Los Alamos Church of Christ
Your
Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
Matthew 4:12-25
The
Coming Kingdom
Jesus has been waiting for 40 days to begin his
ministry. The test in the desert
proved he was the pleasing son.
Jesus has been waiting for 30 years to begin
his ministry. Luke tells us, “Jesus
himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry”. Thirty years waiting, in Nazareth, now,
the time was right.
Jesus has been waiting 400 years to begin his
ministry. The last verses of
Malachi predicts, “The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its
wings.” Jesus has been waiting 400
years to fulfill this prophecy.
Jesus has been waiting 1500 years. Moses, who led the first Exodus, pointed
to another, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me”. Jesus has been anxious to lead the new
Exodus for 1500 years.
Jesus has been waiting multiple 1,000s of years
to bruise the snake’s head. “He
will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Jesus is ready to begin the head
crushing.
Jesus has been waiting eons, since the
creation, to begin his preaching.
“All things were created by him and for him.” Since the creation Jesus has been
waiting to step into the kingdom.
Finally, today, Jesus steps onto the public
scene. Jesus begins to preach. Don’t you think that Jesus was excited
on that first day he preached?
After all the waiting Jesus
began to preach… Drum
roll…
Matthew 4:17
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near."
Wow… Sign me up. I want to be a part of the Kingdom of
heaven. I’m ready to follow Jesus,
the pleasing and loved son of God.
I want to be a part of the New Exodus. “The Kingdom of heaven is near”… Sign me
up!
“Wait a second,” Jesus says, “Don’t miss the
first word there. What is the first
word?” Hmmm…
Repent.
What
does is it mean to be a part of the kingdom of heaven? If I am going to sign up for the kingdom
of heaven, maybe I need to know what repent means. Perhaps, I need to know what that means
for me, today, in Los Alamos, on February 12th, 2012. What does this kingdom of heaven thing really look
like?
This morning, Matthew begins to give us clues
to the kingdom of heaven. The first
3½ and chapters were preparing for the kingdom, now Jesus inaugurates the
kingdom. This morning we are
gathering clues to the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus waited a long time for this day. Let’s get to
it.
========
Matthew 4:12-13
When Jesus heard that
John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived
in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and
Naphtali--
Jesus had no way of communicating in the
desert; no smart phone, no internet, no evening news, no newspapers, not even
any mouths to do word of mouth. I suspect the angels, who came to
minister to him, didn’t catch Jesus up what was going on. So, the first thing Jesus hears, when he
returns to civilization, is John is in prison. We will look again at the imprisonment
of John in chapter 11. But, the
point Matthew is making is John’s role as the forerunner is over. John the Baptist has done his job. The highway to heaven is ready. Baptism, testing in the Desert, the end
of John’s preparing the way, were the
signs for Jesus to begin his ministry.
One more detail before Jesus starts; the
place. Because of the potential
conflict with Herod, and the rest of the nut-jobs in Jerusalem, Jesus goes to
Galilee. Galilee was redneck
country. Galilee was where the
hicks of Jesus’ day lived. Galilee
was the backwoods of Israel. It was
a long way from the center of the world; Jerusalem. And a whole lot of the… Gentiles lived
there.
Our first clue of the kingdom; Jesus begins his ministry with the
marginalized Jews amongst a lot of Gentiles.
Jesus stepped back into the world and began his
long-awaited ministry in
Capernaum. Not in Rome, the center
of power. Not in Jerusalem, the
center of religion. Not even in
some populous city, such as Sepphoris. Not in his hometown of Nazareth. Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum of
Galilee.
What is the kingdom? Well, first clue it has to do with the
marginalized. Let’s continue looking for clues of the
kingdom.
========
Matthew 4:13-16
Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived
in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--
to fulfill what was said
through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of
Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- the
people living in darkness have seen a
great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has
dawned."
We have an old treasure… to fulfill… Matthew
brings out Isaiah 9:1-7. Matthew
brings out this passage and in it are all kinds of clues. I can’t get over how cool Matthew’s use
of Isaiah is.
Isaiah 9:1-7
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in
distress. In the past he humbled
the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the
Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on
those living in the land of the shadow of
death a light has dawned. You
have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people
rejoice at the harvest, as men
rejoice when dividing the
plunder. For as in the day of
Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across
their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning, will be
fuel for the fire. For
to us a child is born, to us a son is
given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over
his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from
that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will
accomplish this.
What is the kingdom of
heaven?
-It is honor for the
Gentiles.
-It is light into the
darkness.
-It is joy and rejoicing and no more
gloom.
-It is Peace. This is big. The way of the kingdom is…
submissiveness.
-The kingdom of David is going to be ruled by
the Prince of Peace!
-The borders of this kingdom of heaven will
know no end… it will expand even to New Mexico.
- The kingdom of heaven will last on and
forever.
This kingdom of heaven is not going to be a
military kingdom. It is light into darkness. The kingdom is about setting people
free. It is about releasing
burdens. It is joy! Sign me up. I want to be a part of the kingdom which
honors Gentiles!
“The whole Old Testament tells the big,
beautiful, hope-filled story of a God who would one day lovingly reign over his
people and the peoples of the earth. God's reign would be marked by a peaceful
"rightness" to the world-everything would be in its right place and every
relationship would be on its right terms. And now Jesus was walking all over
Galilee claiming that God's reign of love and rightness was here.” - Matt Woodley
-
Sign me up!
========
-In his baptism Jesus was commissioned to
ministry – “This is my loved and pleasing Son.”
-In the desert Jesus was tested for ministry
–"Away from me, Satan! For it is
written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.'"
-In John’s imprisonment, the highway to heaven
was ready for Jesus.
-In Capernaum of Galilee Jesus begin his
ministry.
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is near."
The kingdom began on a day in Capernaum and
from then, till now, it has been advancing!
The kingdom of heaven is not talking about us
going to heaven when we die. That
is not the thought at all. Rather,
the kingdom is from heaven. The kingdom of heaven is coming to invade
this world. The biblical
picture of the kingdom of heaven is always heaven coming to this world, not
the other way around. “Your kingdom
come” to this world by “your will be
done in my life”. Matthew’s
favorite phrase for the kingdom is the kingdom of heaven; the kingdom which
belongs to heaven; the kingdom which is of heaven! The kingdom come to this
world!
Therefore repent. Repent of doing the kingdom your way. It is not “the have it your way”
kingdom. Repent of attempting to advance the kingdom by force. Repent of attempting to advance the
kingdom by manipulation, by coercion, by pleasing people. Repent of your human ways of advancing
the kingdom. Jesus is going to do
the kingdom Jesus’s way. We must
repent of doing it any other way.
It is not “Use the Force, Luke”. It is, “Use submissiveness, Tim”. I must repent of using the wrong power
to advance the kingdom.
Repent because of the way you are using the kingdom. The kingdom is light into darkness.
The kingdom is ruled by… the Prince
of Peace! The kingdom is
rightness. The way of the kingdom is…
submissiveness.
N.T. Wright catches the thought of repent for
the kingdom of heaven is near, or
else.
“If the light-bearers insist on darkness,
darkness they shall have. If the
peace-people insist on war, war they shall have. If the people called to bring God’s love
and forgiveness into the world insist on hating everyone else, hatred and all
that it brings will come crashing around their ears.” - Wright, N.T.
-
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 happened
because the light-bearers did it the wrong way and reaped what they had
sown.
Repent for the kingdom is near. How near? It begins in the next few verses…
=======
Matthew 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of
Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake,
for they were fishermen.
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of
men”. At once they left their nets
and followed him. Going on from
there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother
John. They were in a boat with
their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they
left the boat and their father and followed him.
The kingdom began with an invitation to follow
Jesus. The kingdom began with
Simon, Andrew, James and John. Here
is the clue. The kingdom means giving up everything to
follow Jesus. They left their
boats and followed Jesus.
The word immediately is scary. Bam, they heard Jesus. They followed Jesus.
Are we willing to give up everything to be
fishers of people? The kingdom is
people following Jesus.
Look at what else it
is.
Matthew 4:23-24
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,
and healing every disease and
sickness among the people. News
about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with
various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having
seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
The kingdom of heaven begins with healing. The kingdom is concerned with helping
people. The kingdom of heaven
is following Jesus by helping people.
One more
clue.
Matthew 4:25
Large crowds from Galilee, the
Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed
him.
The
kingdom is all about spreading! The kingdom is not about huddling
together in fear of the world. The
kingdom is boldly following Jesus into the
world.
========
What does it mean to be a part of the kingdom?
-Submissiveness is the way of the
Kingdom.
-Peace is the flavor of the
kingdom.
-Commitment is the requirement of the
kingdom.
-Healing people is the concern of the
kingdom.
-Spreading is the mandate of the
kingdom.
Do you want to be a follower of Jesus? Are you prepared to make the sacrifice
to follow? Do you care about
others, more than yourself? Do you
have the courage to spread it to others?
Those are the questions you need to ask if you are considering the
kingdom of heaven.
Jesus waited for eons from creation to that day
in Capernaum.
Jesus waited for multiple 1,000s of year to
crush Satan’s head.
Jesus waited for 1,500 years to begin the new
Exodus.
Jesus
waited for 400 years from Malachi to be
the “sun of righteousness”.
Jesus waited for 30 years in
Nazareth.
Jesus waited for 40 days in the desert until
the time was right… then the kingdom began to
advance.
I guess the question I will end with is, “Are you ready to sign up for the Kingdom of heaven?
Tim Stidham
Los Alamos Church of Christ
February 12, 2012
