00:00 Intro music and voice over.
Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!
00:20 Speaker
In that moment in human history when the Son of God became Jesus the Son of Man, He preached, taught and demonstrated God’s kingdom on earth. The kingdom of God is acknowledging the Eternal One who created and receiving His right to rule and reign. Not only acknowledging and receiving God’s right to rule and reign, but in an act of worship giving total allegiance to Him. Worship only Him.
So Jesus the Son of God, the Eternal Word stepped down from heaven and eternal glory into our finite world that is damaged by evil. In His life, death, resurrection and ascension Jesus brought honour into shame, innocence into guilt, cleanliness into uncleanliness, freedom into bondage, healing into brokenness and justice of equality into the injustices of inequality. For such is His kingdom, power and glory, for ever and ever, amen.
When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He also revealed the heart of God the Father and defined the true meaning of faith. He is truth itself and only God has the power and authority to determine truth.
There were those who did want to receive God, receive Jesus and His right to rule and reign. Certain Pharisees, who were an exclusive religious Jewish sect, vehemently opposed Jesus and His disciples. They continually tried to challenge Him and in some prideful arrogance they tried to catch Jesus out. In doing so they simply exposed their own deceptions and their true identity of having given their allegiance to the evil one.
In response to the Pharisees asking Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus stated to them that God’s kingdom had already come into their midst. In this statement Jesus was referring to Himself. For He was the embodiment of God’s kingdom, the Son of God who became the Son of Man.
Jesus always was and is and always will be. He is the Eternal word who together with Eternal Father and Spirit created. Jesus is the king of God’s eternal kingdom. As the Son of Man, he chose to be born into the Jewish bloodline of king David.
In regards to God’s kingdom, receive the king and receive everything associated with Him and His kingdom. Reject the king, reject God and that rejecting everything associated with God’s kingdom. In rejecting Jesus, that is effectively aligning oneself with evil and denying the only pathway to salvation.
The complete fulfilment of God’s kingdom includes the elimination of evil. An event that is yet to take place. When the Son of Man returns to earth the complete fulfilment of His kingdom will be on earth as it is in heaven. There will be no evil, no death, no sorrow, tears or pain.
Until that day, all those who have said to Jesus, yes to God live in the reality of Jesus’ return. He is coming back and it will be suddenly. It will be when those who have rejected God, rejected Jesus and His right to rule and reign, least expect it.
Until then, Jesus states the times will be more evil. It will be like in the days of Noah when humanity had chosen to align themselves with evil. Knowingly rejected God, rejected Jesus and His right to rule and reign. That is consciously choosing to give total allegiance to the kingdom of darkness, having rejected God’s kingdom of light.
So let us go back into time when the Pharisees and Jesus were in a dialogue about the fulfilment of the kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus continued this dialogue with His disciples. He declared, do not loose heart, for I am coming back and will avenge the injustices against My people.
Luke 18:1-8 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Jesus again reveals the heart of God the Father who is faithful and true. He will fulfil all His promises and avenge His people, bringing deliverance from their suffering.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
After making a powerful statement about the certainty of God and His character, Jesus asks a rhetorical question. Using a Jewish teaching method Jesus reveals the importance for all people, no matter what bloodline, to acknowledge and accept God’s right to rule and reign.
As faith in this context is to acknowledge and accept the truth. That is the absolute truth. Only God is truth and can determine truth. That is why Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me.
This faith is to choose to not only acknowledge and accept God’s right to rule and reign, but to give total allegiance to Him. That is worship only Him. As a result we have identity in Jesus, our identity in God.
The first instance this word that has been translated as faith is first recorded in the New Testament is in the book of Matthew. Again it is a statement by Jesus about receiving and acknowledging God’s right to rule and reign in Jesus. Jesus uses this same word again in the same context of the truth. The truth about God and His kingdom. Faith in this instances is intricately linked with the acceptance of Jesus’ right to rule and reign.
Matthew 8:8-12 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The centurion not only acknowledged Jesus’ right to rule and reign, but honoured His right to rule and reign by submitting himself and his servant to Jesus’ authority. Jesus said to those who followed that only those who accept His right to rule and reign as the king of God’s kingdom, will sit down with Him in His kingdom.
Those who reject Him, reject God are effectively giving their allegiance to evil. Aligning their identity and destiny with evil. Resulting in being cast out into outer darkness for all eternity.
Jesus makes this very clear. This faith is a matter of life and death. Regardless of what bloodline or people group we have been born into, whether Jew or non Jew, rejecting Jesus and His right to rule and reign is rejecting God and aligning oneself with evil.
In today’s text Jesus rhetorically stated to the first hearers that when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
The first hearers being the Pharisees and His disciples. Both knew the Old Testament scriptures being of Jewish lineage. They knew the prophecies about the end times and the coming of the Son of Man. In the end times vision given to Daniel, the Son of Man has all power and authority to rule and reign. The Son of Man will bring judgement and justice. Judgement will go out to the ends of the earth against all those who have rejected God and His right to rule and reign. In the vision given to Daniel judgement is depicted as, a fiery flame, with wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him.
The end times visions given to Daniel, all power and authority including judgement was given to the Son of Man.
Daniel 7:13-14 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
The One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven came to the Ancient of Days. This is a magnificent moment that was prophesied to Daniel and the people of Jewish lineage centuries before it occurred. The One like the Son of Man had come into our world, lived, died and ascended on high. In love power and authority He came to the Ancient of Days. The Son of Man is the resurrected Jesus. He has already come to the Ancient of Days. He now is at the right hand of God the Father, the Ancient of Days depicted in the vision given to Daniel.
All power and authority has been given to Jesus. His dominion is everlasting. Of all people, nations and languages He rules and reigns in the hearts, minds and lives of all those who throughout the ages have acknowledged His right to rule and reign. Given total allegiance to Him. Having their identity in Jesus, they are the elect who will be avenged. The elect will be avenged by the Son of Man with judgement of all who have rejected Jesus, rejected God.
God will avenge speedily those who have received Him. We live in a world totally opposed to the living God. The times are becoming more evil. The world and the evil one are refusing to acknowledge God’s right to rule and reign. But fear not for Jesus is saying, be encouraged. God is faithful and true, for I am coming back soon.
The first hearers knew Jesus was referring to himself as the Son of Man. The one who has all the power and authority. As the Son of God, being the very essence of God, He knew all things. He knew the deceptions of the hearts of humanity and those that would never come to Him. Those who would never acknowledge His right to rule and reign and effectively align themselves with evil.
Even when Jesus became the Son of Man, He was still fully divine in character, thought and authority. He has the power on earth to forgive every offence to self, each other and God. The first hearers knew that only had God had the power and authority to forgive every offence ever said, thought or done in this way. So when Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man they knew He was saying He is the one with ultimate power and authority.
Throughout the ages there were and are those who say yes to God’s right to rule and reign. In the future, when Jesus returns, He will return for those who are His. In them is His faith which He will not only find but honour. For they have acknowledged and received His right to rule and reign, giving total allegiance to Him.
Jesus is coming back and He will avenge His people. Bringing the fullness of His kingdom. That is the fullness and perfection of His salvation. To all who have received Him and given total allegiance to Him, He will bring true justice. For the king gives all of Himself and His kingdom to His people.
We will receive the fullness of His kingdom. An eternal kingdom where evil has no power or place. Where we life for all eternity with Him in true justice of equality and life everlasting.
Jesus states, God bears long and will avenge His people speedily. Come Lord Jesus come!
19:40 Outro music and voice over.
For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!
