“From this time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” Matthew 4:17
What is it about the kingdom of God that is so essential to grasp? Why did Jesus specifically come preaching “the kingdom?” The answer lies in two words, authority and power. From the very moment when the angel of the Lord spoke to Mary concerning the conception, and birth of Jesus, he revealed to her something of the magnitude of this person coming into this world: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the THRONE of his father David: And He shall REIGN over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his KINGDOM there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:32) In this declaration to Mary the angel addresses the issue of the reign of the Son of God. He speaks of a throne and an everlasting kingdom, not only in the sense of it enduring forever, but that it will be all-encompassing. This absolute authority of the Son of God, demonstrated by the power of the Spirit, is given by the Father to the Son, and revealed in a most demonstrative way on the cross, and in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. How are we to understand this matter, the significance of its authority and power, and its application to our lives? To do so, we must begin in the beginning.
In Genesis 1, we find God declaring: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (1:26) Scripture then adds: “So God created man in His image, in the image of God created him.” (v.27) Here we have God’s ordered creation, where man is created in His image, and becomes the recipient of His authority and power. God gave man “dominion” over His creation. In Psalm 8, we read: “Thou madest him (man) to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put ALL things under his feet.” (v.6) God had given, or communicated, to man, His authority over certain aspects of His creation. This order was set in place and maintained, until the fall, when man ceased to be submitted to the authority of God. The point that must be grasped here, is that God commits His authority to the one who is submitted to His authority.
During the ministry of the Lord Jesus, there came to Him one day some elders of the Jews, who besought him on the behalf of a centurion, to come and heal the centurion’s servant, who was sick, and at the point of death. The centurion, not considering himself worthy of the Lord coming underneath his roof, made a most remarkable statement that illustrates this issue of the application of divine authority in the kingdom of God. The centurion’s word to the Lord was, “…neither thought myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.” (Lk. 7:7) What was the basis for the centurion saying such a thing, and believing it? He went on to say to Jesus, “….For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, ‘Go, and he goeth.'” (v.8) The point here is that the centurion knew how God had structured the kingdom of God. He knew and believed that Jesus was the Lord, to whom all authority had been given. The declared word from Jesus’ lips would be the expression of the will of the Father in the healing of the sick, hence, his words, “…but say a word.”
In rising from the dead, and making an open show of all the principalities and powers of darkness, Paul wrote to the Colossians that the Father, “…hath delivered us from the POWER of darkness, and hath translated us into the KINGDOM of His dear Son.” (Col. 1:13) Herein is revealed God’s authority and power.
Dear Father, Grant us submission to Thine authority. In Jesus’ name, Amen.