Imagine what life would be like in this modern day and age for a person living in a land totally ruled by a king? Of course not all kings are the same. There are good kings and there are awful kings. But imagine a king so powerful, yet most benevolent, full of love and compassion for the people and equally loved by his people. Not only is the king a ruler who puts good order in the land, but he also cares for and invests in the wellbeing of every single person and family belonging to his kingdom. Because of his power and influence, no problem, no situation would be so big that the king wouldn’t have the capability and resources to solve and even anticipate all sorts of problems, and the king is able to work always for the good of those in his kingdom. Wow!!
I suppose that every person who belongs to that kingdom would be very very secure, would be completely at peace and would have no worries in the world. Sana ol, right?
Now, imagine further, that outsiders – those who belong to other lands or other kingdoms – are welcome to be part of this awesome kingdom, without much bureaucratic red tape, with the only condition being loyalty and allegiance to the king. I bet you there will be a long long line of people applying for visas to be permanent residents of that kingdom. Right?
I mean, look at our society today here in the Philippines. Even though we may have a beautiful land, and are generally peaceful and progressive, still many Filipinos are attracted and pursue permanent residence in other advanced countries – Canada, Australia, the United States, etc. Right? Many of our people seek a better place to be at.
I think you already know what I’m leading up to. Because, you know what, my dear brothers and sisters? You know what? There IS in fact such a benevolent and powerful King, and the invitation to join His kingdom is actually offered to one and all.
Let’s reflect on the passage from Matthew 10:7-15. Jesus has just selected 12 apostles, and now he instructs the twelve of them about their missionary trip to the towns of Galilee. And their mission is simply to go around and proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the same message that John the Baptist himself had also been proclaiming and this is why John was able to acquire a large following. For the Israelites back then, who were living for centuries under the rule of foreign kings who oppressed them, this meant for them that the long-awaited Messiah was finally coming. For them, they understood this message to mean that Yahweh was finally taking action to anoint someone to rule over Israel once again. And this was very good news! For hundreds of years, prophets had been declaring that one day the Messiah would come and be crowned as their King. And here we have John — and now Jesus Himself and his apostles — announcing to everyone that the promised messianic king was coming, and Israel would once again be ruled by their own king, and not by a foreign ruler.
Of course, we now know that this kingdom and the kingship of Jesus would not result in the overthrow of the Romans. Instead, the kingdom of heaven involved the death of Jesus in atonement for the sins of humanity and that He would rise again and conquer death with His resurrection. And the sacrificial death of Jesus entitles all who believe in Him to become citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
And now more than 2000 years later, that good news is still being proclaimed to our very doorsteps today. My friends, the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Hallelujah!
What are we to make of that good news message in todays’ day and age? Well, a lot!!! It will take endless hours of preaching to fully appreciate the depth and breadth of this good news. But for today, I want to point out three simple things so that this good news becomes a message of hope to all of us.
IT’S AN INVITATION
First of all, we need to understand that the good news message: “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” is an invitation. It is an invitation to become part of a kingdom where Jesus Christ is King of all Kings. And the only “visa requirement” is for us to acknowledge loyalty and allegiance to Jesus, and to forsake and turn away from all other sources of security, of joy, and of happiness, and to forsake all other influencers of our decisions and plans and aspirations. And then, to believe and rely only in Jesus as the ruler of our lives, as the source of all our security, as the one who will guide our steps and decisions, as the only one whom we will obey faithfully until death. It’s an invitation that is open to all.
JESUS IS THE SOVEREIGN KING
Second, we need to understand and appreciate fully who this King is. Jesus is the king of kings. There is no king more powerful than Him. He is the King of the entire universe; His sovereignty is supreme. The entire universe and everything in it responds to His commands. Not only is He sovereignly in control of everything, His actions, decisions and plans are perfect and wise. He does everything perfectly for His glory and the good of all that belong to His kingdom. Let me say that again, He does everything perfectly for His glory and the good of all that belong to His kingdom.
YOU ARE NOT JUST A CITIZEN. YOU BECOME AN ADOPTED CHILD OF THE KING OF KINGS
Finally, I want us all to understand that those who sign up for citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, those who pledge allegiance to Jesus as the king of their lives, automatically acquire the status of adopted son or daughter of God the Father Himself. That is the kind of intimacy and tenderness of relationship that is granted to all who surrender to the kingship of Jesus. Though God is sovereign and supremely powerful, He is intimate and personal, and He tends to each and every single citizen of His kingdom not only like a shepherd over his flock, but like a father over his children.
Basically what I’m saying is that for those who acknowledge Jesus as their King, they are promised nothing short of complete and total peace and pure joy, knowing that their lives are under the sovereign control of a powerful, wise, generous and loving Father.
IN WHOSE KINGDOM DO YOU BELONG?
Now what? Let me end with a word of encouragement. For those of you, my dear friends, who have already submitted yourselves to the Lordship of Jesus, it would be good to reflect on our state of mind and heart today, and examine whether in fact we have that peace and that joy that comes from knowing that our lives are in the hands of a loving, compassionate Father who also happens to be the King of all creation. However, let’s be honest. If you are now experiencing any anxiety, or worry or doubt or fear about maybe an uncertain future, it is good to be reminded about the greatness and the power and the compassion and love that our King has for each of you personally. You, my dear friend, are the son and daughter of a Good and Powerful King. May this truth comfort you and set your heart at ease. Rejoice!
And finally, for those of you who have not yet fully submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, and who continue to depend on your own knowledge and wisdom, on your own physical, emotional and material resources, in pursuit of your wellbeing and to secure your future, know that all the awesome treasures of citizenship in that Kingdom of heaven are freely available to you, if only You acknowledge Jesus as your King.
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