His Answer
Luke 17:20-21 “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or , Lo there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
He was demanded of the Pharisees! Show us some manifestation of the kingdom. Something we can observe.
Now did they want this, so they would believe Him?
Or did they want this so they could prepare for the coming of the kingdom?
No. They simply demanded of Jesus.
“Demanded” here means that they tried to show their authority by interrogating Him.
His answer?
“If you are really looking for the kingdom of God, it will not come with trumpets, or solar flares. People will not be able to tell you when or how. Because….
The kingdom of God is within you.”
Jesus Christ the King, was standing within their midst.
But also He was telling them; that God’s kingdom would come within their hearts first; before it would come to them in any outward manner.
The answer is the same to us: The kingdom of God will come first within our hearts: He must reign within us.
The place and power of His Presence is manifested within me.
It is always; first in me.
He is to reign within my heart, and life. Guiding, Comforting, Correcting, and Commanding: that is what the Lord Jesus does, by His Holy Spirit within me. (How can we make it through this life, with all the pitfalls all around us, without His commanding Presence?)
Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
That power that works within me, bringing me into subjection to God’s Word and Will; will then be an influence through my life, on the lives of others.
We are filled with the Holy Spirit, to the amount that we are emptied of our self-will. God will never empower me to see my will done (thank goodness!), but He will empower me to see His will done in me, by me and through me.
Matthew 7:28-29 “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:
For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
He taught as one having authority; not like their scribes, which told them how to act, but did not do it for themselves.
This is the difference between one who is in subjection to God for himself; and one who just talks well. (Of course, Jesus, the Son of God, was obedient in all things—“He did always those things that pleased Him.” John 8:29)
But He is saying here, that we too, can be empowered to do God’s Will, as we let His kingdom come within us. As we let Him rule within our hearts and lives; then we are subjects of His authority, and show it.
Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
When we are obedient to our King; it influences others, for good.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 