THE KINGDOM OF GOD

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LUKE 17:11-37
Lesson #47
THE KINGDOM OF GOD

• Memory verse: Mat 3:2
• Read Luke 17:11-19 The Ten Lepers
  • The first thing we want to notice is the location of this miracle.
    • On His way to Jerusalem from Galilee Jesus passes through Galilee and Samaria.
    • The Samaritan people were hated by the Jews and not permitted into the temple area in Jerusalem.
  • Background:
    • When a person contacted leprosy, he was to go to the priests who would determine if a person had leprosy or not. (Lev 13:8)
    • If the priest determined that a person had leprosy, the leper must remain isolated from society, from his family, from his business.
      • Therefore, the determination of leprosy meant that the leper was now homeless and resigned to a hopeless life of poverty, illness, and hardship.
      • Many of the lepers lived in the tombs (burial caves) that offered some protection from the weather.
    • When Jesus healed the lepers, each leper had the responsibility to go to a priest and seek a determination that he was now free of leprosy and could enter society again. (Lev 13:3)
  • The ten lepers:
    • The number ten is significant in the Bible as are all numbers.
    • Remember that ten is a governmental number that means testing to a standard.
      • What is the test?
        • The test is a faith of obedience to the Word of God.
        • Notice Jesus command, “…Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.” (14)

These lepers were not healed when Jesus spoke the words, but when they began to obediently act on Jesus’ words with actions of faith.

The healing occurred after they left Jesus and before they showed themselves to the priests. The test was a test of faith.

• • • • What is the standard?
        • The standard is the determination by a priest as to whether a person is “clean” or “unclean”.

In the Old Testament, the term “clean” meant ceremoniously acceptable to God. (Lev 5:2-3 Lev 7:20 Lev 10:10 Lev 11, etc.)

In other words, to be “clean” a person had to go through the established rituals and animal sacrifices. (Lev 14:19)

If a person followed the established rituals and sacrifices, his sins were covered by the blood of animals.

He could then participate in the Jewish religious feast days held in the temple in Jerusalem.

In the same way, the term “unclean” meant ceremoniously unacceptable to God.

For example, if a woman that just had a baby was considered “unclean” until she went through rituals of purification. (Luk 2:22 Lev 12:2)

For example, if a person walked over a grave or touched a dead body, he was considered “unclean” and unable to participate in religious feast days unless he first went through rituals of purification. (Lev 5:2)

Leprosy in the Bible was a symbol of sinfulness that separated man from God.

In other words, God used leprosy in the Old Testament as a symbol of sin to indicate to man that, like leprosy, sin isolates man in a hopeless lifestyle.

Like leprosy sin starts small and grows until the totality of man’s life is adversely affected so that man has no hope of ever being free.

• • • • • In the New Testament with the crucifixion, Jesus changes the standard from an exterior test to an interior test.

In the Old Testament the exterior test was done by the priest that observed a man’s skin over time to determine if he had leprosy.

In the New Testament the interior test is done by Christ, our high priest, who looks on the heart of man to determine whether we belong to Him or not. (Mat 7:23)

Man is no longer considered “clean” or “unclean” ceremoniously and physically, but now he is considered either a “sinner” separated from God or “saved” as righteous before God spiritually.

• • The one leper:
    • The one Samaritan leper out of the ten, before going before the priest for a determination of his healing, turned back to Jesus to give God the glory. (15)
      • Of what significance is the one leper?
        • He is the only one expressing gratitude for what God did for him.
        • Jesus said to him, “…thy faith hath made thee whole.” (19)

The word “whole” means = totally healed and saved.

The other nine lepers received cleansing from leprosy, but they were not saved. (14)

• • • • • Scripture tells us that this leper was a Samaritan. Remember the Samaritans were not accepted in the temple in Jerusalem. Besides being a leper that isolated him from society and worship, he was also a Samaritan that isolated him from worship.
      • Were the other nine lepers Samaritans?
        • Scripture does not tell us their specific ethnic identity.
        • However, we are told that they “stood afar off”. (12)
        • Paul, in the Eph 2:17 uses this phrase for Gentiles who were distanced from God as opposed to the Jews who had God’s calling, God’s blessings, God’s covenants, and God’s presence.
    • What do we learn from the one Samaritan leper?
      • All blessings from God are obtained by faith in Christ and obedience to His Word.
      • We should never take God’s blessings for granted.
      • We should always give thanks to God for what He does for us.
      • Greater blessings are always multiplied to us when we give thanks.
      • Miracles should always draw attention to lifting up the name of Jesus Christ and glorifying God.
      • Jesus Christ, by His crucifixion, makes all people acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin.
• Read Luk 17:20-37 The Coming Kingdom
  • Background:
    • Some theologians make a difference between the phrase, “Kingdom of God” in Luke and “Kingdom of Heaven” in Matthew.
    • Personally I see no difference between the two phrases. However, we need to see the Kingdom as scripture presents it to us because the perspective of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven varies through time and location.
      • Some basic, general truths regarding a kingdom:
        • A kingdom is where the King is located and ruling in authority.
        • A kingdom usually contains territory or a sphere of influential power ruled by a King.
        • A kingdom usually contains people over which a King reigns.
        • A King has the recognized right of authority to rule.
      • =1= The Kingdom outside of time and space:
        • When God created this universe, He made it to reign over it with power and authority.
        • As the Almighty Creator, He has a right to rule His creation in the way He purposes to exercise His authority.
        • In this aspect God’s Kingdom is without end and eternal.
      • =2= The Spiritual Theocratic (ruled by God) Kingdom:
        • With Abraham and Isaac, God set aside a chosen people, (the Jews) to work with them and rule over them as their King.
        • God’s reign over His people was established in the covenants God made with Abraham and Moses.
        • But with King Saul, the Jews did not want God to be their king. They wanted a human king like all the other nations. (1Sam 8:6-7)
      • =3= The Internal, Spiritual Kingdom: (Luk 19:11-12 Act 1:5-8 Rom 14:17)
        • When a person invites Jesus Christ into his heart, we can say that Jesus reigns in the hearts of believers as a king.
        • Therefore, in this New Testament age of grace, the Kingdom of God is within the believer because that is where the Holy Trinity resides and exercises authority over a person’s life.
        • Therefore, when your memory verse says the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, it means that the King (Jesus Christ) is on the scene and soon after the crucifixion He will begin to reign in the hearts of believers.
        • The interior spiritual kingdom is extended to the New Testament church of collective believers in Christ over which Christ rules as holding the church in His right hand. (Rev 1:20)
      • =4= The Physical Theocratic Kingdom:
        • However, the religious leaders and many Jews were looking for the Messiah to come and establish His kingdom on earth to replace the government of Rome that currently ruled over Israel.
        • Prophecy does promise a literal, physical, earthly Kingdom ruled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. (2Sam 7:16 Zec 12:8)
        • This physical, earthly Kingdom will come into reality at the event of the second coming of Jesus Christ, who comes to reign as King of kings for 1,000 years.
  • “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (20-21)
    • It is important to notice that it is the Pharisees that ask Jesus about the coming of the Kingdom of God.
    • Remember that the Pharisees were hypocritical non-believers.
      • These unbelievers were looking for the Physical Theocratic Kingdom (=4= above) when the Messiah would come and reign on earth for 1000 years.
      • Then why did Jesus say, “the kingdom of God is within you.”? (21)
        • Surely Jesus did not mean that those unbelieving Pharisees had the Internal Spiritual Kingdom inside of them (=3= above).
        • No. The phrase “within you” actually means = in the midst of you.

In other words, Jesus was telling them that He was their King, and that they already had their King among them.

Of course they were not going to acknowledge Jesus as their King. Instead they would kill him.

• • ^“ And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.” (22-23)
    • Notice that Jesus is now speaking to His disciples.
    • Jesus tells his disciples not to be deceived because first there will be false messiah’s that will come and say they are the Christ. (Mat 24:4-5, 11, 23-24)
      • In Matthew 24, Jesus warns three times of those who claim falsely to be the messiah.
      • Of course the ultimate false messiah will be the Antichrist of the coming seven year tribulation..
  • “For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” (24)
    • The event of the second coming of Christ will be with a brightness in heaven seen over the world.
    • Read Acts 1:9-11
      • Jesus will come exactly in the same location as he left this earth…on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem.
      • Jesus will come exactly in the same way that He left this earth…coming down from heaven.
  • Suffering will come first:
    • Jesus will suffer rejection at the hands of the religious leaders when they reject Jesus as their king.
    • Jesus will suffer the crucifixion before He comes back to establish His kingdom on earth for a thousand years at the event of the second coming.
  • As in the days of Noah:
    • There is much misunderstanding about what is meant here in Luke and in Mat 24 regarding the days of Noah.
      • Remember the context of the question Jesus is answering…when will the Kingdom come? (20)
      • Because of the nature of the question, Jesus is NOT talking about the Rapture of the church because the Rapture of the church does not bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.
    • The phrase “as in the days of Noah” refers to the event of the second coming of Christ, the King, that brings the Kingdom of God to this earth for 1000 years.
      • What happened in the days of Noah that parallels the event of the second coming of Christ?
      • “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.  Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (34-36)

In the flood of Noah’s day, those that were taken by surprise were the non-believers.

In the flood of Noah’s day, those that were taken out of the world to judgment were the non-believers.

Those left in the world were righteous Noah and his family in the ark.

• • • • At the event of the second coming of Christ, those that are taken out of the world to judgment are the non-believers that die in the battle of Armageddon.
        • All non-believers will die at the event of the second coming of Christ.
        • All believers who survive the tribulation period will stay in the world to receive Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth for 1000 years.
  • The day of Lot (28)
    • God judged Sodom and Gomorrah and saved Lot with his family.
    • In the same way God will make a division between the righteous believers in Christ and the unrighteous non-believers at the event of the second coming of Christ in the battle of Armageddon.
  • “ And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” (37)
    • Jesus tells us that the event of the second coming of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon coincide. That is where the dead bodies will be gathered together and where the eagles will come to eat the flesh of the dead.
    • Read Rev. 19:16-18
    • Then will come Christ’s Physical Theocratic Kingdom on earth for 1000 years.(=4= above).
• Application:
  • What is the relationship between the coming Kingdom of Christ to this earth and the healing of the ten lepers?
    • Because leprosy is symbolic of sin that separates man from God, we see that when Christ comes to establish His kingdom on earth, God will make a difference between those saved and those not saved as He did in the days of Noah.
    • Just as we saw in Luke 17 that nine lepers were healed but not saved. Only one leper was healed and saved.
  • God has promised His Kingdom to believers, for we will reign with Christ for 1000 years. (Rev 5:10)

Homework
Luke 18:1-14

• Application of Luk 17:11-37
  • In your heart have you sought God’s miracles and blessings or have you sought the person of Christ? What is the difference?
    • If you seek only the miracles and blessings you are like the 9 lepers that had the temporary cure but did not have eternal salvation.
    • Eternal life is more valuable than temporary physical healing.
• Preparation for Luk 18:1-14
  • Read Luk 18:1-14
    • What do you learn about the practice of prayer in verses 1-8?
    • What should be the Christian’s attitude if he has faith in God?

 

• Memory Verse: Eph 6:18