Lord Jesus Christ, — “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; … To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” 1 Tim:6:14-16
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matt 9:35
“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” Luke 9:1-2
The message that Jesus preached was the gospel of the kingdom of God. A simple definition of a kingdom is a domain where a king rules. The kingdom of God implies a King and Jesus is that King. Not only did Jesus preach the kingdom of God, but His disciples were instructed to preach the kingdom. In fact, Jesus connected the accomplishment of the church’s mission to the full declaration of the gospel of the kingdom to all the nations as a witness before the end would come (Matt.24:14). The purpose of this writing is to focus on the King of the Kingdom. Simply put, where ever Jesus has rule, there the kingdom has come.
David caught a glimpse of this King and wrote of Him in Psalm 2.
“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”…”Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession….Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Ps 2:1-3,6-8,10-12
Daniel saw him in a night vision.
“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” Dan 7:13-14
At His ascension Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” Matt. 28:18 The implications of that are staggering. His supreme rule extends over all. He rules over space. He rules over time and eternity. He rules over nature. And, although there are pockets of rebellion currently remaining in the hearts of men, His rule shall eventually and inevitably extend to every individual, for Scripture states in Phil. 2:10-11 “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, …, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Romans 10:9 states “… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord is directly connected to His saving grace, but I am convinced many people don’t fully understand the significance of the statement that Jesus is Lord.
to be continued:
See The Kingdom of God: Part One – The inevitability of the Kingdom
See The Kingdom of God: Part Three – Jesus is Lord
