Pentecost Week Twenty-Two- Day Two - The Days You’ll Long For

Day Two – The Days You’ll Long For
Luke 17:22–25

(Sorry for the bad titles yesterday - hope you found day one).

These next few verses are engaging - Jesus turns from the Pharisees to speak directly to His disciples — and the tone shifts. He goes from saying "The kingdom is already here” to warning them that days are coming when they’ll long for even one day like this. Longing. Waiting.

I always have highs and lows with the disciples.   They’ve been running on a high. – and Jesus just gives them and even higher – but….

Wishing for the nearness they once had. It’s a quiet kind of heartbreak — and a deeply human one.

And then He says something even harder: "But first the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."  (Insert sad emoji here!)

This is not the Kingdom they were expecting. And it’s not the path any of them would have chosen.  Frankly, I think this was their first steps into denial - like that bad biopsy result.

Historical Context
The phrase “Son of Man” would have sounded majestic to Jewish ears. Deeply rooted in Daniel 7, it referred to a heavenly figure — one like a human but divine — who would be given everlasting dominion.

Power. Glory. A throne.

So, when Jesus uses that title, it’s not subtle. It’s royal. Cosmic. Apocalyptic even. But then He adds a twist no one saw coming.

Before the Son of Man comes in glory, He will suffer.
Before exaltation — humiliation.
Before the crown — the cross.

This was a theological earthquake. First-century Jews didn’t have categories for a suffering Messiah. That’s not what kings did. Kings didn’t get rejected. Kings didn’t get crucified.
But Jesus was redefining everything.  

(BUT - they did have Isaiah 53 - but by this time scholars of the day equated it to the nation of Israel - not a person - now we know better).

He wasn’t just coming to rule over them — He was coming to suffer for them.

And He was preparing His disciples for the pain of that journey (Hence, the bonus music at the end of this blog today).

There would be days when it all felt like loss. When they would ache for what used to be. When the nearness of Christ would feel like a memory more than a reality. Jesus was telling them now so they wouldn’t fall apart later. (How did that work out?)

Modern Reflection
We know that feeling, don’t we? That ache for something God once gave — but that now feels out of reach.

Their is a sense of longing for closeness, for clarity, for the days when faith felt easier or stronger or simpler.  Jesus names it. He doesn’t shame it.

There will be days when you long for the “Son of Man.”

Days when you feel like you’ve been left in the in-between — between what was and what will be.

But even in that space, He is faithful.

And maybe that’s the point. The Kingdom isn’t just for the days when everything makes sense. It holds during the days when nothing does.

Jesus doesn’t promise His followers a life of ease. He promises them His presence. He prepares them for suffering not to scare them, but to steady them.

He’s telling us: “Don’t lose heart when things get hard. Remember, I went there first.”
We follow a King who suffers. And that means our suffering is never meaningless. It’s part of the story. It’s part of the Kingdom. And it’s never the end.

Prayer
Jesus,
You are the Son of Man — and You are no stranger to suffering.
You didn’t just come to reign. You came to redeem.
Help me hold on when the days are hard.
When I long for clarity or comfort, draw me deeper into trust.
Remind me that You went through suffering so that I would never walk through it alone.
Let Your kingdom come — even in the waiting.
Amen.

I kind of feel like this week is building up to this music link i provide below - clink on the image.

If you want to take the time to listen know that it might kick you out of the blog….  

It's some heavy praise music...  maybe not for early morning.  A bit over six minutes long by Jesus Culture.

But this is what I am feeling as I am writing the blog this week.  I honestly did not want to write on this scripture but decided my blog fans can work with me.  

Still not sure if I will preach on this text Sunday. Aggie usually tells me on Wednesday.