"For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his
government and peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his
kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from
now on even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform
this." Isaiah: 9:6-7
Many of our more liturgically conscious
Christian brethren observe what is called the “the Reign of Christ”
or also and sometimes known as “Sunday of Christ the king”.
This Observance, on the Sunday before Advent and culminates
and inaugurates the “liturgical calendar season”
for the end of the year and the start of the new liturgical year which then
leads into the Advent Season through the Nativity
Season which culminates with “Epiphany of the Lord” in
early January.
Sunday
of the Reign of Christ takes us beyond the days that we are now living
in, beyond the troubles and strife of this age to a time when the rule of
God has been extended openly over all
things. This is a time of anticipated great peace and rest or all the
Earth, for all peoples. The time of this observance of
Christ’s Reign upon the Earth, is there to speak to us about the certainty that
there are betters times waiting beyond the problems of today, beyond the
misrule of humanity, beyond the hardship that we all from time-to-time face.
This observance is to reinforce and encourage us that good ultimately will, and
has, triumphed in Jesus.
Misrule
Look at the world around us, we see the
result of humanities misrule, a world that is in disarray. There are
disastrous things taking place, there is deception rising in the land, which
then gives birth to war and strife which then leads to famine and economic
problems, inflation, which leads Social Strife which brings sickness and death.
All these things occur when humanity
looks to something other than Jesus Christ for the solutions to challenges of
life, whether they are personal or national. Nothing that humanity can
implement will bring lasting results. The world we live in is rifled with
injustice, the destruction of the family, disasters natural and “man-made”.
The Fruit of the Tree
It is said “If you
want to know what kind of tree is look at the fruit it produces” what
are the fruit(s) of humanities “tree of rule”? The
tree of human misrule in an abundant harvest that is evident from even a
quick glance of the news. What we see is, that the fruit of the flesh that the
Apostle St. Paul wrote of in his epistle to the Galatians Church.
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so
that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit,
you are not under the law. Now the fruit of the flesh are manifest, which are
these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians: 5:17-21
The world in which we live is simply
the sum total of all humanity, it is the
collective fruit of all humanity, when there is strife in the lives of
individuals there will be strife among all.
The fruit of the flesh even at its’
best, and regardless of how well meaning the attempts are, will in the end
fall short.
Humanities Attempts
Every effort of humanity to bring about
what only God can do fails, every promise falls short, from tower of
Babble to what we see taking place in the world today, all efforts
fall short. We see attempts at Globalization, calls for one language, one
currency, and in some cases, there are calls for one government. Yet , as all
efforts of humanity will in the end fall short, even if they are well intended,
these efforts will draw people away from God and will focus humanities trust on
something other than the only rightful king Jesus Christ.
Humanity wants to believe that the
answer is found within humanity, but real answers to the problems confronting
humanity can only be found in Jesus.
God created the “nation state” so humanity would seek and learn to trust
Him and look to Him alone, when this is disregarded, it is arising out of
humanities own heart, will take humanity away from God and rely on themselves
and resources. This will only intensify the problems that have been
created by looking to something other than Jesus Christ. Acts: 17:26-29
Humanity cannot rule the world properly
because Jesus does not rule their hearts properly. Humanity is filled with
endless plots and agendas that are always there for their own glory, not His
glory, this is why there is strife, someone or things reigns in their
hearts other than Jesus Christ. If our Lord does not reign in their hearts, the
world produced by humanity will reflect this as well.
These attempts will only further draw
humanity ever away from our Lord Jesus to the point of open hostility toward
His Holy name and continued social disorder.
”This know also, that in the last days
perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into
houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers
lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Timothy: 3:1-7
"The reason humanities efforts always
fall short, is, that Christ does not Reign in their hearts".
He Comes to Reign
Whatever humanities efforts and plans
produce, no matter what the scale or impact they have on the world or the “global community”, these pose no problem to Jesus
when He descends from the Heavens at the end of human civilization, even
if human civilization is moved to resist the returning Jesus as He comes to
reign.
Why do the heathen rage, and the people
imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers
take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let
us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits
in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall he
speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I
set my king on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD has
said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I
shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall
dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O you kings:
be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with
trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when
his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in
him.” Psalm: 2:1-12
Revelation: 19, speaks of the
return of our Lord Jesus Christ to set humanity free from the disastrous
conditions which will have developed upon the Earth in the years to come. Jesus,
as King of Kings and Lord of Lord will then extend the Reign of our God over
all things, bringing peace to this planet and to its’ peoples. Jesus'
reign will only show openly what has and is true from eternity that God is God
and his will will be done.
Peace
In the Prophetic writing of the Holy
Bible Isaiah the Prophet foresaw the Reign of the long-awaited Messiah. He
is moved by the Holy Spirit to give us a glimpse of the peace found only in
Jesus. Isaiah describes humanities relationship with God would be brought back
to its proper practical place. The God who created all things will be honored
and worshiped, there will be truth and peace abounding in their lives, Christ
will reign.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to
it. And many people shall go and say, Come you,
and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of
Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations, and
shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah: 2:1-4
It will be a time when every need that
humanity tried to meet, will be met by in Jesus. Only our Lord can do this.
Micah picture this contentment and
peace coupled with security as sitting under the vine and fig tree, sitting
under the vine end fig
“But they will sit every man under his vine
and under his fig tree; and none will make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD
of hosts hath spoken it” Micah: 4:4
He Rules Now
Of our Lord Jesus, we see in the
writings of Daniel, the Prophet sees a vision of the Heavenly investing of
Power and authority anointed upon Jesus Christ at his accession to the Heavens,
and already now has been given the right to reign.
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one
like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion,
and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve
him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel: 7:13-14
Yet the Reign of Jesus is not just for
the years to come, it is for us here and now, for Christians Jesus' reign is a
present realty. Nowhere should the Reign of
Jesus more evident than in the lives of Christians.
That in spite of all takes place around
us, we are should experience the hope and peace of Jesus' rightful reign even
now in our lives. All the prophetic words regarding the Reign of Christ, for us,
should be true for believers, even here and now each day not just in the
someday future.
Jesus speaking to the Disciples, but
also to believers down through the ages, speaks of the peace of His reign
in our lives. This peace is the peace that defies circumstances or conditions
it is the peace of a heart ruled by our Lord Jesus.
“ My Peace I will give to you, but not as
the world gives” John:14:27
This peace that we should be
experiencing now under His Reign will one day be for all humanity and over the
entire world. But we can have it even today. It is Peace that comes only from
the great God.
Sunday of the Reign of our Lord Jesus
Christ directs each and all of us to see beyond the world in which we now live
and encourages us all to know that our Lords’ Reign will come openly to this
earth even as it has for Christians here and now and not just for some
day…
Benediction: May we each and all
experience the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ , not just in the years to come,
but , today, tomorrow and for evermore. Amen
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
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