Luke 17:20-25 Light Up the Sky!
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 15, 2018 Luke 17:20-25
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” 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. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 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. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
(Understanding the Text) The Pharisees were asking when Jesus would be setting up His earthly kingdom. They thought that they were pinning Him down because if Jesus did not act like His kingdom would be in place soon, He would lose followers, and if He acted like it was soon, the Pharisees might be able to get Him into trouble with the Romans. In contrast to the political maneuverings of the Pharisees, Jesus was concerned with trying to adjust people’s ideas of the kingdom of heaven. His kingdom was not an earthly kingdom in the same sense as the Roman empire, and it would not be established through military might or any kind of overt warlike actions. Jesus answered that the kingdom of God was not a destination you could travel to or even point to. Instead, it was already a part of the people. The kingdom of Heaven grows inside of us and travels from person to person transforming them into citizens of heaven instead of dead men walking.
(Revelation of God) In fact, the kingdom of heaven is not a place, but a person. Where God is, there is the kingdom of heaven, so when Jesus was on earth, the kingdom of heaven was here on earth. When Jesus left, the Holy Spirit came, and the kingdom of heaven was still on earth. The kingdom that Jesus came to conquer was not a political earthly kingdom, but instead, He was taking the dominion of earth away from Satan. Before Jesus’ incarnation, the kingdom of heaven could not have been said to be here on earth, except in a limited way through Israel and the temple; however, once Jesus became man, the kingdom of heaven was no longer limited to one earthly kingdom. It was now a seed growing in individuals of all kingdoms spreading throughout earth. Right now, the wheat and the tares grow beside each other on this planet, but the day will come when the harvest of those who are part of the kingdom of heaven arrives, and the separation will take place. During the thousand years after that, the kingdom of heaven will not technically be on earth, but then we will return and the kingdom of heaven will remain here forever.
Jesus tried to warn them that the time was coming when He would no longer be with them in physical form on earth. Then, He advised not to look for Jesus and His kingdom in a a physical location on earth. He told them that He would not be here on earth. Instead, they were to remember that the spiritual kingdom was among them, but that physically Jesus would remain absent. Then, He told them that when they saw Him again it would be glorious and not obscure or hidden. Instead, His coming would light up the whole sky. However, He warned them that His triumphant entrance was far away and that before the time of triumph would be the time of rejection and suffering. In a way, He also warned them that it would not be in their lifetime since He spoke of the rejection of “this generation.” It would be a different generation that saw His return.
(Understanding the Text) The Jews had always equated the day of the Lord where the Messiah came in triumph and judgement with the days of the Messiah’s fights against their enemies. They ignored the suffering Messiah completely. Jesus was explaining a separation of the prophecies here.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I am living in the time when I desire to see the days of the Son of man, and I know that there will be the temptation to follow shortcuts to the kingdom of heaven. Instead, I need to be patient and follow Jesus’ commands. He will return. Maybe, it will not be in my lifetime although it seems more and more likely that it will be, but He will return in glory, and I will see it. However, in the meantime, I just need to let the kingdom of heaven grow inside me and wait on the Lord’s time. “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:12-13). The followers of Jesus must endure until He comes keeping His commandments faithfully and trusting in Him and His promises. That is my job. Strengthen me and be with me so that I can go home with You.