The Kingdom that is Already Mindblowing
[20] Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, [21] nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
[22] And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. [23] And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. [24] For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
Luke 17:20–24 ESV
All of the people that were around Jesus were looking for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Even though it meant different things to different people, they all knew it meant everything would be right and good when it happened. Jesus says two things here that show how mysterious and outrageous the Kingdom of God is.
The Kingdom is Already Here
Jesus talks about it like you can’t point your finger at it and say “There it is!” It isn’t something tangible and visible that moves along. In those same words, He says that it’s already here among us. There are some other times where Jesus says that the Kingdom has come and others where He says that it is already among us. The rule and reign of God, the Kingdom, must exist on some kind of level beyond our understanding of governments and kings.
When the Kingdom of God Comes, You’ll Know It
Before electricity, mass communication, and even loud PA systems, getting news out to a lot of people was difficult. Mountains, fires, and lightning (besides the Sun and Moon) were some of the only things that many many people could all see at once. In some ways the Kingdom of God has yet to arrive, but when it does, everyone will know it. Despite the old tradition of being buried facing to the East, when Jesus returns everyone will be able to see it no matter which way they are looking.
The Point of the Kingdom of God
In the end, Jesus’ point is to draw near to Him and to know His ways. As the ‘Left Behind’ movies come and go and the various false-prophets proclaim the end of the world, Jesus doesn’t change. His life and message of Him taking away our sins and the Holy Spirit sealing our salvation don’t depend on our clear understanding of the street address of the Kingdom of God. As we draw near to Him we might have moments where we know the Kingdom is among us, and others where we know that it isn’t fully here yet. Jesus is the prerequisite to understanding the majority of things that He said. By seeking and trusting Him we understand things He said, or we appreciate the depth of His wisdom that is beyond us.