Posted on 11/23/2019 10:07:01 PM PST by Charles Henrickson
“Whose Kingdom Will Have No End” (Colossians 1:13-20)
All good things must come to an end. And this week we come to the end of the church year. Today is the Last Sunday of the Church Year, and at this time of the year, we focus on the last things, the end times. Last week, for instance, we said that “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near,” that day when Christ “will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead.”
But if we just stop there, at the Last Day, we have not gone far enough. There’s more to come after that. The end is not the end! Think about what we just said in the Nicene Creed, “to judge both the living and the dead.” What comes right after it? “Whose kingdom will have no end.” No end! There is a kingdom that has no end! A never-ending kingdom, an everlasting one. So today let’s find out more about this kingdom and how we get to be part of it.
The first question is, Who’s the “whose” in “whose kingdom will have no end”? If you look at the way the Nicene Creed is laid out in your hymnal--“And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end”--you might think it refers back to “the living and the dead.” As though the living and the dead who are being judged will have a kingdom that has no end. But of course that is not the case. The “whose” refers back to the one coming again with glory, the one who is the subject of the entire Second Article of the Creed, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is his kingdom that will have no end.
Because the fact is, you and I will have an end, whether we are currently among “the living” or “the dead.” Or, as the older translation had it, “the quick and the dead.” Because even if we’re “quick” now, we’ll be “dead” soon enough, no matter how quick we may think we are. You and I are not quick enough to outrun Old Man Death. He will run us down eventually. Our own little kingdoms, which we fashion in this life--they all will come to an end.
But it’s even worse than that. For there is a kingdom we belonged to--maybe “belonged to” isn’t the right term; “were trapped in” would be more like it--there is a kingdom we were trapped in, where physical, temporal death is only part of the story. It’s much worse than that. St. Paul refers to it in the Epistle for today. He calls it “the domain of darkness.” The domain of darkness--that’s where we were trapped and couldn’t get out. The domain of darkness is viewed as a sphere of power. It’s a realm that had us in its sway, in its thrall, under its control. It’s the ultimate “Evil Empire.” The domain of darkness is dominated by the devil. He had us captive in darkness and disobedience, death and damnation. We were in the dark, lost, unable to see where we were going. People in the dark bump into each other and get hurt. People in the dark cannot see God for who he is. It’s like all the lights were out, and we were blind anyway. That’s what the domain of darkness is like. It’s the condition in which we once lived. Doom and gloom, for as far as the eye can see--or can’t see, is more like it. Trapped in the domain of darkness. If that kingdom were to have no end for us, we would be lost forever.
But the good news is, you and I have changed kingdoms! Again, maybe “changed” isn’t the best word. You and I didn’t do anything to get ourselves out of the dark. Somebody else did it for us. God did. Like Paul says: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”
There’s a change of citizenship here. We’ve gone from one kingdom to another, from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of God’s Son. We’ve been delivered and transferred. God delivered us from the domain of darkness. We’ve been transferred to a new kingdom, totally different in its character than the old domain. This is the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. The domain of darkness was characterized by thick, gloomy darkness. The kingdom of God’s Son is characterized by light and the ability to see. The domain of darkness was a place of despair and doom. The kingdom of God’s Son is the realm of hope and salvation. The domain of darkness--slavery under the devil. The kingdom of God’s Son--freedom in Christ. The domain of darkness is hemmed in by death. The kingdom of the Son opens up into life.
“The kingdom of his beloved Son”: Who is this beloved Son whose kingdom it is? Paul tells us more about him, in lofty, cosmic terms: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Here we must stand in awe, so grand is this person of God’s eternal Son. This is the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God in all his infinite majesty. We come back to the wording of the Nicene Creed: “one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.”
“By whom all things were made.” That’s referring to Christ. The Creed is just saying what Paul says here in Colossians: “For by him”--that is, by the Son--“all things were created.” “All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” When Paul says the Son is “the firstborn of all creation,” he’s saying that Christ, with the full authority of the firstborn Son, has absolute supremacy over all created things. In other words, the Son is true God, the Lord of all creation. That is whose kingdom is being spoken of here. That is whose kingdom we have been transferred into. That is “whose kingdom will have no end.”
But how? How did God deliver us out of the domain of darkness, that death-kingdom in which we were trapped? How can such sinful rebels that we were be allowed to enter--or even to visit, much less to stay in--such a magnificent kingdom?
Here is where God’s Son comes in. For he did come into our hall of death, this gray, gloomy domain, on a divine rescue mission. Christ, the eternal Son of God, entered our world to set us free. God’s beloved Son, in whom God was well pleased, took upon himself all of God’s displeasure and wrath. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he cried on the cross. Why indeed? Because it took the death of God’s own Son to pay the price for our rebellion. Nothing less would do. We were trapped on Devil’s Island, with no way off. There was no escape. So Christ became the prisoner in our place. He took the death penalty we deserved.
Now if the only Son of God dies for the sins of the world, his holy death is of such infinite worth, that it is sufficient to rescue and restore all of fallen creation. Paul puts it like this: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Here again we pause in wonder. The Son of God, the eternal Lord, stoops so low as to shed his blood on a cross of shame, for me and for my sins--I can hardly take it in! Yes, Christ did this for you! Ponder the mystery! Praise his name! God has transferred you to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom you have “redemption, the forgiveness of sins!”
Redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace--Paul is bringing out all these great gospel words to express the great change that has taken place! Think of it like this: Your sins were keeping you a prisoner on Devil’s Island was your sins. But Christ paid the price for your release, and now you are free. Now you are able to enter the kingdom. Or think of it like this: We were separated from God, but now God has reconciled us back. We were at war against God, but now the war has ceased. The peace treaty was signed with the blood of Christ. Use whatever language you like, we have been transferred to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.
His kingdom, Christ’s kingdom, “will have no end.” Paul says of him: “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” He is “the head of the body.” Where the head is, there the body will be. Christ the head lives forever, so also will we, his body the church. He is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” He has supremacy, full authority, over death and Hades. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has restored to us everlasting life. Christ is the first to rise from the dead, and we his church will be sure to follow. And so we will “live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.”
His kingdom will have no end. What will it be like, this never-ending kingdom of Christ? Well, we’re already in his kingdom now, but it’s only going to get better. Take away all the bad stuff that bothers us now--our lingering sin, the sorrow and pain that we cause ourselves and that others cause us, the sickness and the death we suffer, the tears--take all of those things away. And then multiply all the good stuff many times over! We’ve been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God’s Son. And in this kingdom there is only light and life. Alive with Christ and with all his saints forever--we can only imagine how good it will be! But we’ll have all eternity to experience it and to discover how wonderful this kingdom really is!
They say all good things must come to an end. Oh really? Because in Christ, “whose kingdom will have no end,” the end is only the beginning!
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Ping.
Ping
What value have you for God that Jesus was willing to suffer on the cross for you?
Wonderful! Thank you, Lord Jesus!
True, as those of living effectual faith, praise and thanks be to God. However, while Christ is God by nature with the Father and the Spirit, functionally Christ was made Lord over creation as a result of His overcoming death and resurrection:
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:34-36)
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:12-13; cf. 1:13; Ps 110:1; Da 2:44; Mt 22:44; Mr 12:36; Lu 20:43; Ac 2:35 1Co 15:25)
And after the Lord Jesus has hath put all His enemies under his feet (which my flesh needs to be!) then He will deliver the kingdom over to His Father, who shall functionally reign as God over all:
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:24-25)
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28)
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
None.
HE just LOVES me!
What kind of hoops does TCOJSOLDS require you to jump through to enter the CELESTIAL level of heaven?
Thought that would be in December.
The price of His Only Begotten Son.
I mean enough to Him that He would willingly go to that cross and die for me.
That puts my value above the cost of everything in the universe.
If you have to ask that question, your spiritual blindness is staggering. If you don’t get the fact that someone willing to die for someone else doesn’t show their inherent value by that action alone, then nothing can explain it to you.
Your question needs clarification: did you mean what value does God place upon me, or did you mean what value have I placed upon God?
” Your question needs clarification: did you mean what value does God place upon me, or did you mean what value have I placed upon God?”
I did not do a good job of asking the question. I will try again.
God values you enough that Jesus lived through the great pain needed to save you.
Because I believe God and Jesus are literally Father and Brother I would say it is a family thing.
Why did He do that for you? Why are you valuable enough for God to have Jesus live through that pain?
Because He loves us and He created us in His image and likeness for fellowship with Him.
He still wants that so He provided an out for those who wanted it.
Father and brother ... Mormnism has a definite twist to it don’t they/you?
Now that you have vented on me, do you have an answer to the question?
Thank you for your response.
When you ask questions without answering those posed to you, can we presume you have an agenda which you do not want revealed?
Jesus was God with us. He explained that to His disicples in John 14, to best of their capacity to comprehend. In essence what He told them was that they had seen the Father because they had seen and interacted with Hin as Jesus. He was explaining to them that all they could see of The Father was where He, The Father, was in their limits of sensing, as Jesus. Now that means your poorly posed question, separating Jesus from being God with us is not answerable ibn the false way you posed it.
One other thing, Mormon, Jesus was not working His way to Godhood, He is God, was God, and will remain God.
Thank you, but I am anything but a victim.
Do you know that you spend more time putting down Mormons then you do building up your beliefs when responding to me.
If the parts of the trinity were not seperate when Jesus was on earth why did He cry out to His other part?
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani ? “ that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Matthew 27:46
Christian Standard Bible
As an agenda driven Mormon, you seek any item you may point to as inconsistent. So instead of responding on this thread, I am sending along a freepmail with an explanation I doubt you have ever hear before.
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