Christ the King

Christ the King - Sunday

first posted 11/22/03

Isaiah 19:19-25   Israel will be a mediator among nations
Romans 15:5-13   Glorify God in our lives
Luke 19:11-27   The parable of the pounds

Isaiah foresaw a day when Egypt will worship the Lord, and Egypt and Assyria (present day Syria, Iraq and Iran) will be friendly and worship together. Israel will be a mediator between nations. God promised that Israel would be blessed to be a blessing for all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:3).

Paul prays that Christians will live together in such harmony with one another that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified (v. 5). Christ came to bring salvation not just to Jews, but to also to Gentiles, although the promise of the coming of the Messiah was made to Israel.

On his way to Jerusalem and his crucifixion, Jesus told the parable of the pounds: “A nobleman went into a far country to receive kingly power and then return” (v.12). He gave each of his servants a pound (of wealth; i.e. money) and told them to trade with it until his return. But his citizens hated him so they sent a delegation saying that they did not want him to reign over them. When he returned in his kingly power, he asked his servants to give account of their stewardship of the resources and the time spent during his absence. At the accounting, those servants who had used the time and resources to further the nobleman/king’s interest were commended, but those who had not appreciated their master’s goodness and had not made use of the resources and time to further their master’s interests suffered the loss of his gifts. Those who did not want him to rule over them were destroyed.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of a mediator among the nations. Jesus is the one who will bring peace to the earth and peace between ourselves and God. Paul calls Christians to live in harmony with others, and in a manner which brings Glory to the Lord, so that all people may come to salvation through faith in Jesus. In the parable of the pounds, Jesus is the nobleman, and he was, at the time of the telling, heading toward his crucifixion in Jerusalem. After his resurrection he ascended into heaven, promising to return again to judge the earth (Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 25:31-46).

Jesus is Lord, whether we accept him as our Lord or not. He is going to come again to judge everyone on earth. God has given each one of us the identical gift of salvation in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Have we received that gift and invested it in our lives and built upon it, or have we buried it in the ground? (Is Jesus still dead and in the tomb, as far as we’re concerned?) Will we refuse to let Jesus reign over us as our king at the cost of our eternal lives? All we have to do to receive salvation is to open our hearts to Jesus and invite him in to be our Lord and Savior (Revelation 3:20)

Christ the King - Monday

first posted 11/23/03

Joel 3:1-2, 9-17 The locust plague

1Peter 1:1-12 Rejoice in what God has done

Matthew 19:1-12 Marriage and divorce

The word of the Lord through Joel, son of Pethuel: “Sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God; and cry to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes” (v.14-15).

Peter, the apostle (one of the twelve disciples), wrote to encourage Christians in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). “Through the mercy of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been” born anew (or “again”) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (v. 3-5). We can rejoice in this, despite various present trials. By our perseverance in faith we will obtain the promise of our salvation. The prophets and even angels longed to see the fulfillment of the promise which has now been revealed to us.

The Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was lawful to divorce one’s spouse. Jesus answered by saying that in marriage the two become one (v.5, quoting Genesis 2:24), and that “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder (break apart).” The Pharisees asked him why Moses had allowed divorce, and Jesus answered that it was because of mankind’s hardness of heart (i.e. their lack of love would lead to worse sin, such as abuse or even murder, if not permitted to separate); that, except for unchastity, divorce and remarriage amounted to adultery. Jesus disciples concluded that it was therefore not expedient for a person to marry. Jesus replied that voluntary celibacy in the service of God’s kingdom is acceptable, if the individual is able to comply with the conditions, but that not all individuals are able to do so.

The Day of Judgment, when everyone on earth will be accountable to God, draws near.Those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and have been obedient to his word will receive eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. Those who have rejected Jesus and not obeyed God’s word will be condemned to eternal death and destruction in Hell with Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:31-46).

“Born Again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians, who have the indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ, can rejoice in the assurance that we have an imperishable inheritance awaiting us, which is eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. God has shown, through the resurrection of Jesus, what he has promised to do for us. For us, the best is yet to come! Our salvation is ready to be revealed!

God does not want anyone to perish, but that all might come to receive eternal life (John 3:16-18). Allowing divorce is an example of how the Lord takes into consideration our weaknesses and does not demand more of us than we are capable of performing. His requirements are not impossible; they are designed so that we can fulfill them and be saved. But it’s our choice. Jesus is the only way (John 14:6)! There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12)!

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Christ the King -Tuesday

first posted 11/23/03

Nahum 1:1-13 Judgment against the wicked and for those who trust God

1 Peter 1:13-25 Christian hope

Matthew 19:13-22 The rich young man

The oracle of Nahum: “…the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries…The Lord is slow to anger and of great might, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, he knows those who take refuge in him, but with an overflowing flood he will make a full end of his adversaries…” (Nahum 1:2c, 3, 7-8a).

Peter tells believers to focus their thoughts and hopes on the grace (free gift of salvation) which is coming to them at the return of Jesus on the Day of Judgment. They are to be obedient to God’s word, not conforming to their human nature and the worldly standards around them, but following the example we have in Jesus and in God’s word. Our sins have been paid for at the cost of Jesus’ precious blood, like that of the sacrificial lamb of Passover. Only through Jesus are we able to have reconciliation and be at peace with God. Believers are born anew (or “again”) not by perishable seed but by imperishable seed (that is, by the immortal Holy Spirit of the risen Jesus) who is the living and abiding (eternal and indwelling) word of God [made visible in human form in Jesus (John 1:14)].

Jesus blessed the children, and declared that salvation and the kingdom of God belonged to those who trust in God in childlike trust and simplicity. A rich young man asked Jesus what one must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered that the way to live a good life is to be obedient to God’s will. The man asked what he else he needed to do. Jesus suggests that he sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and come and follow Jesus. “When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:22).

Through Nahum, the Lord declares that there is going to be a Day of Judgment, when the wicked will be punished, but those who have trusted in the Lord will be saved.

Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (John 3:16-17; Acts 4:12). Peter tells believers to trust in Jesus for salvation, and to live in obedience to God’s word. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) It is only through Jesus that we are able to satisfy the requirements of God’s Law. It’s by grace (the free gift of God that we are saved through faith in Jesus, not because of works (keeping) of the law (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The rich young man kept the ritual observance of the law. His wealth made it relatively easy for him, since he could afford the ritual sacrifices for his sins. Yet he still sensed his inadequacy. We can never be righteous by our own efforts to keep God’s Law (Romans 3:20-25a; 10:3-4; Galatians 3:10-14)). The fact that he turned away from following Jesus, when Jesus suggested that he sell his property, shows how divided the young man’s loyalty was toward God, and how unable he was to keep the commandments of the Law. The first Law is not to have any other gods but God, and yet when the young man had to choose between God and money, money won. (Jesus said “You cannot love God and mammon (“wealth”).

Jesus is coming again soon to judge everyone on the earth. There will be just one standard on which we will be judged: Have we trusted in Jesus as our Lord and savior, and obeyed his word? Jesus is the only way (John 14:6)! We are all eternal (John 5:28-29). Where will you choose to spend eternity?

Christ the King - Wednesday

first posted 11/25/03

Obediah 15-21 The Day of the Lord

1 Peter 2:1-10 Exhortation to Godliness

Matthew 19:23-30 The kingdom of heaven

“For the Day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you, your deeds shall return on your own head” (v. 15). But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape…Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s” (Obediah 15:15, 17a, 21).

Christians are to feed on the Gospel so that they may grow up to spiritual maturity. They are, like living stones, to be built into a spiritual house; they are to become a holy

priesthood. Jesus is the rock of destiny. To those who believe, he is the rock of salvation; to those who do not believe he is a stumbling stone. We, who have tasted the kindness of the Lord, are to declare his wonderful deeds, for we have received mercy, and have been adopted by God as his people.

Jesus said to his disciples that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples asked him who, then, can be saved. Jesus answered that what seems impossible for men is not impossible for God. Peter wanted to know what Jesus’ disciples, who left everything to follow him, would have. Jesus replied that whatever is given up for the kingdom of heaven will be repaid many times over, in addition to eternal life.

The Day of the Lord is at hand. A day of judgment is coming, when the wicked will receive eternal death and destruction in Hell with Satan, but those who have trusted in Jesus as Lord and savior will receive eternal life in heaven with Jesus. Believers are to grow to spiritual maturity and, having a personal experience and knowledge of the Lord, are to share that with others. Those who are willing to loose everything for the kingdom will receive many times again, in addition to eternal life; but those who want to hang on to what they have will loose everything, including their immortal souls.

Christ the King - Thursday

first posted 11/26/03

Zephaniah 3:1-13 Woe to the rebellious

1 Peter 2:11-25 Our healer and shepherd

Matthew 20:1-16 Laborers in the vineyard

Woe to the rebellious, who do not listen to correction, who do not trust in the Lord nor draw near to God. The Lord is faithful and just. The Lord corrects, but the rebellious refuse correction. Therefore a Day of Judgment is coming, when the indignation of the Lord will be poured out and all the earth shall be consumed. The Lord will remove the arrogant and haughty, but the humble and lowly will remain. At that time a remnant shall be saved, who seek refuge in the Lord. “For they shall pasture and lie down, and none shall make them afraid” (Zephaniah 3:13b).

Christians are called to maintain good conduct, so that the Lord will be glorified. They are to be subject to all human institutions. They are to be humble and submissive to others, regardless of the behavior of others toward them, suffering unjustly, if necessary, with patience. Jesus is our example. He committed no sin, he spoke no deceit, he did not revile his revilers, and he did not threaten. Instead he trusted in God, who judges justly. By dying for our sins on the Cross, he made it possible for us to die to sin and live to righteousness. His wounds heal us. We are like lost and straying sheep; he is the good shepherd and guardian of our souls, who can bring us to safety and good pasture.

Jesus told the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, saying that it illustrated the kingdom of heaven. The owner went out early to hire laborers for the day, and agreed to pay them a day’s wage. Later he went out again and found others standing idle, so he sent them into the vineyard also, promising to pay them fairly. Several more times during the day he went out and sent others to work in the vineyard, as before. The last group of workers only worked one hour, after the day had begun to cool off. At the end of the day the owner called the workers, beginning with the last and he paid them all a full day’s wages. When the first came they expected to be paid more, since they had worked longer, so they grumbled when they got the same pay. But the owner pointed out that a day’s wage is what they agreed upon, and that he had not wronged them by giving the same pay to the last workers hired.

The Lord is the good shepherd. He can be trusted to provide for our best interests. He corrects us for our own good, so that we will not come to disaster. We are by nature arrogant and prideful. We want to make the rules. We rebel against God’s sovereignty. The Lord corrects us so that we might learn obedience to his will, so that we will come to know that his will is good and in our best interest. Those who refuse the correction of the Lord now will be condemned to destruction on the Day of Judgment.

The Lord is faithful; he always keeps his word. The Lord is the righteous judge. He is more than fair, as the parable shows. He kept his word to the first group of workers, and he dealt as generously with the last workers. No one deserves salvation; we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) Salvation is a free gift to all those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9). Don't make the mistake of waiting until later, thinking there will be another chance; that you can get saved at the last minute and avoid the "hard" work.

I believe that the meaning and purpose of life is to seek God. We have been given this life as an opportunity to come to knowledge of God. (Acts 17:26-27). Jesus is the only way; no one can come to God the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (Acts 4:12). Are we willing to follow God’s rules, or do we still insist on making our own rules?

Christ the King - Friday

first posted 11/27/03

Isaiah 24:14-23 Universal judgment

1 Peter 3:13-4:6 Spiritual liberation through suffering

Matthew 20:17-28 Passion foretold; James and John seek honor

The Lord will triumph. The Lord will be praised in all the earth. The treacherous will be dealt with. There will be a Day of Judgment, when the entire Universe, heaven and earth, will be accountable to the Lord. The Moon will be confounded and the Sun ashamed (both worshiped as deities by peoples of the earth). The host of heaven (rebellious astral deities) will be imprisoned in the pit, along with the wicked of the earth. The Lord will reign over all.

Peter exhorts Christians to conduct themselves with good behavior in all things, so that they may have a clear conscience, and to patiently endure suffering so that those who revile their good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. Christ is our example, the righteous suffering for the unrighteous, that we might be restored to a right relationship with God. Where once the waters of the Flood were used to destroy the wicked in Noah’s day, we now are saved by the waters of baptism through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who suffer for righteousness have been freed from slavery to sin. They are no longer ruled by human passions but by God’s will. Christians must no longer participate in licentiousness, debauchery and self-indulgence; those who do such things will be held to account the Lord “who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5), to whom all angels, authorities and powers are subject (1 Peter 3:22).

As Jesus was heading to his Crucifixion in Jerusalem, he told his disciples, for the third time, that he would be delivered “to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he would be raised on the third day” (Matthew 20:19). The mother of James and John approached and asked Jesus to give her sons positions of favor and authority in Jesus’ Kingdom. Jesus answered that in his kingdom those who are “great” are those who serve others and are willing to endure suffering, as Jesus’ own example illustrates.

The Lord will reign over the entire Universe. All authorities in heaven and earth will be judged and held accountable to him. All his enemies will be cast into the pit of eternal destruction. Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ have been raised from the waters of condemnation into eternal life, provided that they live in obedience to Jesus. Jesus will judge the physically living and dead, and he will decide who is spiritually living or dead. Christians are to live as Jesus set the example. Christians will suffer for righteousness, because those who are of the world will resent that Christians will not join them in their wickedness. As the world hated and rejected Jesus, they will hate and reject his disciples. The way to eternal life is through the Cross of Jesus.

Who would consider that a good bargain? Only those who acknowledge their own sinfulness; only those who have come to recognize that the things of this world don’t satisfy, and don’t last; only those who have come to realize that Jesus' way is the truth and that it works, as he showed that it does (John 14:6); only those who have encountered and experienced the goodness of the risen Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Christ the King - Saturday

first posted 11/28/03

Micah 7:11-20 The restoration of Israel

1 Peter 4:7-19 The end is near

Matthew 20:29-34 Let our eyes be opened!

The Lord will restore his people, but he will destroy the wicked (Micah 7:11, 13). The enemies of God will be put to shame (Micah 7:16-17), but the Lord will save his people and forgive their sins.

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers,” Peter tells believers (1 Peter 4:7). Keep on living according to God’s word, so that in everything God may be glorified, as we await the day of the Lord. “…rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13), but don’t let yourselves be deserving of punishment because of wrong-doing. The time has come for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if God’s people need to be careful, how much more should the impious and sinners take warning! “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful creator” (1 Peter 4:19).

As Jesus was leaving Jericho, followed by a great crowd, he passed by two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out “Have mercy on us, Son of David” (Matthew 20:30b). The crowd rebuked them but they cried out all the more, addressing him as Lord (Matthew 20:31b). Jesus stopped and asked them what they wanted him to do for them, and they replied “Lord, let our eyes be opened” (Matthew 20:33). “And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him” (Matthew 20:34).

Jesus came that our spiritual eyes might be opened. If we call out to him in faith, asking to see, he will be glad to open our eyes. There is a Day of Judgment coming, when everyone will give account to God for his life (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29). All have sinned (Romans 3:23). The wages (punishment) for sin is death (eternal death and destruction of the soul in Hell) (Romans 6:23). God loves us and wants to save us (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12). It’s a free gift; it can’t be earned, bought, or taken by force or cunning (Ephesians 2:8-9). All one needs to do is receive it (John 1:12; Revelation 3:20). We must respond while he is near. It’s our choice.