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The God Who Became King

Most of the parables Jesus told had to do with either the Kingdom of Heaven, or His position as the King of that Kingdom.  For example:


Luke 19:11-27 (NIV)
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
12 He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14 "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
15 "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16 "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
17 "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18 "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
19 "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20 "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.
21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22 "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24 "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25 "'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.
27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"


Much of what we declare to people today about "the Gospel" is that it is a personal transaction between the individual and God whereby God has sent his Son to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have eternal life.  That was what I was taught as a young believer, and that is what I taught for years.
What is missing from that equation is the sense of Christ Jesus as King over His Father's Kingdom.
Where in the Gospel message do we proclaim that sense of Christ as King?

N. T. Wright spoke at Calvin College in late January this year, and he said the following:

"There is just now a fashion for upholding something called "Nicene" Christianity.  But the great creeds of the fourth and fifth centuries were never intended as a complete teaching syllabus, and when used that way they screen out the central theme of the four Gospels:  How God Became King (aka, The Kingdom of God).  Western Christianity has thus lurched between a faith based on incarnation and cross (but without 'kingdom') and a social-gospel 'kingdom'-movement (but without incarnation and cross).  How can we put back together what the Gospels were trying to tell us all along?"


It is not always easy to navigate between the general and the specific when it comes to biblical theology. In general, Christ Jesus DID come to redeem mankind.  "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever would believe in Him would have everlasting life."  That is a general theological truth that will serve as an anchor for each of us to individually put our faith and trust in Christ Jesus as our Savior.
BUT
That does not replace the specific ministry of Jesus as King.  He came to this world announcing, "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" - i.e., "it is Now!"  Jesus said in the parable, "he was made King and returned home"....and later, "those enemies...who did not want me to be King over them..."
I see in his message the need to not only trust in him as my Savior, but to enter into citizenship in his domain, his rule, his Kingdom.
I trust in him as Savior to redeem me from my sins - happily!
I am learning how to enter into his Kingdom, understanding the goodness of his Kingdom ruling and realizing all of the joy and peace that goes along with that - ever so slowly, happily so.

Peace

Comments

Test said…
Good thoughts to ponder. I never read that story as Jesus being the King.

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