Luke 17:22
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus is telling his disciples that after he's gone, a time will come when the world feels incredibly difficult, and they'll desperately long for just one day of the kind of divine presence they're experiencing right now. It's a powerful reminder that what feels ordinary to us today—like hearing Jesus teach—is an extraordinary gift we might only fully appreciate when it's no longer readily available.
Jesus turns to his disciples after speaking to the Pharisees, shifting the focus from the Pharisees' question about his kingdom's arrival to a discourse on future tribulations and the manifestation of his kingdom. He forewarns his disciples that after his departure, a time will come when they will long for the days of his earthly presence, finding solace and guidance in his direct ministry, but will not be able to experience it again. This longing will intensify amidst future calamities and the rise of false messiahs, as they will yearn for the visible presence and deliverance they once took for granted.
Imagine a time when the most precious presence you've ever known is gone. You'd give anything to have it back, even for a moment.
Jesus is speaking directly to His disciples here, looking ahead beyond their current experience.
A Backward Glance
The disciples had enjoyed unparalleled intimacy with Jesus. They walked with Him, learned from Him, and witnessed His miracles firsthand. In the years to come, after His ascension and during times of hardship or confusion, they would deeply miss those days. They would long to have His physical presence with them again, to ask Him questions and find comfort as they once did.
A Forward Look
This longing isn't just for the past. It also points to a future yearning for the ultimate fulfillment of God's kingdom. Even as they experience the spread of the gospel (the 'gospel days' or 'days of the Son of Man' in a broader sense), they would still eagerly await the final, glorious coming of Christ. The verse highlights a tension: experiencing God's presence and yet still longing for more.
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Jesus is also addressing a specific historical context and a broader principle.
The Calamity of Judgment
In the immediate context, Jesus is speaking about the immense suffering that would soon fall upon the Jewish nation, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem. During this time of great distress and upheaval, people would desperately search for a deliverer, someone to fulfill their expectations of the Messiah who would overthrow their oppressors.
False Hopes and True Coming
However, Jesus warns that in this crisis, many false messiahs would arise, offering false hope and leading people astray. The disciples (and all believers) would yearn for the expected, triumphant arrival of the Messiah to set things right. But the day they would desire – a swift, national deliverance in the way they imagined – would not come in that manner. Jesus' true 'coming' in power and judgment would be evident, but not in the form of the earthly kingdom many were expecting at that very moment.
We often look back with regret or forward with impatience, but what about the 'now' – the precious days we have with Christ?
This verse carries a subtle but crucial reminder about appreciating the present opportunities of God's grace.
The Value of Present Presence
Jesus contrasts the future longing with the disciples' current reality. They are living in the 'days of the Son of Man' right now! They have His direct teaching, His tangible presence, and the unfolding of His kingdom among them. Yet, they, like many people throughout history, might not fully grasp the immense value of these days until they are past.
A Call to Discernment
The desire to 'see one of the days of the Son of Man' in the future, and not see it, is a warning against taking God's presence and provision for granted. It's a call to be attentive to the 'gospel days,' the times when Christ's kingdom is actively advancing through His Spirit and Word. While awaiting His glorious return, we are urged to engage fully with the spiritual blessings and opportunities available to us today.
Understand the original words
huios tou anthrōpou · Greek Noun Phrase
A term used by Jesus for himself, derived from Daniel 7:13-14, identifying him as the heavenly representative and Messiah who possesses authority, glory, and sovereign rule over all nations.
Jesus' words point to a future time of intense crisis for His followers and the Jewish nation, during which they would desperately long for the very presence and divine intervention they had once enjoyed or expected, but would not receive in the way they might imagine.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Disciple Companionship
Jesus walked with His disciples, offering them direct access to His teaching and presence. This period represents the 'days of the Son of Man' they would later long for.
c. AD 33
Jesus' Ascension
After His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven, physically departing from His disciples. This marked the end of their daily, personal interaction with Him.
c. AD 40s-60s
Rise of False Christs and Prophets
In the decades leading up to Jerusalem's destruction, various individuals claimed to be the Messiah, seeking to lead revolts and offering false hope of deliverance.
c. AD 66-70
First Jewish-Roman War and Siege of Jerusalem
The Roman legions besieged Jerusalem, leading to immense suffering, famine, and destruction. Many Jews perished or were taken captive.
c. AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman forces utterly destroyed Jerusalem and its Second Temple, ending the Jewish sacrificial system and a significant era of Jewish history.
This passage directly parallels the idea of longing for Jesus' presence, comparing the disciples' future state to mourning when the bridegroom is taken away, echoing the sentiment of missing those days.
John 16:6Jesus here tells the disciples that because of His impending departure, sorrow fills their hearts, which is the emotional backdrop to their future longing for His presence.
2 Peter 3:4This verse speaks to a future generation who will mockingly question the Lord's return, highlighting a different facet of longing—or its absence—for the 'day of the Lord' and the Son of Man's presence.
Revelation 6:10The souls under the altar cry out 'How long, O Lord?', expressing an intense yearning for divine intervention and justice, similar to the disciples' potential future longing for the Son of Man's manifest presence.
pulpitLuke 17:22: "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."
Verse 22. - And he said unto the disciples. The Master now turns to the disciples, and, basing his words still upon the question of the Pharisees, he proceeds to deliver a weighty discourse upon the coming of the kingdom which will be manifest indeed, and externally, as well as internally, exceeding glorious, and for which this kingdom, now at…
barnesLuke 17:22: "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."
(The days will come He here takes occasion to direct the minds of his disciples to the days of vengeance which were about to fall on the Jewish nation. Heavy calamities will befall the Jewish people, and you will desire a deliverer. Ye shall desire - You who now number yourselves among my disciples. One of the days of the Son of man - The Son…
Jesus is telling his disciples that after he's gone, a time will come when the world feels incredibly difficult, and they'll desperately long for just one day of the kind of divine presence they're experiencing right now. It's a powerful reminder that what feels ordinary to us today—like hearing Jesus teach—is an extraordinary gift we might only fully appreciate when it's no longer readily available.
Jesus turns to his disciples after speaking to the Pharisees, shifting the focus from the Pharisees' question about his kingdom's arrival to a discourse on future tribulations and the manifestation of his kingdom. He forewarns his disciples that after his departure, a time will come when they will long for the days of his earthly presence, finding solace and guidance in his direct ministry, but will not be able to experience it again. This longing will intensify amidst future calamities and the rise of false messiahs, as they will yearn for the visible presence and deliverance they once took for granted.
Jesus turns to his disciples after speaking to the Pharisees, shifting the focus from the Pharisees' question about his kingdom's arrival to a discourse on future tribulations and the manifestation of his kingdom. He forewarns his disciples that after his departure, a time will come when they will long for the days of his earthly presence, finding solace and guidance in his direct ministry, but will not be able to experience it again. This longing will intensify amidst future calamities and the rise of false messiahs, as they will yearn for the visible presence and deliverance they once took for granted.
"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." — Jesus is telling his disciples that after he's gone, a time will come when the world feels incredibly difficult, and they'll desperately long for just one day of the kind of divine presence they're e…
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