The Kingdom of Jesus Christ

This is the last post in the Kingdom of God series. In this final post we will look at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, God incarnate. John the apostle made the following statement in the graphic below:

With the above statement in mind, what I cover today will only be a very brief look at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I began this series by asking the following questions:

1. What did our Creator have in mind when He created mankind in His image?
2. Did the Creator establish a religion for mankind to follow?
3. Has mankind turned the plan of our Creator into a religious tradition?
4. Christianity tells me I must be “saved”. “Saved’ from what? If I am not “saved” what happens?
5. Did Jesus speak of religion when He dwelt among us or something else?
6. Have the traditions of mankind helped or hindered the message of Christ?

Kingdom Restoration

We have seen in previous posts, Adam and Eve’s rebellion cost mankind the right to rule and have dominion over the earthly kingdom. Thereby, Lucifer seized control of the earthly domain as the illegal pretender to the throne. Immediately, the King of Heaven put in motion His plan to restore the kingdom back into the hands of mankind.

By now you realize that I agree with the author Miles Munroe when he states that they did not lose a religion. What was lost was a kingdom. Therefore, when God set out to restore what they had lost, He set out to restore a kingdom.

Religion is an invention of man, born of his efforts to “find” God, and restore the kingdom on his own. However only God can restore the kingdom mankind lost. When the time was right, the King of Heaven sent His Son to restore His Kingdom on earth.

God sent His Son into the physical world with the message that the Kingdom of God had arrived. What was His purpose in restoring the Kingdom? Not to restore a religion but to restore our “full rights” as sons and daughters of the King.

Your Time is Up!

When Jesus began His ministry declaring the Kingdom of God is near, He brought the promise of restoring to mankind the dominion over the earth. Consequently, He was showing Satan as his demonic realm that their reign was coming to a close. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ was at hand.

The Old Testament reveals God as King, Lord, and Owner of all. The New Testament reveals Jesus Christ, God’s unique Son, as Lord and Owner of all. The Lordship of Jesus is by creative rights. This was a natural result of His role in the creation of all things both seen and unseen.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.  – John 1:1-5 NLT

God Establishes The Kingdom of Jesus Christ

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. – Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT – (emphasis mine)

 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” – Luke 1:28-33 NLT – (emphasis mine)

Christ is the Visible Image of the Invisible God

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. – Col 1:15-16  NLT

The Kingdom is Among You

Whenever a king speaks, his whole government is speaking. Whenever a king moves, the government moves with him because he embodies the government; the king is the government. A king and his government are inseparable.

Therefore, when Jesus walked the earth, the Kingdom of Heaven was also on earth. Jesus the King and His government are inseparable. Jesus’ focus was on the kingdom of God. There are more than 100 verses in the Gospels where Jesus mentioned and taught concerning the kingdom.

God the Father Gives Jesus the Authority  

• The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands – Jn 3:35
• Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth – Mt 28:18 
• “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” – Lk 10:22 
• I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. – Jn 12:49 

 Jesus Christ Claims His Authority

Jesus did not rely on the thoughts, ideas, interpretations, or traditions of men. Why? Because He was the King of kings and Lord of lords, whose authority was independent and sovereign.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free – Lk 4:18

For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” – Jn 4:24-26

Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. – Mk 13:31

Jesus Christ has Authority Over:

• Nature 
  • Calming of the Storm – Mt 8:23-27 
  • Jesus Walks on Water – Mt 14:22-33 
  • The Fig Tree Curse – Mt 21:18-22 
• Sin 
  • Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” – Mk 2:3-12
  • And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” – Lk 7:47-50
• Sickness
  • Peter’s mother-in-law – Mt 8:14-15
  • Two blind men – Mt 20:29-34
  • The woman with bleeding issues – Mt 9:22
  • Whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all – Mt 4:24
• Death
  • Raising Lazarus after four days in the tomb – Jn 11:1-44
  • Jairus’ young daughter  – Mk 5:22-42
  • Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son – Lk 7:11-16

Jesus Christ has Authority Over Evil

Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” – Mark 1:23-27 NLT

Authority Over His Own Death

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”  – John 10:17-18 NLT – (emphasis mine)

Authority Over Citizenship the Kingdom

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. – Jn 14:6 (emphasis mine)

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. – Jn 10:9  (emphasis mine)

In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. – Heb 5:9  (emphasis mine)

The High Cost of Freedom

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him, God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. – Col 1:19-20 

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ – Lk 24:45-47 

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. – 1 Tim 2:5-6 

Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. – 1 Jn 4:14 

Already But Not Yet

Until Jesus Christ returns to set up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem we believers (citizens of the kingdom) are actively taking part in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ by today. We are “already” in the kingdom, but we do “not yet” see it in its glory. Moreover, this means that all the rights of kingdom citizens are available now.

For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him – 1 Tim 6:15-16

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds – Mt 16:27

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. – Mt 25:31–33

The Return of The King

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever.” His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. – Rev 11:15 

King of All kings and Lord of All lords

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.  His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.  He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 

The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.  From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.  On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Rev 11-16 NLT

The Book of Life

 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.  I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.  Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.  And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. – Rev 20:11-15

Conclusion

I want to take one final look to see if I have answered the questions below. I also want to thank you for coming along on this “Indiana Jones” journey to discover our Amazing Creator Yahweh. For me the choice of kingdoms is clear. As for me and my house? We will pledge our allegiance to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

• Q: What did our Creator have in mind when He created mankind in His image?
  • We were to rule and reign His earth – Gen 1:28
• Q: Did the Creator establish a religion for mankind to follow?
  • No, He did not.
  • The Greek word translated as “religion” is θρησκεία  thrēskeía, (thrace-ki’-ah); from Strongs Lexicon: g2356. Used 4x denoting ceremonial observance. Yahweh is concerned about our inward heart motive and not outward appearances of “devotion”. – Rom 2:29
• Q: Did Jesus speak of religion when He dwelt among us or something else?
  • Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God.
• Q: Christianity tells me I must be “saved”. “Saved’ from what? If I am not “saved” what happens?
  • Jesus said we need to be born again. John 3:3-16
  • We are born the first time into the worldly kingdom of Satan. Jesus offers us the choice to be saved/born again into His Kingdom. Otherwise, we will receive the same sentence as Satan.
• Q: Has mankind turned the plan of our Creator into a religious tradition?
  • Yes, for further information read Frank Viola’s book “Insurgence“.
• Q: Have the traditions of mankind helped or hindered the message of Christ?
  • Only you can be the judge.