Matthew Seeing the Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom

 

Matthew

Seeing the Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom

After the disciples saw Jesus ascend into the clouds

The Holy Spirit came upon them as promised

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

Peter explained what has happened from the Old Testament prophet Joel

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Acts 2:17

Jesus Himself said when the Holy Spirit comes

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one

Jesus said if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father

Those who have received the promised Holy Spirit have seen Jesus

He has come down from Heaven and rests upon us and fills us

That the Kingdom He demonstrated in earth might continue

To be demonstrated through the power of the Holy Spirit in us

Have you seen Jesus coming in His Kingdom?

I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Matthew 16:28

 

Seeing the Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom

 

The scriptures clearly teach us

that Jesus Christ will come again.

 

As Jesus ends His conversation

at Caesarea Philippi, in Matthew 16…

 

 We find it hard to understand how some

who were alive and listening to Him

would not taste death before they see

the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.

 

Matthew 16:28…

 

I tell you the truth, some who are standing here

will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

 

The verse before this tells us…

 

 The Son of Man is going to come 

in his Father's glory with his angels,

and then he will reward each person

according to what he has done.

Matthew 16:27

 

Jesus will later tell us in Matthew 24 through 26

many things about His return.

 

 Like…

 

Therefore keep watch, because you do not

 know on what day your Lord will come.

Matthew 24:42

 

 All the nations will be gathered before him,

and he will separate the people one from another

as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:31-32

 

The Book of Revelation describes the work of the Angels

as they prepare for the coming of Jesus

as the KING of kings and the LORD of Lords.

 

So, what was Jesus talking about…

 

 Some who are standing here will not taste death

before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

 

You and I are still looking for Christ’s return

and none of those who heard Jesus

say those things, are alive today.

 

Some believe Jesus was referring to what would

happen in the next chapter, which was 6 days later.

 

When Jesus would take Peter, James, and John

to a high mountain where Jesus was transformed.

 

This would only be a foretaste of Christ’s second

coming as described in Act 1:11 and Revelation 1:7.

 

Although it is not clearly spelled out

 how there would be those not tasting death

till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom…

 

The question may be healthy to examine.

 

There are two things these people were to see…

 

The Son of Man and His Kingdom.

 

Jesus describes how we can see His Kingdom…

 

But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God,

then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Matthew 12:28

 

Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2…

 

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Luke 4:18-19

 

The power to establish the Kingdom

by setting people free came from the Holy Spirit.

 

Romans 14:17 gives us the definition of the Kingdom

being righteousness, peace and joy.

 

But notice the Kingdom comes by the Holy Spirit…

 

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,

but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Romans 14:17

 

Jesus’ Kingdom comes by the Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus tells us He will not leave us as orphans

but will give us the Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus was preparing His disciples

for the time He was to leaving earth…

 

Telling them that the world will not see Him,

 but they will.

 

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.

He who loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:15-21

 

All that Jesus did in His earthly ministry

that demonstrated the Kingdom of Heaven…

 

Happened because the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.

 

Jesus said when He goes to be with the Father

we will do greater things when we ask in faith.

 

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:12-14

 

Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection

and before His ascension…

 

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 1:4-5

 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 1:8

After the disciples saw Jesus ascend

unto the clouds…

 

The Holy Spirit came upon them as promised.

 

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues

as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:1-4

 

Peter explained what has happened

from the Old Testament prophet Joel.

 

In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Acts 2:17

 

Jesus Himself said when the Holy Spirit comes.

 

Before long, the world will not see me anymore,

but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

John 14:19

 

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one.

 

Jesus said if you have seen Me,

you have seen the Father.

 

Those who have received

the promise Holy Spirit have seen Jesus.

 

He has come down from Heaven

and rests upon us and fills us.

 

That the Kingdom He demonstrated in earth

might continue to be demonstrated

through the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

 

Have you seen Jesus coming in His Kingdom?

 

I tell you the truth,

some who are standing here will not taste death

before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Matthew 16:28

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Matthew 16:13-28 NIV

 

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

 

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

 

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

 

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.   19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

 

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

 

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

 

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."