In the Gospels, we read that after His baptism and wilderness temptation, Jesus begins His ministry announcing the Kingdom of God is at hand. (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 4:17-21)
He spends three years teaching what that kingdom is like and He teaches that the invitation is open for all to enter His kingdom: His teaching is first to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, then to the Gentiles. He is ushering in corrective action for what the nation of Israel failed to do in the past.
Just like the nation of Israel was told to be different from the neighboring nations, Jesus’ sermon on the mount and His parables are counter cultural because His kingdom is not of this world. His miracles, signs, and wonders are a demonstration of His power and authority. He tells the recipients of such acts, “Tell no one,” but they can’t help themselves. Jesus had to walk away from the people who wanted to make Him king, right there in Jerusalem to save them from Roman oppression. (John 6:15)
The 21st century is not so different from the 1st century. The people who heard and saw Jesus, wanted what they saw that Jesus could give them – healing, bread, fish, even the resurrection of the dead – Immediate solutions to everyday problems. But that was not part of the redemptive plan.
In the Old Testament we read that when sin entered the world, with death as the penalty for sin, human tendencies were towards evil all the time. God chose a people as His own – the descendants of Abraham – calls them His son – and blesses them to be a blessing to the other nations. After being enslaved in Egypt, God delivers them through the sea and leads them through the wilderness learning some tough lessons about God’s holiness and the requirements of living in the presence of a Holy God – learning to trust God. The first generation dies in the wilderness and the second generation crosses the Jordan river to enter the promised land. They receive their inheritance, but they forget God. The next generations, we read in Judges, is a continuous cycle of rebellion – crying out to God – deliverance – peace… only to rebel again. Their solution to end this cycle, we read in 1 Samuel 8:19-20 – “We want a king like the other nations!” 🤦♀️
First, they get King Saul – but his good intentions, partial obedience, prideful and impatient actions, lead to his rejection by God and a crazy, bitter, violent vendetta against King David begins. King David succeeds in defeating Israel’s enemies and ushering in a time of prosperity and peace. He is a man after God’s own heart and God gives him a promise that his kingdom will last forever. (2 Samuel 7:16) But he does not escape the consequences of his own personal transgressions, as the fighting and rebellion of his own family develops. His son, King Solomon, bestowed with God’s wisdom is the third king – the final king of a unified Israel. Solomon is known by the wisdom literature he writes – the same wisdom he uses in speech to rule the nation, but it is not the wisdom he uses in his personal life. Following his reign, the kingdom of Israel is divided into two nations: ten tribes in the north retain the name Israel with a capital in Samaria. The southern kingdom, of two tribes, is called Judah with the capital city, Jerusalem. (Thus, the history of Jews vs. Samaritans, begins.)
Throughout the period of Israel’s history of being led by kings and priests, God speaks to His people through the prophets about repenting for their unfaithfulness and calling them to return to Him. They will not listen, for they love their foreign gods and end up in exile, losing their land, their freedom, and their blessing of being in God’s presence.
But God, remembers His covenant and brings a remnant back to the land, but they are never under their own rule again. 400+ years later, Jesus enters. The Jewish people know their history and remember the promise of a Messiah – a ruler, from the line of David, who will usher them back into God’s kingdom.
Fast forward to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on the donkey. Charles Spurgeon writes… There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps he might be to them a great temporal deliverer… We must not imagine that all those who threw the branches in the way and cried, “Hosanna,” cared about Jesus as a spiritual king. No, they thought he was to be a temporal deliverer. So it was necessary that the prophecy should be fulfilled in the passage quoted (Zechariah 9:9) and it was also necessary that he should make a public claim to be the Son of David and the rightful heir of David’s throne. And this he did on this occasion. But Christ’s kingdom is a different one from what the people expected. It was and is totally different from anything that ever has been seen or ever will be seen in this world.
LORD, thank You for Your Word that invites me into Your presence to reveal Your plan. I am continually amazed that Your plan includes me! 💞I am honored to call You my King!