Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 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." — Luke 17:22 (ASV)

The days will come. He here takes the opportunity 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.

You shall desire. You who now number yourselves among my disciples.

One of the days of the Son of man. The Son of man here means the Messiah, without affirming that he was the Messiah. Such will be the calamities of those times, so great will be the afflictions and persecutions, that you will greatly desire a deliverer—one who shall come to you in the character in which you have expected the Messiah would come, and who would deliver you from the power of your enemies; and at that time, in the midst of these calamities, men shall rise up pretending to be the Messiah, and to be able to deliver you. In view of this, he takes the opportunity to caution them against being led astray by them.

You shall not see it. You shall not see such a day of deliverance—such a Messiah as the nation has expected, and such an interposition as you would desire.