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2. The Unfolding of the Mystery of God in the Words of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of His Father
Life in the Lord's Kingdom: Jesus Christ gave a breathtaking promise to His followers:
“And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me” (Luke 22:29).
Hermann Menge translates this verse of grace in the following way: So I bequeath to you royal dignity (or royal rule), as my Father has bequeathed them to (intended them for) Me.
We should not read further without first worshiping and thanking the Holy Trinity for bringing us into the realm of their power and authority, although we were once enemies of God and had rebelled against His law.
Jesus promised a similar authorization to His twelve disciples in the evening of His resurrection day, when they were still vacillating between fear and joy. He said to them: “Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you…Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:21-22).
Moses had already learned that his people should be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6). Daniel had heard that to the saints of the Most High the kingdom would be given (Daniel 7:27). Jesus had opened His Beatitudes with the words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The King of Glory will march in front of them and remain the source of their power and wisdom (Micah 2:13). He sealed His missions command with the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
It is shocking to see that before Pentecost the disciples of Jesus had mistakenly understood the authority of their Lord and King to be of political or worldly nature. They came to Him and asked: “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1). The mother of James and John had asked Jesus to permit her two sons to occupy the chief seats of ministry in the kingdom of heaven, the one to His right, and the one to His left (Matthew 20:21). At the same time Jesus had humbled Himself to the place of a servant and had modeled before the eyes of His disciples humility and gentleness (Matthew 11:29). They, however, could not understand that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven would need to become the smallest, in order for the smallest to become the greatest (Matthew 18:2-5; 20:20-28; 23:11-12; Mark 9:34-37; 10:36-45; Luke 9:46-48; 22:24-26 etc.).
Jesus wanted to correct our human value system from the root up, and turn it upside down. He sought neither His own honor, nor any other worldly power (John 5:19-20, 30, 36-44; 14:10). He emphasized that no one can be at home in the kingdom of God who sought his own honor. He revealed, too, who would be great, and who would be small, in His kingdom: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).
Every liberal theologian and Christian counselor should take these words to heart, repent, and hang his understanding on the cross (Galatians 2:19-20). Every small group leader who brings God's word near to others, should take heed, that he does not proclaim his own ideas, but the word of God alone (Revelation 22:18-19).
The hereditary disease of Satan made itself manifest in the question, “Who is the greatest?”, and in his assertion, “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Every citizen in the kingdom of God must overcome the primary temptation to arrogance. Our God is a humble God! No Person in the Holy Trinity exalts Himself, each glorifies the Others. The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son (John 14:16) and the Son the Father (Matthew 6:9; John 17:4 etc.). Therefore, the Father could give the Son “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18; 11:27; Ephesians 1:20-22 etc.) without fearing a revolt. Likewise, the Son entrusted the entire power of God to the Holy Spirit for the work of building His church (John 16:14-15; 17:10; Acts 1:8).
The disease of arrogance must be overcome and eradicated in the life of every believer if he wants to live in the kingdom of God. The same applies to all practice in church leadership, community services and missions committees. Where the termites of arrogance have infested the wood of a church, there will be little fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Paul charges us in every area of our being, to live worthy unto God, who has called us into His own kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). We live in a “spiritual” kingdom, and, therefore, want to learn to think, feel, pray, speak and serve spiritually (Acts 24:16; Romans 8:14; 12:6; 1 Timothy 1:18-19 etc.). “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) Our life should be a reflection of praise for the grace of our calling into the kingdom of God (Hebrews 12:28).
The Spread of the Gospel and Prayer in the Kingdom of God: Jesus challenged His followers to place the spread of the gospel of the kingdom of God above all other tasks and problems: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
The Lord wants to take away our worry about food and clothing, and encourage us to entrust ourselves to the care of our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:25-34). If we make the great goal of God, the coming of His kingdom, our foremost concern, He will provide for everything else. Jesus said similar to a young man who first wanted to go and bury his father before he could follow Him: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). The young man was in danger of being drawn up in the ties and obligations to his family, which would have destroyed his call to service in the kingdom of God. Jesus Himself did not marry, and neither did Paul, in order to remain free for the sacrifice of His life for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7:7-8, 32-38).
Paul further emphasized, that the proclamation must not be shaped through sensitive emotions or empty rhetoric, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20).
Praying “Thy kingdom come!” encourages us to ask of Jesus again and again. We should continuously pray for the coming of the kingdom of heaven, full of love, holiness and power (Revelation 4:3). We have the privilege to ask of our Heavenly Father, that His will be done, both in heaven, and in our house, our people, and on the entire earth (Matthew 6:10). For that we have the promise: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16).
The continual effervescent spring flowing from the power of Jesus Christ is connected closely to prayer, whether it be private (Matthew 6:5-8) or communal (Matthew 18:18-20; Mark 11:23-25).
The kingdom of our Lord is a kingdom made of priests and kings, who are not continually occupied with themselves, their families, or their associations. Rather, the kingdom possesses intercessory insight into the heart of their surroundings, and has a far-sighted vision for world mission (1 Peter 2:9-10). When we pray in the name of Jesus and ask in His Spirit, when we bring all known sin and ties in our lives into the light of God, we have the privilege to believe in the answer to our prayers. The kingdom of our Father in heaven is a kingdom of those who pray! His power comes to completion in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 13:9).
Suffering for the Kingdom of Christ: Whoever follows Christ, the King of all kings, opposes the prince of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:2-3, 11; 2 Cor.4:4). This is the one who drives the godless to live it up in the “democracies of unlimited freedom”, or oppresses them in brutal dictatorships. In both cases, Christians come into the crossfire. In liberal democracies, they are accused of being intolerant fundamentalists, because they do not participate in dealings which go against God's commands. In dictatorships, they are persecuted because they have opened their hearts to the God-King and fear God more than men (Mt.10:28-33). In Islamic countries Christians are persecuted because they confess that Jesus is the Son of God (Suras al-Tawba 9:29-30; al-Nisa’ 4:171 etc.). In Israel an anti-mission law is in process, which could cause every Israeli who sympathizes with Jesus of Nazareth to lose his citizenship. The hatred of the world against Christ and His followers is growing.
The last words of the Beatitudes of Jesus Christ are still valid today: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness (of the kingdom of God's) sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12; Hebrews 11:33-40; 1 Peter 3:14-17; 4:14-19; James 5:10 etc.).
Jesus encouraged His followers: “Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32; 22:29).
Paul and Barnabas strengthened the young churches in Anatolia with the words: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). From the barren island of Patmos, the deported patriarch, John, wrote the following to his orphaned churches: “I, John, your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9).
Paul sees in the growth of faith, love and patience in the midst of persecutions, a sign of plain evidence that some would be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which cause they suffered (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5). Jesus, their King, reminded them of His example: “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. All these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (John 15:20-21; Matthew 10:25).
Paul writes: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:31-38). Just as Jesus loved us and overcame our heart of stone, so also should we, in following Him, overcome hate. Thus, He commands us:
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Luke 6:27-28; Matthew 5:44-48).
PRAYER: Thoughtful King, who cares for His flock, we become scared because of Your statement that the least would be great in Your kingdom, and that the great one humbles himself and becomes the least. Teach us to think and act according to the Spirit of Your Kingdom, and not to ask of You earthly things, but joyful share in the spread of Your kingdom. We do not become surprised if the enemies of Your kingdom pressed upon us as the prince of this world had tried to destroy You, but he failed because of Your resurrection.
QUESTION:
- What are the developments upon the accomplishment of the kingdom of heavens?