Day 17 of 24

 Today's passage: Luke 17

Today's focus: vs. 26-30

It is strange to think that Christmas is next week already. Those of you who have been following along with our daily reading and this devotional will realize that there's only 7 more days left!

As we celebrate the first coming of Christ, we must anticipate the second coming of Christ. You may remember the devotional from the first day (if not, you can read it here). There was the 400 years of silence where there was not a word of prophecy or miracle. People forgot about God and viewed it as an outdated belief system. Then Jesus was born. 

This passage reminds us that the second coming will be similar to the first. Read verses 26-30. What were the people doing? 

• Eating
• Drinking
• Marrying
• Buying
• Selling
• Planting
• Building

Some have suggested that these people were sinning. Perhaps there may be elements of it there? Perhaps some of the acts were sinful? But to be faithful to the text, we must ask, "What is Jesus warning them about? Is this a passage where He warns about sin? Or is this a passage that describes the manner in which He will return?" I am convinced it is more of the latter. They were just going on carrying about their lives. They continued their day with "business as usual." No one in the days of Noah or Sodom anticipated or expected the wrath to come. They went about their day and the wrath came. 

When Jesus returns, the world will be just like in the days of Noah, Sodom, and even Bethlehem. Everyone went on about their day when the Lord shows up. It will be different though...

In the days of Bethlehem, it was a message of joy! Immanuel! God in the flesh to bear the sins of the world! He is here to ransom sinners and make peace between man and God!

 In the days of Noah, "the flood came and destroyed them all" (vs. 27). In the days of Sodom, "fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all" (vs 29). And verse 30 ties these two events together to teach us, "So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed." In the days of Noah, Sodom, and Gomorrah, it was a day of judgment, wrath, and death. The second coming of Jesus is compared to this. His return will be a day of judgment, wrath, and death.

It will be a dreadful day. Every news channel will cover this event. The whole world will know of His return. Those who have hated Him will continue to hate Him and wage war. It will be a horrifying day. 

Yet for Believers, it will be a sweet reminder of the Nativity scene. God came to rescue us. When Jesus returns, He will ultimately rescue us and save us. While the rest of the world cries out in agony, we will cry out with joy and hail Him as our Savior!

While we recognize Him as our Savior, we must also recognize Him as our Lord. We must continue to walk in obedience. Heed the words of Jesus, "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it" (vs 33).