Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20100324.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part LXVII: Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Teaching Of His Postponed Kingdom
(Luke 19:11-27)
  1. Introduction
    1. Israel in Christ's era expected her Messiah when He first arrived to set up His kingdom in domination over the Roman Empire and the rest of the Gentile nations, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., p. 1337.
    2. However, that did not happen, so if Jesus is a true God's true Messiah, we should expect Him to have explained why He did not establish that long-awaited kingdom in all fairness to His Hebrew countrymen!
    3. Luke 19:11-27 provides us that explanation, and we view it for insight and appropriate application today:
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Teaching Of His Postponed Kingdom, Luke 19:11-27.
    1. As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem, the people accompanying Him who believed He was the Messiah expected His Messianic Kingdom would suddenly appear, Luke 19:11.
    2. In response, Jesus gave the parable in Luke 19:12-27 to explain the truths about His Kingdom's arrival:
      1. Luke 19:12 claims a certain nobleman, representing Jesus, went into a far country, representing heaven, to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. This all typifies Christ's ascension and enthronement in heaven above all kingdoms (Ephesians 1:19-23; Daniel 7:13-14) and His Second Coming to earth to establish His Messianic Kingdom, cf. Revelation 19:11-16, 19-20:4. This parable pictures a common practice in Jesus' day when a nobleman would go to the emperor of a territory to appeal to him to rule a local country of the empire in accountability to the emperor.
      2. Accordingly, just before leaving for the far country, the nobleman (Christ) called His ten servants, delivering to each man a pound of money so he could do business with it until He returned, Ibid., ftn. to Luke 19:13. This typifies Christ's delegating to His nominal followers (in the crowd that was with Him) their equal responsibilities as Jews to believe in Him as their Messiah and to minister His truth to others in His absence in accountability to Him at His return, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 252-253.
      3. The citizens of the country hated the nobleman, and sent word after him to the emperor (as might typically occur in Jesus' day) that they did not want that nobleman to rule them, Luke 19:14. This part of the parable typifies the rejection of Christ by the nation Israel, cf. John 19:15-16.
      4. The nobleman's servants responded in the parable in differing degrees to their master's assignments:
        1. Upon the nobleman's return, he called His servants to give an accounting of their stewardship, with one man having gained ten pounds (Luke 19:16), another five pounds (Luke 19:18) and a third who merely hid his one pound for safekeeping, Luke 19:20.
        2. Thus, the nobleman delivered rewards of rule over cities proportional to each servant's productivity, Luke 19:17, 19, with the man who had hid his pound being deprived of all reward, Luke 19:21-24.
        3. This part of the parable shows Christ's judgment at His Second Coming of His nominal followers, judging them either to rule with him in direct relation to what they did with the opportunity given them to believe in His Word and to serve Him until His return, Ibid., p. 253.
        4. The man who had his pound confiscated was thrown out of the Kingdom in the Matthew 15:30 account, so he refused to trust in Christ and was judged as were Christ's foes, Luke 19:27; Ibid.
      5. In summary, then, "Jesus was going away to receive a kingship. When He returned, He would establish His kingdom. Until that time His followers were to fulfill the responsibilities He gave them. On His return He would reward the faithful commensurate with their service to Him, and His enemies would be judged before Him." (Ibid.)
Lesson: Jesus taught He was NOT going to establish His Messianic Kingdom in His FIRST coming, but in His SECOND coming. However, INDIVIDUAL Jews were meanwhile responsible to trust in Him and to serve Him, to be rewarded accordingly at His Second Coming.

Application: (1) May we believe in Christ as Messiah and Son of God to have eternal life and enjoy participation in His coming Kingdom, John 20:31. (2) May we use every opportunity we have in this life to do God's will for maximum eternal reward from our coming King! (Revelation 22:12)