2016-07-24 Luke 17:20-21 Kingdom Coming (1): The Big Picture

KINGDOM COMING (1): THE BIG PICTURE (Luke 17:20-21) Date: July 24, 2016 Intro – Before getting bogged down in the Vietnam War, LBJ’s dream was to create the “Great Society”. He devoted massive amounts of money to cure social ills. Bob Hope informed LBJ of the consequences. He said, “When we get the Great Society there’ll be no more pain, no tension, no headaches, no stomach acid and no tired blood. It may be good for the country, but it’s gonna take all the fun out of commercials!” Commercials aside, we’d love to see that world. And it’s coming. Not from any president, but from God. Jesus message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Great message. But Jesus didn’t meet 1st century Jews expectations for Messiah. And after 2-1/2 years of preaching, no one was seeing any kingdom. So, Luke introduces this section with a cryptic statement: “20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them.” Given the antagonism of the Pharisees, this question reeked with sarcasm: “Hey, Jesus. You’ve been talking kingdom for almost 3 years. So where is it? Put up or shut up!” It was another challenge from a hostile peanut gallery. But Jesus used the opportunity to provide some clarification for both the Pharisees (v. 20) as well as His own disciples (v. 22). There was confusion all around. Now, to aid our own understanding, I want to start with the big picture. Kingdom implies rulership. And there are two senses in which God rules. The second is the one we normally think of when we hear “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven”. But the first sets the stage for the second. I. Universal Kingdom of God A. Its Breadth – The universal kingdom speaks of the fact that God was, is and always will be in complete charge of everything. Despite appearances, He’s never lost control, never been perplexed, never been anxious or undecided. This is the rock-solid foundation of Reality! God rules! That’s why the most basic instruction in the Bible is, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7). It doesn’t get any more basic than that. Verses abound: Psa 24: 1) “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” All His. Psa 47: 2) “For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” Isa 40: 22) “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; 1 who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23) who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.” Complete control. Isa 46 9) “ for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10) declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” I Chron 29 11): David prays, “Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12) Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all.” Psa 10: 16) The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.” Psa 103 19) “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” Got the picture? God’s rulership is absolute; steadfast and sure. This is the bedrock of the Christian faith. God was, is and always will be in complete control. But it sure doesn’t look that way much of the time, right? Why? B. Its Breach – Because there’s been a breach in God’s rulership. True love requires the ability to choose or not choose, right? So God’s highest created beings – angels and men – were created with that ability. That meant that from the beginning there was the possibility of rebellion. And eventually it came – first in the angelic realm with the defection of Satan – and later in the realm of men with the fall of Adam and Eve. That raises a couple of questions. Could not God have dealt with the rebellion by immediately destroying the rebels? Of course. That is well within the abilities of an omnipotent God. Yet He did not do that which raises a second question. Was God taken by surprise when this happened? Absolutely not. He knew. We know this because He already had a rescue plan in mind “before the foundation of the world” according to I Pet 1:19-21. God knew full well the brokenness that would result from the breach of His rulership and He created the universe anyway. He allows the forces of rebellion to play themselves out against His far greater wisdom and sovereignty, to achieve the glory that will come to Him by those who will use their gift of choice to choose for Him in the midst of the brokenness. To love and obey God in the midst of broken surroundings is one of the most glorious acts of worship in the universe. But with the breach, intimacy with God, like Adam and Eve had pre-fall, is no longer possible. If broken people are to have a relationship with a holy God, mediation is required. We have lost forever the possibility of coming to the Father without help. He is holy; we are sinful, broken. And so, beneath the overarching umbrella of the Universal kingdom of God which we cannot enter in our broken state, there must be another kingdom – a mediatorial kingdom where entrance is bought and paid for by a worthy sacrifice who can bring 2 us back into fellowship with a God that we have deserted. That’s the kingdom that is most often referenced in the Bible – the kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven. That’s the kingdom the Pharisees were asking about. II. Mediated Kingdom of God A. Prophesied – The mediated kingdom of God is prophesied in many, many ways throughout the OT starting in Gen 3 at the time of the Fall. All the elements are there. Direct access to God is cut off, exemplified by Adam and Eve being cast from Eden. However, God immediately promises a redeemer – a seed of the woman who will eventually win victory over Satan – a mediator to restore access. Payment for sin as the cost of access is symbolized by God removing man’s attempt to cover himself with fig leaves and replacing them with the skins of a bloody animal sacrifice. The principle of access to God mediated by a sacrificial payment for sin is established. This theme continues with the patriarchs who always approach God on the basis of sacrifice. The system is formalized with the release from Egyptian captivity, the giving of the Law, and the establishment of the sacrificial system of the tabernacle/temple – all depicting access mediated by a blood sacrifice. Moses is a model mediator representing God to people and people to God. Other prophets serve the same function. But it is always clear that the ineffective animal sacrifices are pointing forward to some ultimate sacrifice and all personal mediators prefigure some ultimate mediator – an anointed One – a Messiah who will bring God to the people and the people to God. The idea of kingship is added beginning in Gen 49:10 where Jacob in blessing his children near the time of his death predicts, “10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” So a king is coming thru the line of Judah. This promise reaches its apex in David who extends the kingdom and receives his own covenant in II Sam 7 (& Psa 89) promising a greater Son who will rule on his throne forever. Even when the people go into captivity in Babylon because of persistent idolatry, Daniel 9 prophesies a Son of Man who will have everlasting dominion. Thus a kingdom ruled by a Mediator-King is depicted in a thousand ways in both word and deed throughout the OT. The hopes of 1st century Jews after 600 years of foreign domination rested on this Messiah who would throw out the hated Romans and establish His kingdom. But their expectations were ill-founded. B. Partitioned – Jesus’ response addresses that problem. The crowd has caught on that this journey to Jerusalem is no ordinary pilgrimage. 3 The expectations of the apostles are riding high that Jesus is going to set up a political kingdom then and there. Others share that hope. After all, He has been preaching, “The kingdom of God is at hand.” Surely this will be the time. The Pharisees don’t believe in Jesus at all, but they know He’s been preaching kingdom – and they know the expectations, so their question is intended to get Jesus on record, “Yes, it’s happening now. We’re on our way.” What they get is something completely unexpected. Mid v. 20: “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’” This comment would have been surprising to the Pharisees and unnerving to the disciples. Both groups expected clear signs to precede the kingdom. But that’s because they focused only on what they wanted and built false expectations. They grossly oversimplified. What they should have understood is that the kingdom of God is multidimensional. It has a physical component very like their expectations. Multiple prophecies attest to that. But it also has a spiritual component that they were overlooking entirely. For example, Jeremiah had spoken of a new covenant in 31: 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. . . . mid 34 For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” That forgiveness required the ultimate sacrifice and so in addition to the coming mighty King Isaiah 53 spoke of a suffering Messiah: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5) But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” This spiritual dimension of the kingdom escaped their notice, tho Jesus had been telling them all along. His message had not simply been, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” but “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That implied a spiritual commitment prior to a political rulership. So Jesus reminds them here, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’” The kingdom starts with cleansed hearts resulting from a genuine repentance. You can’t be part of the political kingdom if you’re not part of the spiritual kingdom. The kingdom starts in the heart. It isn’t coming in ways that can be observed. Why? Because it builds from the inside out! And the forgiveness required must be paid for. That’s what this trip to Jerusalem is all about. 4 Does that mean no political kingdom? No. Immediately after telling the whole crowd, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed” Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “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. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? The kingdom can’t be seen – the kingdom will be like flashing lightning that no one can miss! Sounds contradictory. But not when you know the kingdom is multi-dimensional, both spiritual and physical. And the spiritual dimension has already started! That’s why Jesus says to Pilate in Jn 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” It is other-worldly. It is heavenly. It’s spiritual. It starts in the heart. The rest will come – just later! All the kingdom promises of the OT will be fulfilled – just not all at the same time! Thus, the kingdom is already – but not yet. The spiritual dimension has been underway since Jesus made final payment for sin. The physical dimension awaits the moment the Father says, “Enough. It’s time.” The first dimension was ushered in by the first coming of Christ; you can be sure the second dimension will be ushered in at His second coming in power and glory. Can’t wait, can you? But you will never understand the kingdom until you get the two dimensions. And you cannot be part of the physical unless you are part of the spiritual. Repentance is the key. That’s what Jesus had been saying all along, and it is what He is still saying today. C. Personalized – Now, Jesus makes on more powerful statement. “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Jesus knew that the Pharisees were always looking for signs. So here He’s telling them,“You guys are looking right past it. Your refusal to see the spiritual dimension of the kingdom has caused you to miss it all. You want a sign? Here’s a sign for you – the King is here! I’m right here in the midst of you. The King is here. How’s that for a sign?” Jesus has personalized the kingdom. In looking at Him, they were eyeball-to-eyeball with the kingdom they desperately wanted. 21 In essence in this comment Jesus was saying, “The seed of the woman in Gen 3:15? That’s me. The Lamb that God would provide in Gen 22? That’s me. The Lion of the tribe of Judah from Gen 49? That’s me. That ultimate Passover lamb of Exod 12:27? That’s me. The perfect fulfillment of Moses’ Law? That’s me. The scapegoat of the Day of Atonement? That’s me. The greater prophet than Moses of Deut 18? That’s me. David’s greater Son? That’s me. The Son of Man of Daniel 9? That’s me. The suffering Messiah of Psa 22 and Isa 53? That’s me. The greater than Solomon? That’s me. The new temple? That’s me. The Son of God of Psalm 2 who will rule and 5 reign forever? That’s me. The kingdom is here, Folks, because the King is here and you missed it all because I didn’t fit your mold.” They couldn’t grasp that the King would also be the sacrifice; that the reigning Messiah would also be the suffering Messiah; that the Son of Man would also be the Son of God – that He would be prophet, priest and King in one person. The apostles got it later. John said of His prophetic ministry, “18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). His whole life had been the ultimate revelation of God and they had rejected it. Of His priestly ministry Heb 9:26 says, “he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” And Heb 7:25 tells us: “ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” That’s what He was only His way to Jerusalem to do – to make final payment for sin so He could save to the uttermost those who would draw near to Him. Have you been saved to the uttermost? The Pharisees never were because they only wanted a King. They were not interested in Jesus as prophet and priest. Thus they missed the whole thing. Conc – So this passage is teaching us that the mediatorial kingdom of God is already – but not yet. Already He has made atonement for sin once-for-all. Already we can enter the kingdom by repentance. More will come – but you have to enter now. Are you in? The only way is thru Him. He is the only mediator. As the God-man, He is the one and only mediator to provide the access we have lost. Paul says in I Tim 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” That’s why Jesus says in Jn 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” There’s only one way to access the Father – only one entrance to the kingdom – to have Jesus Christ. Do you have Him? It was all about Jesus then. It’s all about Jesus now. Dr. David Seamands tells of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa. "Some of his friends asked him, ’Why have you become a Christian?’ He answered, ’Well, its like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go. And there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive--which one would you ask which way to go?’" Jesus is one living mediator between God and man. Which way are you going? Let’s pray. 6