trusted online casino malaysia
Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
The Scriptorium

See the Kingdom

Jesus said we would. Luke 9.23.27

Luke 9 Part 1 (6)

Pray Psalm 106.1-3.
Praise the LORD!
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!

Sing Psalm 106.1-3.
(Trust in Jesus: Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus)
Praise the Lord!  Give thanks and praise Him! He is good, His love endures!
More His works than can be spoken; let His praise be ever sure!
Refrain v. 48
Blessèd be our God and Savior, evermore His praise proclaim!
Let all those who know Your favor praise Your holy, glorious Name!

Read Luke 9.1-27; meditate on verse 23-27.

Preparation

1. What did Jesus promise concerning the Kingdom?

2. To whom does this promise apply?

Meditation
Let’s start at the end of these verses, because here Jesus holds out the great promise motivating the early part of our passage. The Kingdom, Jesus had been insisting, is coming. He was giving a foretaste of its glory, power, and abounding goodness by all His words and deeds. Now, He explained, the Kingdom would come in ways that can be seen by people who were hearing him speak at that moment.

And if the Kingdom was coming visibly to them, then we may expect that we can see the Kingdom as well.

The Old Testament is full of references to the Kingdom in all its glory, goodness, might, and extent. Jesus spoke eloquently and astonishingly about the “upside-down” nature of the Kingdom and the lives of those who enter it. To see the Kingdom is to see the rule of King Jesus active and progressing in and through the lives of those who come after and follow Him. It is to see righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit coming powerfully as a witness to Jesus Himself (Rom. 14.17, 18; 1 Cor. 4.20; Acts 1.8).

But who can see this Kingdom? In and through whom does it come? Those who accept their calling to follow in Jesus’ footsteps of self-denial, sacrifice, service, and bold witness for Christ (vv. 23-26). And for this, we must be born from above and become children of the heavenly Father, conveyed into the Kingdom of Jesus, endued with His Spirit, and ready for good works (Jn. 3.3-8; 1.12; Col. 1.13; 1 Cor. 2.12, 13; Tit. 3.11-14; 3.1).

Pray for the Kingdom (Matt. 6.10). Seek the Kingdom (Matt. 6.33). Press on toward the King Himself, that you might be made more like Him (Phil. 3.14; 2 Cor. 3.12-18). Then everyone who knows you will see the Kingdom.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus had just told His disciples that He would:
1. Suffer many things.
2. Be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes.
3. Be killed.
4. Be raised from the dead. (Lk. 9.22)

Then He invited them to sign up for the same treatment for their own lives (Lk. 9.23). “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 8.20). Jesus’ invitation had a distinctly different ring to it than the altar calls of today. His call to live for Him and to follow Him did not have a “health and wealth” clause attached to it.

He made sure to warn folks not to flippantly decide to follow Him, because there was a cost involved. How refreshing His honesty, and how loving His preaching! He was not desperate for large numbers of people to sign up for Kingdom living; but what He did, and does want, are followers who will not turn back when things get rough (Lk. 9.62). He wants followers who will follow Him to the end (Ps. 119.112). He wants followers who are following out of love for Him and a wholehearted desire to obey Him (Jn. 14.15; 15.14). And to work hard to offer this same Kingdom to others through good works and good words (Eph. 2.10).

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk. 9.23). “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me…” (Jn. 12.26).

After Jesus had told Peter of the very horrendous death that he would suffer and thereby glorify God, He said to him, “Follow Me.” When Peter questioned Jesus about John’s predicted style of death, Jesus basically told him to mind his own business: “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me” (Jn. 21.19, 22). Hard words to Peter; but honest and loving words as well. What happens around us makes no difference to our calling. We are to “Follow Him” regardless. Circumstances are irrelevant. We are to follow, and thereby, “See the Kingdom”.

As Peter later wrote: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…” (1 Pet. 2.21). And when this is the truth of our life: “Then everyone who knows you will see the Kingdom” through you. As we daily take up our cross, whatever it is, and follow Him.

For reflection
1. What does it mean for you to “follow Jesus”?

2. How do you expect to “see the Kingdom” coming in and through you today?

3. How can you encourage your fellow believers in following Jesus and seeing His Kingdom?

[Jesus]says that it will not be very long until he will come with great power and that some of those who were present at that time would see it. So who would not now follow him, and for his sake deny himself and take up his cross, when he knows that very shortly he will reign gloriously in divine power, and that he himself will reign along with Christ? For whoever suffers with Christ will reign with him. Martin Bucer (1491-1551), An Ecclesiasticall Exposition upon Saint Mathewe 17.9

Pray Psalm 106.44-48.
Pray that God’s salvation would spread far and wide, that He would favor us with grace to fulfill our callings as witnesses to Jesus and ambassadors for His Kingdom. Pray for a great worldwide awakening to Christ and the Gospel, that we might see multitudes coming into the Kingdom and salvation of the Lord.

Sing Psalm 44-48.
(Trust in Jesus: Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus)
Look upon us, Lord, with favor, see us in our sore distress!
Hear our cries, with love surround us – turn again to heal and bless!
Refrain v. 48
Blessèd be our God and Savior, evermore His praise proclaim!
Let all those who know Your favor praise Your holy, glorious Name!

Save us, Lord, from every nation; gather us from all our ways.
And we to Your Name will offer glorious thanks and endless praise!
Refrain

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can download all the studies in our Luke series by clicking here.

What does it mean to know Jesus so that His Kingdom comes in and through us? Our book, To Know Him, can help answer that question and show you how to realize more of His glorious rule in your life. Order your free copy by clicking here.

If you find Scriptorium helpful in your walk with the Lord, please seek the Lord, asking Him whether you should contribute to the support of this daily ministry with your financial gifts. As the Lord leads, you can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal or Anedot, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

Subscribe to Ailbe Newsletters

Sign up to receive our email newsletters and read columns about revival, renewal, and awakening built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification.