved Disciples!

4. The heart of the true Disciple would always be looking forward to the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

5. A truly appropriate response would involve the element of TIME. The most appropriate response to the truth of what Jesus taught must express itself in responding to Jesus NOW! Is Jesus Saviour? Is your heart looking for the Return of Jesus?