Monday, July 24, 2023

Matthew Kingdom Rule

 

Matthew

Kingdom Rule

Description: Matthew 21.9 | Calvary Simpsonville | Flickr

 

Many Jews looking for what God would do for them

Missed the coming of the Messiah 

 We, too, may miss the second return of Christ

If we are looking for what He will do for us

Don’t get me wrong, God will do great things for us, but remember

God is Spirit and those who come to Him must worship

Him in Spirit and Truth John 4:24

The King of kings is coming and He is looking for those who will minister to Him

Like David, we must see the Lord said to my Lord

Jesus Christ is LORD

He rules the Kingdom of Heaven

We are His servants and He is our Lord

Minister to the Lord

Worship Him in Spirit and Truth   

 

Kingdom Rule

 

Jesus asked the Pharisees a key question…

 

This question focused in on Kingdom Rule.

 

Who will rule the Kingdom?

 

Jesus asked them,

 "What do you think about the Christ?

Whose son is he?"

Matthew 22:42

 

The word “Christ” in Greek is…

 

 Christos meaning Anointed, Messiah.

 

Every Jew understood the word Messiah.

 

Old Testament prophecy spoke of a man

 sent from God to rule and deliver God’s people.

 

This promised leader would reign

on David’s throne and over his kingdom.

 

Isaiah 9:6-7…

 

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty.

 

David lived 1000 years before Jesus

and for that 1000 years…

 

 The Jews believed a descendant of David would rule.

 

David’s son, Solomon, ruled

and the kingdom prospered, but…

 

 This was not the righteous kingdom God had promised.

 

David’s kingdom was soon divided

and the Jews were conquered and ruled by other kingdoms.

 

The Jews continued looking for the promised Christ, Messiah.

 

Matthew’s Gospel tells us Joseph, the husband of Mary,

 was a descendant of King David.

Matthew 1  

 

The Gospel of Luke gives us the descendants of Mary.

 

To clear up some confusion Luke 3:23 NLT says…

 

Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.

 

(This Joseph was not Mary’s husband,

 but Mary’s father, grandfather of Jesus).

 

Joseph was the son of Heli.

 

Joseph was the adopted father of Jesus

and his blood line in Matthew 1

is recorded back to King David.

 

Because Mary was a virgin,

conceived by the Holy Spirit…

 

 Her blood line must trace back to King David

in order to fulfill prophecy concerning

the promised Messiah as Luke recorded in Luke 3.

   

Luke 1:31-33 NLT

 

 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

 

33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"

 

Many other amazing things can be discovered

through an in-depth study of Matthew

and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ genealogies…

 

 But that is for another time.

 

Jesus asked them (Pharisees)

 

"What do you think about the Christ?

Whose son is he?"   

 

Whose son is the Christ, the Messiah?

 

The Pharisees answered…

 

 "The son of David,"

 

The genealogies of Jesus shows

 Jesus was born through the blood line of King David.

 

But Jesus came back with another question.

 

Who was King David speaking about when he said…

 

"'The Lord said to my Lord:

"Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your feet."

Matthew 22:44

 

David realized that the One who would

be the ultimate ruling King was his Lord.

 

 "'The Lord (God the Father)

said to my Lord (Jesus the Son of God).

 

David saw by the Spirit, the Son of God as Lord.

 Matthew 22:43

 

The Jewish people were looking for a king

to fulfill the promise God had made to them.

 

A promise of an Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ…

 

One who would be the deliverer and bring salvation.

 

God could have raised up another warrior like David

who would conquer Rome and the people’s enemies. 

 

But justice and righteousness can only be

achieved by the Spirit.

 

The Son of God came from God the Father

by the Spirit,

 not with weapons of war like King David.

 

Jesus Christ came to rule in hearts.

 

The Messiah came to change hearts.

 

The words “Jesus Christ” are used in the NIV, 135 times.

 

Each time is a reminder that He is the Son of Man (Jesus)

and Son of God (Christ).

 

Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies

concerning the coming Messiah.

 

Like all the Jewish people

looking for the coming Christ…

 

We, too, are like them.

 

We, as Christians, are looking for the return of Christ.

 

Every time we hear the word revival

we travel hundreds of miles to be there

and be a part of it.

 

Long lines in the 70’s to be apart of

the Jesus movement or Charismatic movement.

 

People gathered in…

 

 Pensacola, Toronto, and other parts of the world

for what we call revival.  

 

There is a hunger for God’s presence…

 

Growing repentance and desire for holiness.

 

Many Jews looking for what God would do for them

missed the coming of the Messiah.

  

 We, too, may miss the second return of Christ

if we are looking for what He will do for us.

 

Don’t get me wrong…

 

 God will do great things for us.

 

 But remember…

 

God is Spirit

and those who come to Him must

worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

John 4:24

 

The King of kings is coming.

 

 He is looking for those who will minister to Him.

 

Like David, we must see…

 

 The Lord said to my Lord

Jesus Christ is LORD.

 

He Rules the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

We are His servants and He is our Lord.

 

Minister to the Lord.

 

Worship Him in Spirit and Truth.    

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Matthew 22:40-46 NIV

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"

 

"The son of David," they replied.

 

43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says,

 

44 "'The Lord said to my Lord:

"Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your feet." '  

 

45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"  46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

 

 

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