Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm19981223.htm

LUKE: GOSPEL OF CERTIFYING THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
Part LXIV: Certifying The Christian Faith By Displaying Christ's OWN Eschatology On The Kingdom
(Luke 19:11-27)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though Matthew's Gospel explains Jesus to be the Messiah though He did not install the Kingdom when He came, a serious examiner of the Christian faith would want Jesus' own explanation on the same issue.
    2. Luke's Gospel in Luke 19:11-27 records Christ's own view of events leading up to that Kingdom and gives us certification as on the credibility of our faith though the Kingdom was not installed when Jesus came.
  2. Certifying The Christian Faith By Revealing Christ's OWN Eschatology On The Kingdom.
    1. Luke's Gospel was written to reveal the credibility of the Christian faith to Theophilus, Luke 1:3-4.
    2. In the process, Luke recorded Jesus' own response to hearers who expected Him to set up His Messianic Kingdom immediately, and it reveals a faith certifying explanation on the time of His reign's arrival:
      1. When Jesus came near Jerusalem just before His passion, He noticed some followers were expecting God's Kingdom to appear soon, Luke 19:11b. Hence, He gave a parable to explain to teach His hearers that this event would be different in time from what they had expected, Luke 19:11a:
        1. Jesus' parable pictures a nobleman going into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom from the emperor before coming back to reign, Luke 19:12. This parable pictures a trip to the emperor for a meeting that local rulers under Rome would have to make to secure a ruling position.
        2. Accordingly, this nobleman called His servants together and gave instructions on their service to him until He returned with His kingdom installation, Luke 19:13.
        3. However, citizens of the territory in question rejected the nobleman's effort to rule over them, and sent an envoy to the emperor to reverse the nobleman's efforts to reign, Luke 19:14.
        4. When the nobleman returned with his authority to reign, He first asked his own servants to give an accounting to him of what they had done in serving Him in His absence, Luke 19:15-26.
        5. However, those who had rejected the nobleman would be slain, Luke 19:27.
      2. Thus, the eschatology of Jesus as presented in this parable, picture coming events regarding the Kingdom's installation scheduling as follows (clarified in The Bible Know. Com., N.T., p. 252-253):
        1. Christ as the nobleman would leave the earth to return to the Father in search of His heavenly Father before the Messianic reign was installed with the force of the "Emperor," the Father, Dn. 7:13-14.
        2. In His absence, Christ expects His followers to serve Him and His Kingdom interests, Mtt. 28:19-20.
        3. When Christ returns from the Father to set up His Kingdom, there will be an accounting where the godly will be rewarded and the ungodly lose rewards for errant living, Mtt. 13:43; Lk. 19:15-26.
        4. Those who will not accept His reign at His return will be put into eternal damnation, being slain and unable to participate in the Kingdom reign, cf. Mtt. 24:40-41; 13:41-42.
Lesson: According to Christ's OWN explanation, the fact that He did NOT establish His Kingdom WHEN He FIRST came to earth was NOT an indication that He was NOT the MESSIAH. Rather, the Kingdom has been POSTPONED until the FATHER'S ENFORCING its installation.

Application: (1) From the Messiah HIMSELF, our faith in His identify as Messiah is certified though He did not set up His Kingdom when He first arrived. His own view on future events given to those who once anticipated an IMMEDIATE Kingdom install ation reveals Jesus did not want His followers to be DISMAYED at no SUDDEN Kingdom installation. Rather, they were to LIVE in ANTICIPATION of His return as those who will give a LATER accounting. (2) Accordingly, (a) we should not doubt Jesus' credibility simply because there is not YET a Kingdom, but live and serve in His will, knowing we will give an ACCOUNT to the KING when He returns! (b) Thus, we must not become complacent in our lives simply because we are not now living in a perfect Messi anic Kingdom. After all, WHAT time we have left on the earth is INVALUABLE in terms of eternal persepctives, for what is DONE now will affect ETERNAL rewards, Luke 19:15-24, 25-26.