Luke 17:21, 24 (ESV)
[21] nor will they say, ‘Look,
here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of
you.”
[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.
There are two aspects of the kingdom
that Jesus clarifies in these verses. The first is that the kingdom is not
external but internal. “In the midst of you” can also be translated as “within
you.” Verse twenty clarifies that “the kingdom of God is not coming in ways
that can be observed.” Where Jesus is, there is the kingdom. Jesus dwells in
every believer (Eph 3:17). That is the now aspect of the kingdom.
The second is that there is a not
yet aspect to the kingdom. When the king comes there will be no doubt. “As the
lightning flashes and lights up the sky . . . so will the Son of Man be in his
day.” Jesus is coming back and there will be no doubt when he returns. There
have been some who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus, or the next
generation Messiah. But Jesus warned his disciples about such claims. Luke
17:23 warns, “And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not
go out or follow them.”
Jesus is here, in every believer.
There is a now aspect to the kingdom. Where you find believers, you find the
kingdom. But there is also a not yet aspect to the kingdom. The king will return,
and we won’t need to figure it out. It will be absolutely clear. As we live out
kingdom life here and now, we live in anticipation of the complete fulfillment
at his return. In light of that truth, Jesus warns not to look back, but to
look forward with anticipation. He is our hope, and when we lose sight of that life
ceases to make sense. As believers, we are called to live out kingdom life
anticipating the coming kingdom. It is here, but it is not yet.
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