The Kingdom Of Christ
By John Hendrix
Long ago God set up a kingdom on earth. God was the King, the children of Israel were His subjects. Israel, however, rejected God's kingship (1 Samuel 8:7) , and they turned God's kingdom into just another kingdom of man, doomed for destruction. As this kingdom of man was deteriorating, God moved His prophets to talk of a new Kingdom and a new King:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
God gave Israel many such prophesies. This kingdom would not end, no other kingdom would follow (Daniel 2:44).
The faithful of Israel looked forward in hope to this new King and His everlasting kingdom. No doubt the vast majority expected a kingdom much like David's: centered on the worship of God, but created and maintained by swords and spears.
Yet prophets like Isaiah spoke of something more: a suffering Servant whose humiliation would pay the debt for their sins.
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)
Faithful Jews might be excused if they assumed that the suffering servant and the conquering Messiah were two different people. Yet in Jesus we see both, and so did many faithful Jews of Jesus' day.
What has become of this Messiah and His kingdom?
Many still look to the future for the Kingdom of God. The reason they do is not hard to understand. The wickedness of the world around us seems enough evidence that Jesus is not currently king. Where is the justice? Where is the peace?
But when John came preaching in the wilderness he said,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2)
To John this kingdom was not "far off," but "at hand." Jesus preached the same after John was imprisoned (Mark 1:15). He even told the people of His day,
Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. (Matthew 16:28)
Certainly, God's sense of time is different than ours (2 Peter 3:8), but if Jesus' kingdom is still in the future there are some mighty old people around somewhere!
But what of the kingdom?
After His resurrection, Jesus said,
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)
Having come to the earth as a servant (John 6:38; Philippians 2:7), Jesus was raised again with all authority. He was raised with all the authority any king could have.
Paul discussed the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15--Jesus' resurrection and our own. During that discussion, Paul said clearly that Jesus was already reigning (v 25) and that He will continue to reign until "all enemies" were put under His feet. The last enemy to be defeated is death (v 26). This is in the context of our resurrection. When we rise from the dead, Christ's victory over death will be complete.
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)
Our resurrection will mark the ending of Christ's reign, when death is utterly defeated and Jesus surrenders His kingdom up to the Heavenly father.
So Jesus is reigning. His kingdom, however, is "not of this world" (John 18:36). While the world lies in sin, the Kingdom of Christ exists. We must lift up our eyes from the earthly, and see the heavenly.
Paul said,
… for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)
Paul tells us that the kingdom of God is not about earthly pleasures, but rather righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. He speaks of the kingdom in the present tense and emphasizes its spiritual qualities. We do not need to look forward to an earthly kingdom where the lions and lambs literally cavort together. The kingdom of Christ is much more grand that that.
From what do God's people need saving? The Jews thought it was the Romans or some other foreign power. We know that true salvation is from our sin and the wrath of God that comes from it. Christ saved us from this (Romans 5:9). He conquered sin and death so that we might be kept safe in His kingdom until we rise again to be with God.
With whom do God's people need peace? With God himself! The children of Israel were adopted by God and were destroyed by God through disobedience. No country could have touched them if they had not become enemies of God. The only way for us to avoid destruction is by the peace which Jesus brought and bought (Romans 5:1).
I do not know what plans God has for the earth before Christ returns and God destroys it. I do not need to know. I have the only King who can keep me safe from my enemies. I have the only Ambassador of the Father who will keep me at peace with God. I am in a kingdom that is "not of this world," but every bit as real.