2. The Powerful Rule of Jesus
Week 8 • Day 2
Up to this point, God’s kingdom people have been suffering the consequences of their original choice to submit to the kingdom of the serpent. As a result, this serpent-like heart posture has caused God’s image-bearers to engage in rampant sin bringing hurt, suffering, pain, and ultimately death into the world. Humanity had abandoned God’s kingdom rule, were excluded from God’s kingdom place, and longed for the day that God would restore all things. However,...
The serpent proved to be no match against the power of God found in Jesus; the true ruler of all things!
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:35-38
GOD’S RULE - REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF THE SERPENT
The miracles, restorations, and healings performed by Jesus are AMAZING examples of God’s powerful kingdom rule over our fallen world that has been marked by the kingdom of the serpent. Luke, a physician in the business of physical ailments and care for the marginalized, spends an inordinate amount of time recording Jesus expressing powerful kingdom rule by healing every kind of disease and sickness.
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” - Luke 4:40-41
And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. - Luke 7:22
Matthew writes his gospel account highlighting the deep Jewish roots of Jesus’ powerful kingdom rule. That is why many of the miracles that Jesus performs are grounded in the imagery of the long awaited messiah that have been painted in the Hebrew Bible.
That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” - Matthew 8:16-17
John documents several of Jesus’ miraculous works so that all people might believe that Jesus is the Christ - the one who wields the powerful rule over all things.
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. - John 6:9-11
Finally, the earliest gospel written by Mark, a co-worker of Peter, had a vested interest in portraying Jesus’ powerful kingdom rule over all things in his Roman context. Even the spiritual realm that animated the nations - including the Roman Empire - could not withstand the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!
And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” - Mark 1:23–27
GOD’S RULE - THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
While these miracles, healings, and wonders are REMARKABLE signs of the rule that Jesus had over the realm controlled by the serpent, the Hebrew Scriptures help us recognize that the truest and deepest extent of Jesus’ powerful kingdom rule would come through the “healing of the heart”. From the beginning, Jesus’ kingdom mission was not solely aimed at physical restoration and the healing of the flesh. Rather, these ailments and diseases were outward symptoms caused by a deeper spiritual problem; namely that all of humanity had followed Adam and Eve and had succumbed to the serpent. Therefore, Jesus uses his rule to reach all the way to the source of the issue in order to COMPLETELY dethrone the serpent. Jesus’ kingdom rule was so powerful and reached so deep into the heart that he even had the ability to wipe away sin whose fangs had gripped the hearts of God’s image-bearers since the very beginning!
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” - Mark 2:5-7
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” - Luke 7:41–50
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” …“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. - Matthew 9:2-3, 6–8
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more. - John 8:10-11
It would be these localized acts of forgiveness that affirmed Jesus’ identity as the greater Moses and the greater Elijah who would rescue God’s people from the rule of the serpent back into God’s kingdom!
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him….He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. - Matthew 17:2, 5
GOD’S RULE - RESTORED DELEGATED RULE OF HUMANITY
Recall that God has two desired outcomes for His image-bearers whose sins are forgiven and who choose to follow God’s kingdom rule. First, God desires to restore the intimate and loving relationship that humanity once experienced with God. Establishing God’s kingdom rule meant restoring a garden-like relationship with YHWH; one in which God walks alongside His people and God’s people reciprocally trust His wisdom to discern good and bad in this world. Second, flowing out of a relationship with God, God’s desire is to see His people live in shalom with one another as they are fruitful and multiply. Establishing God’s kingdom rule meant restoring a garden-like relationship with each other; one in which humans lovingly cooperate with one another as they work with the raw materials of creation around them to advance human civilization in harmony.
In essence, God’s image-bearers have always been called to use their renewed delegated rule to (1) love God and (2) love others. In fulfilling this purpose, God’s people of shalom spread God’s blessing and glory to all of the nations. Sure enough, Jesus’ teaching ministry is centered precisely on these fundamental kingdom ethics! Yes, Jesus would heal ailments, forgive sins, and reverse many effects of the serpent in his lifetime, but the gospel of the kingdom suggests that this was all aimed at reestablishing God’s rule in God’s place over God’s people!
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40
JESUS AS OUR MORAL EXAMPLE
Have you wondered what it would be like to walk with God in a perfectly loving relationship and radically trust in His rule? Have you wondered what it looks like to truly love others well? Jesus uses His delegated rule as fully-human and fully-God to live a life without sin. In other words, Jesus followed the ruling commandments of God the Father to perfection! That is why Jesus becomes our example of what it means to live as a restored kingdom image-bearer here on earth!
First, Jesus uses his delegated rule to perfectly love God. Jesus listens, obeys, and trusts the ruling commands of God the Father as he walks with Him, even when Jesus humanly did not want to follow through with what God was asking. By obeying God’s commands with full and complete trust in God’s rule, Jesus becomes the human who would never bend the knee to the kingdom of the serpent. This is why Jesus can authoritatively teach his disciples that loving God, abiding in him, and obeying his commands are inextricably intertwined.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. - Matthew 5:17–18
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” - John 5:19
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” - Mark 14:8-6
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. - John 14:30–31
Teaching
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. - John 15:4–11
Second, Jesus uses his delegated rule to perfectly love others. Jesus makes it a priority to meet the needs of other people around him, particularly the outcasts and marginalized of society. By becoming a servant of all, Jesus sets the example of a new and radical kind of selfless love for others and shalom amidst His kingdom family of people! This is also why Jesus can authoritatively teach on what it looks like to love others according to his standard.
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand... If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” - John 13:5-7, 14-15
Teaching
...But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Mark 10:43b - 45
These two factors make Jesus’ life the standard of righteous living in God’s kingdom. Jesus is our moral example! If you want to know what it’s like to use our delegated rule as image-bearers to love God and love others, look to Jesus! If you want to know whether you are using your delegated rule to love God and love others well, ask yourself if your life looks like you are following Christ! As Colossians 1:15 says, “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…”
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28–30
JESUS AS OUR SERPENT-CRUSHING SUBSTITUTE
According to the gospels, it wasn’t merely his healings and wonders, moral fortitude, localized acts of forgiveness, teachings, or blameless life that allowed Jesus to dethrone the serpent. Jesus’ life only showed that he possessed the ruling power to overcome the schemes of the serpent kingdom. However, Jesus’ blameless life does set the stage for his ultimate act! Since Jesus is sinless as fully man and also eternally sinless as fully God, he qualifies as the eternally spotless lamb who can offer himself for the sins of ALL humanity once and for all time!
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! - John 1:29
In the ultimate act of humble love for God’s image-bearing people and perfect obedience to the rule of his Heavenly Father, Jesus willingly lays down his life in order to become the sacrifice that would provide the spotless lifeblood needed to eternally atone for ALL sins across ALL time. Since Jesus was eternally righteous, he did not deserve to die. Death is the inevitable consequence of sin. Without sin, there is no death. On the other hand, all sinners who have ever bowed their knee to the serpent deserve the death that is coming for them. So why did Jesus die? Jesus, the promised son of God, willingly and humbly laid down his own life as a substitute so that God incarnate could eternally take the place of sinners globally.
At the cross, Jesus took upon himself the punishment that all of humanity deserves so that we may not have to. Hallelujah!
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the world. - John 15:13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 2:2
Jesus’ ultimate act as the ruler over all things was one of humility. Essentially, Jesus hands over all his power for the sake of rescuing His kingdom people everywhere from the kingdom of the serpent once and for all. At the cross, we receive the clearest picture of the type of loving king Jesus actually is! At the same time, the gospel of the kingdom had been set in motion. On the cross Jesus allowed himself to be struck on the heel by the serpent. Little did the serpent know, JESUS WOULD HAVE THE LAST WORD!
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. -- Mark 8:31-33
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” - John 10:17–18
GOD’S RULE IN OUR LIVES
If you are a follower of Jesus, you too have had your delegated rule restored so that you as God’s image-bearers might (1) love God by obeying His commands and (2) love one another by becoming servants of all! How do we do this? Simple: we follow Jesus! Just as Jesus had compassion on the people because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd, we ought to pray compassionately for those who are harassed, put down, living in poverty, marginalized, oppressed and on the fringes of life. Then, as we pray, we ought to listen and obey fully trusting that God will lead each and every one of us to participate in the gospel of the kingdom on earth. Followers of Jesus can become servants of all by the actions we take to meet the physical and emotional needs of others around us!
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven….” - Matthew 6:9–10
At the same time, we know that the powerful rule of Jesus was targeted to crush the serpent - the deepest spiritual heart issue of our world today! That is why the overarching command (or commission) of God is to share the core message of the gospel of the kingdom - that the serpent has been crushed, that Jesus has died as an eternal substitute for us as sinners, that a rescue hatch has been opened for us to return to the Kingdom of God, and that true life and satisfaction can be found by becoming a disciple of Jesus!
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20
How do we get people to grasp the gospel of the kingdom? We can know and trust that if you are part of God’s kingdom, God will be with you to the end of the age! We will explore this idea more tomorrow. For now, it is wonderful to meditate on the powerful rule of Jesus’ that allowed him to (1) love God with a trust that led him to a cross and (2) love others with a love that drove him to become the servant of all. As Jesus was locally preaching, teaching, healing, and forgiving, he had his sight locked onto the ultimate liberation of ALL people from the kingdom of the serpent. In the same way, followers of Jesus have been given the power to make Jesus and his kingdom known through generous acts of power and love, yet our sights ought to remain on the message of the gospel of the kingdom found in Jesus that addresses the core issue of humanity! Thus, as we use our own delegated rule to love God and love others in the power of Jesus, the kingdom of God comes to earth as it is in heaven through us!
What does this look like? Although we may not be able to calm a storm on the sea as Jesus did, we do have the power to calm an argument between our spouse and ourselves and even others. We may not be able to feed thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread as Jesus did, but we can find ways to feed, cloth and help those who are hungry, tired and in need. We may not be able to walk on water, but we can do things that we would not be able to do within our own strength! And most of all, we weren’t the ones who died on a cross to save a world full of people, but we can share the gospel of the kingdom with others because the message of Jesus has the power to free anyone from the kingdom of the serpent!
Share the Gospel: When Jesus walked the earth, he gave his followers a picture of what his kingdom powerful rule looked like and how it can be used to love others and share the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom. Moreover, just as Jesus delegated his kingdom powerful rule to his followers over 2000 years ago, he has delegated his power to his followers today. Let’s be encouraged to use the power that Jesus has given us to go out and share the love of God through physical acts and the good news of his kingdom with everyone we meet.
