BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part V)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part V)

Let’s continue to stretch ourselves toward a broader understanding of the PERSON and WORK of JESUS CHRIST.  For the balance of the Lenten season, our primary focus will be an in-depth examination of the mission, ministry and message of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The main message presented by Jesus throughout his 3½ year public ministry is the “Kingdom of God,” alternatively referenced as the “Kingdom of Heaven,” which simply means the rule and reign of God in human life and history. (Luke 6:20 – Matthew 4:17)  Jesus Christ spoke of the Kingdom as both a present and future reality.  The Kingdom is embraced and entered by an individual at the precise moment of genuine repentance and acceptance of the lordship of Christ.  This is a powerful and present reality.  However, certain aspects of the Kingdom cannot be manifested or actualized until our fallen world system is fully cleansed and restored by the King of Kings.

Revelation 11:15

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The earthly passageway into the Kingdom of Heaven is prepped by the law, the prophets, and ultimately by John the Baptist, but it is paved concretely by the grace and truth message of Jesus Christ. (Mark 1:3 – John 1:17)  As Jesus proclaimed, “The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” (Luke 16:16)  Jesus highly revered his cousin, John, citing that “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.”  However, Jesus placed such high value on Kingdom citizenship that he added, “he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he [John the Baptist]. (Luke 7:28)  Think about that.  Christ verifies John as the greatest prophet, but deems the very least of us Kingdom Kids to be greater than he!  Wow!

A clearer understanding of this is gained as we consider the fact that although John the Baptist was an anointed forerunner of the Kingdom of God, he was not a grace and truth member of the Kingdom. (Luke 16:16)  The former is substantiated as John initially heralds Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)  The latter is demonstrated via John’s subsequent actions and words, i.e. “he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2)  Imagine that…announcing Christ, but not fully knowing Christ!  Such intimate knowledge is only made possible through a new birth Kingdom connection. (John 3:3)

What does the message of the Kingdom of God have in store for us?  First of all, let’s answer this question by explaining what the Kingdom is not.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17)  As in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, many contemporary Christians follow along for the fishes and loaves.  In other words, their Kingdom commitments are conditional, i.e. solely predicated on their imagined answers to their carnal question: ‘What’s in it for me?’  It is the sad plight of the prosperity preachers of our time, and their unwitting victims.  Let’s be perfectly clear.  The Kingdom is not about ME or what benefits might accrue to my account of currency or worldly possessions.  The Kingdom is all about ushering in the redemptive plan of God for the eternal salvation of lost souls.  We will be handsomely rewarded for faithful stewardship in this Kingdom partnership. (II Corinthians 6:1 – I Corinthians 4:1-2 – I Corinthians 3:11-13 – Revelation 22:12)

Modeling a profound sense of ministry urgency, Jesus Christ teaches us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”  This is the preliminary requirement, a prerequisite to being permitted to petition our Father to “give us…our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)  As such, participation in the Kingdom of God is rigorous, demanding and unequivocal.  It summons the believer to a total surrender of self, as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” which Paul aptly describes as our “reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) Jesus Christ prescribes a higher righteousness than that which is presented by the law and the prophets, and certainly higher than that which is embraced by this world system. 

Allow me to offer just one example.  The Ten Commandments explicitly prohibit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)  However, the higher righteousness of grace and truth elevates this legal requirement.  In the words of Jesus, “You have heard that it was said of those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)

The natural mind reels and wonders at the feasibility, or even the possibility, of this high level of human surrender to the Lordship of Christ.  Nevertheless, this is the precise point at which the ministerial genius of Jesus Christ becomes so evident.  Jesus Christ is The Master Teacher, who artfully and effectively employs parables to articulate hidden precepts of wisdom pertaining to the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 13:35)  In our next devotional, we will explore this powerful aspect of Jesus’ ministry, i.e. providing earthly stories with heavenly meanings in order to convey, clarify and create the Kingdom of God.  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!