Luke 17:22-25 (NIV) Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
Jesus turns away from the Pharisees who were questioning Him and addresses His disciples. The cross is looming directly ahead of Him, and He is aware of the long and often painful mission that He will be leaving in the hands of these men when His work here is done.
Jesus realized that in the space between Jesus’ ascension and His return, there will be a tendency for His followers to grow discouraged and to jump at every sign that His return might be imminent. But that will be a weakness for them, a distraction, not a strength. So He warned them away from that.
Even today many are claiming that the end is near. It is absolutely nearer than ever. But Jesus clearly warned His followers: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8 NIV) He was directing them away from analyzing signs and timelines, and back focusing on the vital work of expanding the kingdom of God that He had commissioned them to do. And through these words, He is steering today’s disciples back to the same focus.
Jesus Himself was not immune to longing for His ultimate return to come. But even He knew that there was work to do to fill up the time until then. In His case, the work involved the suffering and rejection that was waiting for Him in Jerusalem in just a few days. To get to the one required steadfast commitment to go through the other.
Father, Your guidance in this is good and necessary. It really is easy for us to get distracted, pulled off message, by our vision of Jesus’ return. But, like Jesus Himself, we have a vital job to do here and now, before that vision can be realized. Walk with us, Lord, as we do the work of growing Your kingdom, and of being Your representatives until Jesus comes, so that when He does return, we may be glad, and not ashamed. Amen.