Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 7, 2025

 

Introduction

  • In this text Jesus answers a question about the Kingdom of God and provides some important teaching about the end times. He’ll elaborate on this theme in Luke 21:5-36.

The coming of the Kingdom of God

20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”  

  • The Pharisees taught the kingdom of God would come suddenly and spectacularly with cosmic signs on what the OT called the “Day of the Lord.” (cf. Isa 13:9-10).
  • The Pharisees assumed that the coming of God’s Kingdom and the Day of the Lord were coincidental events. But they were wrong. The Kingdom was actually coming in two distinct stages: 1) Inaugural Stage: initiated with the ministry of Jesus, and 2) Consummation Stage: finalized at his Second Coming or parousia (“Day of the Lord”).
  • They were so convinced of their interpretation they weren’t open to the possibly that they were wrong. They would only be satisfied with the big signs (Mt 16:4).
  • Jesus corrects them: the Kingdom of God at this stage of salvation history isn’t coming with lots of fanfare and spectacular signs. It is right here: “among you” (entós). The kingdom was fleshed out in Jesus’ life when he resisted Satan’s temptations, exorcised demons, healed diseases, taught with authority and exorcised his power over nature. All were signs the kingdom had come!
  • Jesus wraps up his conversation with the Pharisees. Later, he privately talks to his disciples and tells them about Stage Two of the coming of God’s Kingdom:

22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

  • Having initiated the kingdom, Jesus will return to earth to finalize it, but first he must suffer and be rejected by this generation. Before Jesus could reign over a restored earth, he first had to make a full and final payment for human sin, abolish the power of death, destroy the authority of Satan and empower His Church to reign with him.

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30  It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37 “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

 

  • What can we learn from Jesus’ teaching here about his second coming?
  1. His coming will be sudden and unexpected (Mt 25:13). It will come in the midst of everyday life. Lesson: we need to be prepared at every moment!
  2. His coming will be only for his people (2 Thess 1:6-10). At the moment he comes, we will be forever on one side or the other. If you are in a trusting relationship with Jesus, you will spend a joyous eternity with him (Rev 21-22); if not, you will be separated from him in the worst horror imaginable (Rev 14:9-11).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa4vgxhiYm0&list=RDfa4vgxhiYm0&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHzZWoxcp-8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHy8klmeRuw&list=RDfa4vgxhiYm0&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf3nIrxj9ns&list=RDhf3nIrxj9ns&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pVS_fddSgU&t=690s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIF_Jo4CoPc&list=RDOIF_Jo4CoPc&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn1nKjFgwpU&list=RDfa4vgxhiYm0&index=27