You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
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704 – The Divine Mystery Revealed (11)

by Jim Mettenbrink

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     Since the return of the Jews to their homeland in 536 BC, they had been looking forward to the restoration of their kingdom.  They expected a kingdom like in the days of King David and which King Solomon inherited.  It was a glorious kingdom which David had expanded to the Euphrates river and the border of Egypt (1 Kings 4:21).  Now for over 500 years the Jews waited for the promised messiah (anointed king) (cf Mark 15:43).

     Although there are hundreds of Old Testament (OT) prophecies about Jesus, He was not the Messiah the Jews anticipated.  They expected an earthly king to expel Roman rule from their Judea.  Even from the first days of Jesus ministry, Simon Peter saw Jesus as the messiah, however, in his eyes, even until moments before He ascended into heaven, he expected an earthly kingdom (John 1:41; Acts 1:6).  The mother of James and John appealed to Jesus to make her sons the top officials in His kingdom (Matthew 20:20, 21; Mark 10:35-37).  Just hours before His arrest, Jesus announced to His disciples at the Passover meal, “
… I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29,30).  Thus the disciples misperception of Jesus’ kingdom is understandable.

     That Jesus’ kingdom was a complete secret mystery is noted by the silence of the OT - it did not call God’s kingdom a mystery.  As Jesus began His three-years ministry, announcing His messiahship, He spoke of the kingdom of heaven and He said to His disciples, “
To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables” (Mark 4:11).  Even at the beginning of His ministry, He hinted His kingdom was shrouded in mystery.

     While Jesus was on trial before Roman governor Pilate, prompted by the Jewish leadership accusing Him of insurrection (Matthew 27:11-13; Mark 15:1-3), Jesus revealed a smidgeon of the mystery of His kingdom.  Upon questioning, Jesus answered, “
My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36).  Jesus kingdom would not be an earthly kingdom!  There is more of the mystery to be revealed.

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      © Jim Mettenbrink; used by permission. rev.170308
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