Scripture to Read: Luke 17:25
Jesus was teaching His disciples and forewarning them of some of the things to come. Jesus then said this in Luke 17:25, “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” Jesus had already told His disciples in Luke 9:22, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day,” but He knew they needed to hear it again. Jesus knew what was to come, and He knew how hard it would be for all of His disciples to watch Him be tortured and put to death. Jesus never hid the fact of why He had come to earth, but the disciples struggled to understand what Jesus shared with them about how He would die. Even though Jesus had been telling His disciples about His return, He had to let them know that His current fate was not what they were expecting. When we consider our own lives and how we walk with the Lord each day, do we live expecting Christ to return at any time or do we live our lives simply fulfilling our current to-do lists? Christ has clearly told us in His Word that He’s coming back, but most Christians today do not even think about His return. Most Christians live each day as if Christ will not be coming back for some time. But we need to change our mindset, living each day as though Christ could return at any time, because He can.
Challenge & Application
Why do you think so many Christians live as if Christ will not be coming back anytime soon?
What’s the danger in living as if Christ won’t be back for a while, and what kind of trap does that catch many Christians in today?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!