And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever;
and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.
(Luke 1:33)
I want to begin by saying that it is not what you know about the eternal kingdom; it helps to be sure, but in this case, it's who you know and how you apply what you know that gains you entrance. James lets us know that to know there is one God is good but at the same time reminds us that the devils also know there is one God and they tremble.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19
Take the opportunity to get to know who Jesus is and then get to know Him on a personal level.
There is no kingdom without a king. A king is a sovereign ruler of a nation, tribe, or country. Applying the word "sovereign" to Jesus means he has the supreme power, highest authority, and is free from outside control.
In times past in the natural world, there were many kings and kingdoms. In an earthly kingdom the king owned all the territory in the kingdom and had authority over everything in the kingdom including the people. The king made the laws of the kingdom and residents of the kingdom obeyed these laws. The king had power over the people, including the power of life or death.
However, there is one that is above all kings of this earth. The greatest of all kings is the Lord, Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul refers to Jesus as the King of Kings:
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. (1 Timothy 6:15)
John, in the book of Revelation, calls Him King of kings:
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. (Revelation 19:16)
Jesus is the King of kings because He rules over a Kingdom that is eternal and sovereign. The Kingdom of God will never come to an end. It will never be overthrown by revolution. There will never be another ruler who will succeed the King of kings.
The Bible tells the account of the King of kings. Part of that is the account of His life and ministry on earth. But Jesus existed before His earthly ministry; His preexistence with God in John 1:1-18 where Jesus is referred to as "The Word".
The Old Testament contains many prophecies about the King of kings. A prophecy is an immediate word from God which reveals things about the future which cannot be known by natural wisdom.
These Old Testament prophecies reveal how, when, and where the King was to be born and many details about His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. The New Testament shows how Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
The genealogy of the King of kings, Jesus, is found in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. The genealogy traces the ancestors of Jesus through His earthly father and mother. But remember, Jesus was really the Son of God born to the virgin Mary found in Matthew l and 2 and Luke l and 2.
Jesus was called by many different names, some of which reflect His ministry and purpose. Jesus has many, many names ascribed to Him, the King of Kings; [far too many to list here] from Adam, the Second (I Corinthians 15:45-47) to the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). The gospels tell the account of the life of King Jesus. These books were written by two disciples of Jesus, a Greek physician turned Christian and an assistant to a disciple. The ministry and teachings of Jesus are recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Although there is much recorded in the four Gospels about the life and ministry of Jesus, John informs us:
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. (John 21:25)
As far as natural ancestry, Jesus was born a Jew. He came as King to His own Jewish people first, but they rejected Him.
® He was questioned as to whether or not He was the expected King (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2).
® He was accused of being of Satan rather than of God (Matthew 12:25-28; Luke 11:17-20).
® On one occasion the people tried to take Jesus and make Him a king by force because He was not establishing the visible kingdom they desired
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. (Revelation 19:16)
Jesus is the King of kings because He rules over a Kingdom that is eternal and sovereign. The Kingdom of God will never come to an end. It will never be overthrown by revolution. There will never be another ruler who will succeed the King of kings.
The Bible tells the account of the King of kings. Part of that is the account of His life and ministry on earth. But Jesus existed before His earthly ministry; His preexistence with God in John 1:1-18 where Jesus is referred to as "The Word".
The Old Testament contains many prophecies about the King of kings. A prophecy is an immediate word from God which reveals things about the future which cannot be known by natural wisdom.
These Old Testament prophecies reveal how, when, and where the King was to be born and many details about His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. The New Testament shows how Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
The genealogy of the King of kings, Jesus, is found in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. The genealogy traces the ancestors of Jesus through His earthly father and mother. But remember, Jesus was really the Son of God born to the virgin Mary found in Matthew l and 2 and Luke l and 2.
Jesus was called by many different names, some of which reflect His ministry and purpose. Jesus has many, many names ascribed to Him, the King of Kings; [far too many to list here] from Adam, the Second (I Corinthians 15:45-47) to the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). The gospels tell the account of the life of King Jesus. These books were written by two disciples of Jesus, a Greek physician turned Christian and an assistant to a disciple. The ministry and teachings of Jesus are recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Although there is much recorded in the four Gospels about the life and ministry of Jesus, John informs us:
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. (John 21:25)
As far as natural ancestry, Jesus was born a Jew. He came as King to His own Jewish people first, but they rejected Him.
® He was questioned as to whether or not He was the expected King (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2).
® He was accused of being of Satan rather than of God (Matthew 12:25-28; Luke 11:17-20).
® On one occasion the people tried to take Jesus and make Him a king by force because He was not establishing the visible kingdom they desired
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. (John 6:15)
Only once was there public acclaim of Jesus as King. This was when He came into Jerusalem for the final time (Matthew 21:1-9). But the same people who honored him as king that day soon turned against Him. Many of those who cried "Hosanna" as Jesus rode into Jerusalem were shouting "Crucify Him" just a few days later. They were disappointed that Jesus did not overthrow the Roman government and set up a great earthly kingdom. Those who longed for release from foreign domination were angry when Jesus did not establish a visible, earthly kingdom.
Jesus was not the King which the Jews had pictured. He did not crush the Roman Empire. He did not set up the expected earthly Kingdom. He did not act as they thought a king should act. What they failed to realize was that before Jesus could assert His outward Lordship, He first had to rule the inner fortress of man's heart!
The greatest need of the Jewish people was not freedom from Rome, but release from the chains of sin. The key to the Kingdom of Jesus was repentance, not revolution.
Satan tempted Jesus to set up a visible earthly Kingdom (Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:5). Right up to the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus, the disciples longed for an earthly Kingdom (Acts 1:6). But the Kingdom of God was not to be set up at this time in visible form. Jesus said:
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
So the King of Kings was rejected by His own people:
He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. (John 1:11)
Only a few people recognized Jesus as King. Nathanael, one of His disciples, was one of these:
Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:49)
But to those few who accepted Jesus as King, a special relationship was extended:
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. (John 1:12)
All of life is based on relationship. It is not what you know that is most important, it is who you know. It is not what we know about the Bible or Christianity that assures our entrance into the Kingdom of God. It is who we know. You must know the King of kings in order to enter and maintain residency in the Kingdom of God.
Sinful man can not enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is different from all other kingdoms. It is a righteous Kingdom. Through the death and resurrection of King Jesus, a way is provided for all men to become part of the Kingdom. Jesus did nothing worthy of death. He never sinned, but He died in the place of all those who have sinned. He paid the penalty of death for our sins:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
The King of kings, Jesus Christ, ensured our entrance into His kingdom with His final act of selflessness; His death. (Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, and John 18-19)
Only once was there public acclaim of Jesus as King. This was when He came into Jerusalem for the final time (Matthew 21:1-9). But the same people who honored him as king that day soon turned against Him. Many of those who cried "Hosanna" as Jesus rode into Jerusalem were shouting "Crucify Him" just a few days later. They were disappointed that Jesus did not overthrow the Roman government and set up a great earthly kingdom. Those who longed for release from foreign domination were angry when Jesus did not establish a visible, earthly kingdom.
Jesus was not the King which the Jews had pictured. He did not crush the Roman Empire. He did not set up the expected earthly Kingdom. He did not act as they thought a king should act. What they failed to realize was that before Jesus could assert His outward Lordship, He first had to rule the inner fortress of man's heart!
The greatest need of the Jewish people was not freedom from Rome, but release from the chains of sin. The key to the Kingdom of Jesus was repentance, not revolution.
Satan tempted Jesus to set up a visible earthly Kingdom (Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:5). Right up to the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus, the disciples longed for an earthly Kingdom (Acts 1:6). But the Kingdom of God was not to be set up at this time in visible form. Jesus said:
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
So the King of Kings was rejected by His own people:
He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. (John 1:11)
Only a few people recognized Jesus as King. Nathanael, one of His disciples, was one of these:
Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:49)
But to those few who accepted Jesus as King, a special relationship was extended:
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. (John 1:12)
All of life is based on relationship. It is not what you know that is most important, it is who you know. It is not what we know about the Bible or Christianity that assures our entrance into the Kingdom of God. It is who we know. You must know the King of kings in order to enter and maintain residency in the Kingdom of God.
Sinful man can not enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is different from all other kingdoms. It is a righteous Kingdom. Through the death and resurrection of King Jesus, a way is provided for all men to become part of the Kingdom. Jesus did nothing worthy of death. He never sinned, but He died in the place of all those who have sinned. He paid the penalty of death for our sins:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
The King of kings, Jesus Christ, ensured our entrance into His kingdom with His final act of selflessness; His death. (Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, and John 18-19)
(Biblical Studies)
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