Theme for this month: Jesus in the Four Gospels
Theme for this week: “Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew”
December 7, 2021 (Tuesday)
Today’s blog is copied and edited from Bible.org. It’s about the kingdom over which Christ is King (“Kingdom of God,” “Kingdom of Heaven.”) The original language for “kingdom” is a word that means, “reign,” and is not describing a geographical place.
The most important thing to notice is that a kingdom exists because Jesus is the King. He is the Messiah, the Savior promised by God in the Old Testament (1:22-23; 2:6; Is. 7:14; Mic. 5:2). He is not only Israel’s King, but the international Christ for all the nations.
The kingdom of God in Matthew’s gospel sometimes seems to be a present reality (Matt. 12:28; 13:18-23; 21:43). At other times, it appears to be future. Agreements on this issue are few and positions strongly defended. Most would generally agree that Christ’s kingdom began in some way with His first coming. It continues to advance as His people live the gospel message throughout the world. However, it will not realize its ultimate completion until He returns.
The kingdom has to do with whatever Christ the King rules. That’s why Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance. Repentance means to change one’s mind or purpose. In terms of the kingdom, it involves changes to reflect kingdom values. That’s the point of the oft-repeated lines in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Kingdom people submit their own will to the will of the King.
One of the difficulties people have with the idea of a present kingdom is that it doesn’t appear to be in place yet. The world seems to grow farther away from God by the day, but the kingdom has been established and will last forever (6:13).
The values of the kingdom reflect what matters to the King. Jesus described a number of His values in Matthew 5:3-10, a section of the Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes (or, as some call them, the “beautiful attitudes”). Kingdom people adopt the King’s values and make choices that reflect those values—in their jobs, families, and communities. “Seeking first the kingdom” (6:33) puts a Christlike perspective on one’s work and its outcomes. Jesus affects the outlook of a person’s life. He gives His followers purpose and a mission—to live as subjects of the kingdom and promote kingdom values in everyday life and work. He wants all people have the opportunity to give their allegiance to Him as their Savior and King (28:18-20).
JESUS SHALL REIGN
Author: Isaac Watts
1719
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does its successive journeys run,
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
To him shall endless prayer be made,
and praises throng to crown his head.
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
with every morning sacrifice.
People and realms of every tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song,
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.
Blessings abound where’er he reigns:
the prisoners leap to lose their chains,
the weary find eternal rest,
and all who suffer want are blest.
Let every creature rise and bring
the highest honors to our King,
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen.