Being
asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
Luke 17:20-21
Luke 17 [14.] When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?” Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”
Luke 17 [20.] Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
Luke 17 [22.] He said to the disciples, “The days will come, when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away, nor follow after them, for as the lightning, when it flashes out of the one part under the sky, shines to the other part under the sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. As it was in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all.
Meaning:
After the healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19), the Pharisees asked Jesus “when God’s Kingdom would come.” Many Jews expected the Messiah to appear with signs in the heavens, overthrow the Romans and restore the kingdom to Israel. Even the disciples later asked, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Jesus’ short answer corrected their expectations. It also introduces his longer teaching to the disciples about the day of the Son of Man (Luke 17:22-29).
- “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation”
The word “observation” suggests watching for signs, as astronomers watch the sky or as people calculate dates. The Pharisees wanted a timetable and visible proof. Jesus said that the Kingdom does not arrive in a way that can be measured and predicted like that. It is God’s rule, and it begins wherever God reigns.
- “neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’”
False hopes in Jesus’ time often centered on a leader in a particular place, the desert or a hidden room. Jesus warned his disciples not to follow such claims (Luke 17:23). The Kingdom is not a territory to be located on a map.
- “God’s Kingdom is within you.”
These words can also be translated “among you” or “in your midst.” Both meanings are true. Jesus was speaking to Pharisees who opposed him, so his main point was probably that the King was already standing among them. His miracles proved it: “But if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you” (Luke 11:20). At the same time the Kingdom is inward and spiritual: “God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). It is entered by faith and changes the heart before it changes the world.
The Significance of Luke 17:20-21
- The Kingdom is present now
God’s reign arrived in Jesus. Those who receive him are already “translated into the Kingdom of the Son of his love” (Colossians 1:13). We do not have to wait for signs to enter it.
- The Kingdom is still coming
Jesus went on to speak of a future day when the Son of Man will be revealed. The Kingdom has begun, and it will be completed, as Daniel foresaw “a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44).
Cross-References:
John 18:36: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” The nature of Christ’s Kingdom.
Luke 11:20: “then God’s Kingdom has come to you.” The Kingdom present in Jesus’ works.
Romans 14:17: “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The inner life of the Kingdom.
Acts 1:7: “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.” Dates belong to God.
Conclusion: When the Pharisees asked when God’s Kingdom would come, Jesus answered that it does not come with signs that can be watched for or located here or there. The Kingdom was already present in him and is found in the hearts of those who receive him. Instead of calculating dates, people are called to recognize the King in their midst and to live under his rule now.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible