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Luke 19:12
ESV He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
NIV He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
NASB So He said, 'A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return.
CSB Therefore he said: "A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then to return.
NLT He said, 'A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return.
KJV He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
NKJV Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

What does Luke 19:12 mean?

Jesus is making His way to Jerusalem for the Passover and, afterwards, the cross. Adoring crowds surround Him. He has given sight to a blind man (Luke 18:35–43) and brought a tax collector to repentance (Luke 19:1–10). Around this time, He also raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11).

No one seems to grasp the coming timeline, except perhaps Mary of Bethany (John 12:1–8). Jesus will not march into Jerusalem to capture it; He will allow the leaders to kill Him. This must happen if He is to receive—not take—the kingdom. He will then ascend to heaven and return when "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Romans 11:25).

Jesus has spent three years teaching and preparing people to understand that He is the Messiah. When He rises from the dead, they will have no excuse. They need to decide what to do with that understanding in the face of His absence and those who oppose Him (Luke 19:14). Will they accept Him as King and expand His kingdom or reject Him and rebel against His reign?

Jesus isn't vague about the repercussions of their choice. When He returns, He will conquer evil, take His throne, and rule justly. He will reward His servants based on their faithfulness. And He will send His enemies to eternal torment (Revelation 20:11–15).

That Jesus receives His kingdom when He ascends to the Father is expressed by the theological concept of "now and not yet." Jesus' birth inaugurated the kingdom of God. His death and resurrection assured it. In heaven, He does reign. But the culmination of His reign and the kingdom of God will occur at the end of the tribulation when He defeats Satan's and the Antichrist's forces and takes the throne in Jerusalem.
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