Luke 17:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

NASB: And He said to the disciples, 'The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

CSB: Then he told the disciples: "The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it.

NLT: Then he said to his disciples, 'The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it.

KJV: And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

NKJV: Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

One of the last questions the disciples asked before Jesus ascended into heaven was when His kingdom would begin (Acts 1:6). We still wonder, even today, when He will return. Consistently, Jesus tells His followers we cannot know; only the Father knows (Acts 1:7). In fact, there will be times when we will greatly wish Jesus would return immediately, but we should not confuse normal events in human history with His glorious return.

The "Son of Man" is a figure from one of Daniel's visions:

"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13–14).

The phrase "one of the days of the Son of Man" is found only here; Luke 17:26 has "the days of the Son of Man;" Luke 17:24 and 30 speak of the Son of Man's "day." Typically, when the Bible speaks of the end times judgment, it uses "the day of the Lord" although that phrase isn't found in the Gospels. Scholars debate as to what this means, particularly what "one of the" means. There isn't really a consensus.

Scholars also debate over when Jesus said these things. The text in Luke 17:22–37 combined with Luke 21:5–36 seems to cover much of the same content as in Matthew 24:1–44. However, Luke includes some original material, and he seems to pull a handful of verses from other places. We aren't sure if Luke split up Jesus' discourse outside of Jerusalem during the Passion Week. It's also likely Jesus taught the disciples this material more than once. "And he said to the disciples…" identifies Jesus' audience; it doesn't categorically say that this teaching directly followed Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Luke 17:20–21. Nor does it explain if "disciples" means the larger gathering present in the rest of the chapter or just Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Mark 13:3).

This verse, however, is unique to Luke.

Luke 17:22–37 may create confusion for two reasons. The first is where to place the events in relation to the end times. Are they before the rapture or at the end of the tribulation? The second complication is the placement of Jesus' teaching. Did He deliver this message while traveling through Galilee and Samaria, or outside of Jerusalem during the final week prior to His crucifixion? Ultimately, neither question is as important as the clear message: Jesus' return will be unmistakable, and those who are not ready will suffer greatly. This passage covers similar material to Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

In his gospel, Luke has often arranged events by theme rather than by strict time order. That seems likely here with a series of teachings about living as Christ followers and ambassadors of God. Christians ought to be careful not to poison the faith of others. Faith is powerful. God's servants should not demand extravagant treatment in return. After healing ten lepers—only one of whom offers thanks—Jesus discusses the state of the world at His future second coming.

Luke 17 continues Jesus' teaching about how to live as citizens and ambassadors of the kingdom of God. Luke 15 describes God's love for the lost. Chapter 16 teaches earthly blessings are far inferior to heavenly rewards. Here, He exhorts His followers to lead well, serve humbly, give thanks, and watch for His second coming. In Luke 18, Jesus gives a series of comparisons to show how we are to approach God—as He approaches Jerusalem and the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.