Kingdom: Past, Present, Future

November 25, 2012

2 Samuel 23:1-7 John 18:33-37 Revelation 1:4b-8

We have seen the past. We live in the present. We imagine the future. We have seen the past, at least I suppose that most of us have. How many of you have ever been to a museum or a military battlefield where there were displays of old things, items from the past or photographs from another day? I grew up reading books and for a while I fell in love with biographies. That phase lasted long enough that I had read most of the biography section in the Millersburg public library (or at least it seemed that way). We read stories about the past and, if we are wise, we learn lessons from the past that save us a lot of trouble in the present. In seminary I took a class on Biblical archaeology. I took the class not only because I have a personal love of history, but because my father had an interest in archaeology. Not only did my dad subscribe to Biblical Archaeology magazine for many years, he also spent a summer in Israel on an archaeological dig when I was in high school. I loved history and, I suppose, since Dad had an interest in it, I wanted to find out more about archaeology. I fell in love with it. Archaeology is a study of history, but it isnt just reading biographies and books about history, it gets down on its knees and digs in the dirt and rescues stuff that was thrown away and buried long ago. Archaeology tells us where people lived, how they lived, when they lived and sometimes even what they ate and drank and how they worshipped. When we study history we learn that the people of the past were a lot like us. They worried about many of the same things that we worry about, our children, jobs, food, taxes and the government. In 2 Samuel 23:1-7, we hear the last recorded words of Israels greatest king, David. In these words we understand that David was like us too. David remembers the things that God gave to him and he reminds those who follow him about the things that God has promised for the future. These are the last words of David: The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israels songs:
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The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.

If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire. 6 But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. 7 Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie. David remembers the blessings that God had given to him, he remembers that his success came because he honored God, and he remembers that Gods promise was one that would outlive him. Gods promise to David was an everlasting promise, a promise that not only brought David to greatness and fame, but one that would end in a descendent of David being the king of Israel forever. In John 18:33-37, we see the beginning of the fulfillment of Gods promise to David. Here we see Jesus, a descendent of David, whom we believe to be the everlasting king promised by God. Here he stands in front of Pilate, the king of Israel, a man who cared little for the past but who was focused on protecting his power in the present
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Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, Are you the king of the Jews?
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Is that your own idea, Jesus asked, or did others talk to you about me?

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Am I a Jew? Pilate replied. Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?
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Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.
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You are a king, then! said Pilate.

Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. The religious leaders want to get rid of Jesus because he is questioning their authority and revealing their hypocrisy and sinfulness but making them look bad wont convince the Roman government to do their dirty work for them. Instead of accusing Jesus of doing the things that he actually did, they accuse Jesus of trying to overthrow the Roman government, particularly, Pilate. When Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king, Jesus essentially asks who has said this and Pilate admits that it was the chief priests. Jesus admits to being a king, but not the king of an earthly kingdom that Pilate would understand. If Jesus were an earthly king he and his followers would have had to fight against Pilate and the Roman army garrison, blood would have been shed, and lives would have been lost. Instead, Jesus tells Pilate that his reason for existing was to stand for truth and notes that anyone who stands against him opposes the truth. So God promises David that one of his descendants will be the king forever and Jesus admits and claims that he is the king of a kingdom that is not of earth, but what about the future? Jesus was Davids future 2

but we learn about Jesus from our past. If you go to Jerusalem you will find the ruins of Herods kingdom alongside those of Davids and all of them buried beneath generations of other kingdoms and beneath what is the modern city that stands today. If we want to understand Jesus as king, looking at the past isnt enough. God promised David that his family would sit on the throne forever, and that means our future as well as his. In Revelation 1:4b-8, the Apostle John writes to the seven churches in Asia about the future that God has revealed to him John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Fatherto him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
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Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
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I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. John reminds us that Jesus wasnt just the promised Messiah for the people of Israel and his mission wasnt to rescue Israel from the Roman army. Because of the history of Israel, the people hoped for, and expected, a military and political redeemer but that was not what Jesus came to do. I think David knew better. When David spoke of the redeemer of Israel, the wars were over and the borders were safe. I think that David understood that the one who would be Israels redeemer and King was a man who would save the people from more than armies and international politics. Jesus came to earth, not to defeat the Roman army but to rescue people who were trapped in sin and separated from God. It was Israels history and circumstances (that of being conquered and occupied by hostile nations) that made the people think that Gods rescuer would rescue them from their physical and political suffering. It seems to me that in our present age, with our history and circumstances, we often make the same mistake that the people of Israel made two thousand years ago. We pray that God will rescue us from the government, or that God will redeem our culture, or that God will make all of our problems go away and make our lives all rosy and peachy, but that may not be a part of Gods plan. The mission of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago was not to rescue Israel politically and it may not be a part of his plan to do so now. The message of John and indeed, the message of the Bible is that Jesus came to rescue us from sin and from death and that one day, in what remains our future, Jesus will come again to redeem the world. We have been lifted up out of our sin. God has made us priests who serve his kingdom so that he may receive glory and power. The message of scripture is that Jesus was a witness and a participant in the creation of the world, he was born in human flesh, suffered and died and rose again so that humanity could be rescued from sin and death, but also that these things were not he end of 3

Christs mission. Jesus, today, is alive and active in transforming the hearts and minds of human beings. Jesus, today, is busy rescuing the lost, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and helping the helpless. Jesus today, calls upon his people to be busy doing the work that he has called us to do. But these things are not the end of Christs mission either. Johns message is clear. Jesus will come again and when he comes he will rescue us from suffering and oppression and injustice and, thankfully, politics. We have seen the past and Jesus was there from the beginning. We live in the present and Jesus is here every moment, watching over us. We imagine the future and we know that Jesus is coming to restore the world, and us, so that we can be everything that God intended. What is left for us today is to carry out the mission of Jesus, so that on the day of his return he will find us busy doing the things that God has called us to do. We are a kingdom of priests. Let us be busy feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, befriending the outcasts, being fathers to the fatherless, bringing hope to the hopeless and rescuing people who are trapped in sin and separated from God.

You have been reading a message presented at Trinity United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Trinity of Perry heights in Massillon, Ohio. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Trinity United Methodist Church, 3757 Lincoln Way E., Massillon, Ohio 44646. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@trinityperryheights.org. If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.