August 24, 2024
Passage Read: Luke 19-20
Meditation Verses: 19:14,27
Thought
Jesus tells this parable to those who expect the kingdom of God to be established at this visit to Jerusalem. It will not be set up at this time, not as a physical kingdom. But everything Jesus is doing and will accomplish at Jerusalem is part of the process of Him petitioning to receive the kingdom. After His death and resurrection, He'll go away to obtain the kingdom, then return at a later date, having received authority to reign. Those servants of His are commissioned and expected to do business with His property, funds that He gives them, and be ready to give an account when He returns. However, and this is the crux of the Gospel, there are those who hate Him and do not want Him to reign over them. That is the message we have for unbelievers, that Jesus is away, obtaining authority to reign over all creation, and they need to humble themselves now, while they still can, so that when He returns, they welcome His rule. But many do not want Him to reign over them. Those who hate Him, He will put to death when He comes in His power and authority. Now, while He's away, is the only opportunity they have to repent and show their repentance by living by His commands even before He formally sets up His kingdom here.
Application
The Gospel is good news that God is willing to forgive us for our rebellion against His rightful rule over us. He offers that to us because He is going to reclaim the earth and set up His kingdom over all, over every person. Those who accept that now and submit to His authority are like His servants, who have a duty while He's away to do business with His property, to prove themselves faithful and obedient slaves. But those who do not believe and obey Him are like the citizens who hate Him and do not want Him to reign over them. They send a delegation to oppose His obtaining of the kingdom. But it is inevitable that He will be granted authority; He has proven His faithfulness to the Father by obeying Him even to the point of death. Now, when He returns He will rule for a thousand years even over many who hated the thought of His reigning over them. At the end of that time, they will mount a rebellion and He will destroy them all. Unless a man repents now and accepts Jesus's right to rule over them, and shows it by their submission to His will now, while He's still away, they will remain at enmity with Him and be among those whom He kills because they rejected Him as king. The Gospel message is one of repentance for forgiveness of past rebellion, repentance that means submission to Christ's authority to rule over their lives, accepting Jesus as King and living in obedience to Him, in anticipation of His return to reign visibly on earth over all men. This is the Gospel I need to preach, the Gospel that exalts Jesus and corrects our view of our interrelationship with God.