CHAPTER 17

1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

If you are a true Christian, EXPECT to be offended!
It comes with the territory!

Jesus said, "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord." (Matt 10:24)
In other words, If Jesus Himself were offended, despised, rejected and scorned; we should EXPECT it to be with us, His followers.

However, anyone who would "offend" a little child is in DEEP TROUBLE!
The Greek word for "offend" here is skandalizo, which means to entrap in sin or entice to sin.

Does this include people who put pornography on the internet?
Does this include people who advertise abortions for young ladies?
Does this include people who advertise gambling?
Does this include people who sell condoms and liquor?
YES!!

There is sin in the world. Sin produces suffering. There are always those in the world who will be enticing others to sin in order to gain a profit for themselves.
However, no man is more guilty than he who would lead a child astray!

Still, we are admonished by our Lord, Jesus to FORGIVE when anyone asks!
Surely, one would be exasperated after our "brother" had sinned against us SEVEN times in one day!
Yet, Jesus said, if that brother ASKS, we are to forgive!

Remember also, Ephesians 4:32, which says,
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

After such an admonishment, the apostles asked Jesus for INCREASED faith.
But Jesus replied they only needed faith the size of a "mustard seed" to do what He asked!

Now THERE'S a truth ALL Christians need to grasp!
Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, "...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

WOW! Perhaps we should learn more about FAITH!
Faith is the translation of the Greek word pistis.
It literally means to have moral conviction of sin, and total reliance upon Christ to forgive our sin.
It also means CLINGING to Christ.
Without RECEIVING faith, we have no power to CLING to Christ.
But WITH faith, we can never turn loose of Christ!!

Recently, in a foreign country, some Christian people were placed in a car.
They were told that unless they RECANTED their faith in Christ, they would be burned to death!
They COULDN'T!!!
And, they died IN faith!!

First, faith is a "gift of God," given to those who surrender to Christ (See Ephesians 2:8-9).

You see, we humans do not possess faith until we surrender to Jesus' Lordship over our lives.
Oh yes, we have daily faith - but not true spiritual faith.
We have faith that the bridge will hold us when we drive on it.
But, do we have faith that Christ will NEVER "leave nor forsake" us?

Second, faith comes by "hearing" (or willingness to hear and DO) the Word of God (See Romans 10:17).
Christians, we RECEIVED faith by "hearing" the Word of God - the Gospel of Jesus Christ, AND,
by being obedient to the Word in surrender of our lives to Him.
Now, faith GROWS by hearing and doing MORE of God's Word!

True spiritual faith in Christ means (according to vss 7-10 above), I will DO whatever Christ BIDS!
No matter how hard or difficult it might seem, I have faith that He will never put me in a position through which He cannot bring me to His "expected end!" (See Jeremiah 29:11).

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

As a matter of law, the lepers were forbidden to come near any person.
Therefore, they stood "afar off." Yet they raised their voices for MERCY from Christ!

They had FAITH that Jesus could heal them.
Was this faith because they had surrendered to Him as Lord?
Or, was it that daily faith, brought on by the multitudes who were telling about Jesus?

Either way, they were given the Word from Jesus.
They were to go and SHOW themselves to the priests.
Hebrew law also said anyone healed from leprosy had to be PRONOUNCED healed by the priest.
(See Leviticus 13:6-17).

Perhaps we can conclude from the manner of the story that ALL of the 10 did as Jesus commanded.
But only ONE returned in GRATITUDE!

THIS one was a "Samaritan," not a Jew.
He had followed the command of Christ, and now returned to give GRATITUDE!

True faith in Christ BEGINS in gratitude!
Being convicted of sin against God, and convinced that Jesus will forgive, we surrender all that we are to Him. We are THANKFUL for His love which gives us forgiveness and eternal life.
Then, true faith CONTINUES in gratitude!
ALL that He bids me do, I will attempt with my greatest vigor because He is CHRIST my LORD!

When Jesus says "pray," do you pray daily?
When Jesus says "study," do you study the Bible daily?
When Jesus says "give," do you give to His work through your church?

I think you see the point!

20 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:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Remember, Jesus came preaching: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15)

The Pharisees "demanded" that Jesus tell them WHEN the kingdom of God would come.

Note carefully Jesus' answer: "....the kingdom of God is WITHIN you!"

You don't have to LOOK for it!
You'll KNOW it if you HAVE it!
Obviously, they DIDN'T!

When a person is genuinely saved, through surrender to Christ, he realizes that God is ALREADY in total control! He is the KING, we are the servants!
The truly saved person also realizes that one day ETERNAL salvation will be in the NEW JERUSALEM, which is prepared for those who trust and believe in Christ.

Again, you don't have to LOOK for it!
You'll KNOW it if you HAVE it!

22 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.
23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
24 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.
25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Soon, there would come a time in the disciples lives that they would "desire" to live one more day in the physical company of Jesus.

When that happened, there were many who said, "See here; or, see there...."
Many, who did not believe in Jesus, would scorn, mock and laugh at the believing disciples after Jesus' death.
It still happens today!

But, soon, there will come a time when Jesus will APPEAR!
His appearance will be VERY FAST!!
It will be like "lightning!"

Jesus did suffer hatred and He was "rejected" by the majority of people in that time.

But SOON, He'll come again!
AND,

26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Just like the people who mocked and scorned Noah, they'll be CAUGHT UNAWARE!!
Unbelievers will be having a "good ole time" until Jesus APPEARS!
Then, they will be faced with absolute TRUTH Himself! And the "flood" of His Truth will bring conviction from which they cannot repent!
They will KNOW there is a "judgment day!"
And, they'll know they are UNPREPARED!
Because it's TOO LATE!!

Noah represents saved believers.

28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Just like the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, it'll be TOO LATE!
The men of Sodom even tried to seduce the angels who came to get Lot out safely (See Genesis 19:5).

But when the angels delivered Lot and his family, the FIRE of God's wrath descended upon Sodom and Gomorrah!
And, the fire of God's eternal wrath BURNS eternally!

Lot represents saved believers.

31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot's wife.

When Jesus appears like "lightning," there'll be no time to return to the house!
Faith puts our eyes on JESUS, not on things left behind!
Lot's wife was turned to a "pillar of salt" when she was delivered, but looked BACK!

This speaks of our commitment to Christ TODAY!
And, it speaks of our commitment to Christ in THAT day!

33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Whoever tries to save his own soul, shall LOSE it.
But whoever yields his sould to Christ, shall find it PRESERVED!

Again, this speaks of our commitment to Christ TODAY!
AND, it speaks of our commitment to Christ in THAT day!

35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 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.

In that day when Jesus appears to claim His own, many will find they are LEFT BEHIND!
Men and women may be working beside each other, and see one LEAVE!

In verse 37, the word "they" obviously refers to the Pharisees.
They were the ones who "demanded" to know WHEN the "kingdom of God" would come.
Since they did not have the realization of God's kingdom WITHIN them, they had nothing left to look for but the fiery indignation of God on earth's final day!

Those "dead," unbelieving Jews were the "carcase" where the Roman armies gathered.
The "eagles" represent the devourer; which may be God's instrument - the Roman government, or God Himself!

By the providential act of God, the Roman armies came and destroyed the city. God still rules over the acts of men!

But the Jewish nation, as a whole, were not READY! They had been too focused on the "events" of the world, and did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They were too preoccupied with tradition, and not fulfilling their primary purpose for God. They were not ready for His coming as SAVIOR, and then they were totally unprepared for His judgment!

Now, I agree that the "end" of the age of the prophecy of Messiah to come was at the destruction of Jerusalem.
But I also believe there is ANOTHER time reference here. There is another "end," YET TO COME!

You may not believe in a rapture as I do.
And I'm certainly not going to tell anyone that they should be a pre-tribulation rapturist as I am.
But I will say one thing. If it happens, we should be READY!
Because when the "Devourer," Jesus comes, we certainly don't want to look like a "carcase!" A dead body with no works!

And that's certainly a reason to be sure and focus on our primary purpose: to KNOW Christ, and to LIVE as He would have us live!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.