Of Kings And Kingdoms
One of the highlights of our recent trip to Belize was getting the opportunity to stand atop the Mayan Ruins in two of the many preserved archaeological sites in Central America. As a part of our trip, we were able to visit Cahal Pech and Xunantunich in Belize. The above photo is a picture from El Castille, the massive castle structure atop a tremendous hill just miles away from Guatemala.
El Castille (pictured below) was the apex of Mayan society in this region. Only the highest authority was able to tread up the large steps and stand atop the structure. The ruler of the Mayan people in this region, the person who stood atop El Castille, was like the Pharoah of Egypt, believed to be a god and have a direct line to the gods. It was the aspiration of all the citizens who encamped around El Castille to be that ruler.
I was thrilled to get to learn about the Mayan culture, which was so far ahead of its time in terms of the calendar, and many other technological advancements. It was also incredibly interesting to hear about the fall of the Maya in this region. Nobody knows for sure what led to the dissolving of the Mayan peoples. There is much speculation ranging from reasonable things such as water shortage to crazy things like aliens.
One thing is for sure. The Mayan kingdom is no more, and we walked over the ruins of the once immensely powerful civilization. We stood atop the once impenetrable apex of El Castille and saw what Mayan kings had once seen, albeit the kingdom was no longer a thriving civilization. All that is left of the Mayan kingdom is memories, and the many scattered peoples throughout Central America with Mayan roots in their lineage. The Mayan kingdom like so many throughout history, has fallen.
The Bible tells us that God's kingdom will not - like the Mayan and other worldly kingdoms, "be shaken." (cf. Hebrews 12:28) God's kingdom will be eternal.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
(Mark 1:15 ESV)
What does he mean?
Jesus tells us the kingdom of God is at hand -- the kingdom of God has drawn near. Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah, God's king sent to redeem humanity and bring people back under the rule of God.
The story of the Bible can be broken up into four parts: Creation - Fall - Redemption - Restoration. As Jesus begins his ministry, he is proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor. Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah, sent from God, who will be the King of God's kingdom. Jesus is saying that he is going to be the redemption, and that his life and death will bring about the restoration of all things.
In short:
1. Creation: We were created by God, perfectly in His image, to rule over the world and live in perfect fellowship with Him.
2. Fall: As a result of Adam's sin, sin entered the world. Men and women, now in our very nature are sinners. We are corrupted to the core. We reject God and worship created things instead of our Creator. By nature we are sinful, therefore by nature we must die. Sin entered the world, and death through sin.
3. Redemption: Throughout history, God has worked through his people such as Moses and the prophets to proclaim the good news that one day, God will redeem a people to Himself. God begins this mission by choosing Abraham and the people, Israel. God redeems Israel from the house of slavery in Egypt and is to them a King, their God. However, Israel turns from God and worships created things, idols. Israel sinfully forgets God and His great deliverance, and falls back into captivity. Even through all this God in His steadfast love, speaks through the prophets to point to a coming redemption through a Messiah. For instance, God says this:
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, (Daniel 2:44 ESV)
and this:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)
When Jesus says the kingdom of God has drawn near, he is referring to Himself. He is the Son of God, true God from true God, who has become the "child who is born." Jesus is announcing himself as God's king, the one who will establish and uphold God's kingdom with justice and righteousness for all of eternity.
What is God's kingdom?
Jesus! (I'll expand.)
A kingdom needs three things: A KING - A PEOPLE - A LAND
Jesus is God's king. The emphatic declaration that Jesus is God's king is the fact that Jesus is raised from the dead. Death cannot hold Jesus, because he lived without sin and because he himself is God.
As a result of God's kingdom drawing near in the person of Jesus Christ, we are called to do two things: repent and believe in the gospel.
Jesus' people are those who have been or will be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, or "born-again."
John 3:3-6
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (ESV)
We cannot enter God's kingdom by flesh and blood. Who then can be saved?
Luke 18:27
But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (ESV)
The good news of the gospel is that God raises the dead! The Bible teaches that we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins until the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit brings us from death to life.
What makes someone a Christian? We aren't a Christian by birth, by geography, or even by going to church. A Christian is one who has been "born again" of the Holy Spirit. A Christian is one who lives unto God.
Those who have been born again of "water and the Spirit" have entered the kingdom of God. Those who have the Holy Spirit proclaim Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Those who have the Holy Spirit are God's people. The Bible talks about this in terms of a 'heart circumcision.' In the Old Testament, Jews were circumcised to show that they belong to God, and were set apart to live unto Him. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit at work in our lives is the symbol that we have been 'circumcised' and belong to God.
Colossians 2:11-14
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (ESV)
To recap:
- Jesus came into the world as a man.
- Jesus showed himself faithful to God by living a sinless life fully dependent upon God from start to finish.
- Jesus went to the cross according to God's plan of redemption, even though he was without sin. By dying on the cross,
- Jesus paid the penalty for sin. God's wrath for the injustice of sin was satisfied as Jesus absorbed the punishment that sinners deserve for having done wrong. But Jesus didn't stay dead.
- Jesus rose from the dead!
Now all who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and put their faith in Jesus Christ become unified with Christ. The Bible talks about faith as "dying with Christ, to be raised with Christ." This is what baptism symbolizes - a death to the world, "being crucified with Christ," and then being raised with Christ. Being unified with Christ means we are alive to God! We have passed from death to life, and we receive eternal life because Jesus has died in our place. The death of Christ on the cross becomes our death, and the resurrection of Jesus from the grave becomes our resurrection.
The people in God's kingdom who live under the glorious and perfect rule of King Jesus are a Holy Spirit-given, resurrected people! Jesus' people are a born-again people, and they have entered the kingdom of God.
We are now living in the redemption period. Jesus Christ has done the work, and all who hear the gospel and believe will be saved.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
(Acts 2:21 ESV)
This time will not last forever. Now is the day of the Lord's favor, now is the day of salvation. We must not wait to profess our faith in Jesus, we must repent and believe! We proclaim the gospel as an announcement that Jesus has been made God's king! We seek to live out and proclaim the gospel so that more might repent! We are called to repent and believe the gospel, the news that God's kingdom is available to all who call upon the name of Jesus.
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31 ESV)
Through Jesus alone comes the forgiveness of sins, and one day God will judge the world in righteousness.
When you stand before the judgment seat, will you have Jesus?
4. Restoration: We rejected God, so He sent Jesus who reconciles us to God. Jesus makes the way for us to be with God again. Jesus has redeemed us from our sin and separation with God. Yet, this world continues on in pain and agony, sin and strife. But God is going to fix everything.
God's kingdom in Jesus Christ is to be established in justice and righteousness to endure forever. The end of God's story paints a beautiful narrative of new creation.
Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (ESV)
A kingdom needs a land after all. One day there will be a new heavens and a new earth. Jesus being raised from the dead is the beginning of the new creation of which he is King.
All people who by faith are born again into Christ become new creations in Christ. And one day, God will create a new heavens and a new earth for all the new creation people to live in.
The old will pass away, and sinners who have not repented and accepted the grace offered in Jesus Christ will pass to the "second death." This is serious business. Like the Mayan kingdom, all worldly kingdoms will pass away. All that will be left is eternal life with God, or eternal rejection of God.
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25-29 ESV)
The bad news is, God will not overlook the blood of Jesus. If you do not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you will face judgment for your sins.
The good news is, God has made the way! By putting your faith in Jesus today, you can receive the forgiveness of your sins, eternal life, and the Holy Spirit enabling you to be alive to God! This is good news! If you want to, even today, you can be right with God forever! Put your faith in Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God!
In Jesus' own words:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
(Mark 1:15 ESV)
Have you repented?
Do you believe in the gospel?
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