He Came to Reign - AWS
He Came to Reign – Luke 4:31-44 Last October the Cleveland Indians had a slogan – “We came to reign!” For a city deprived for so long of a championship, we have had quite the opportunities lately. Could we be on the verge of a dynasty in Cleveland? Jesus came to earth to reign – to establish a new Kingdom on earth with a Heavenly King, with heaven-bound citizens living into heavenly realities now This Kingdom, under His rule, has no end! It’s an eternal reign/dynasty! The encounters with Jesus in Luke 4:40-44 reveal some of the distinct heavenly realities that His reign & this Kingdom of God usher in! The Kingdom of God is a kingdom filled w/His presence, power & purpose!
Presence – Jesus is the very presence of God with us here on earth! Vs 41- Even the demons recognized Him as such & declared it in fear
We can also see in Vs. 40 that this presence of God, in Jesus, was very personal! In encountering all those who had diseases, Jesus, “laid His hands on every one of them and healed them all.” God’s presence, in Jesus, was also 24/7. Vs. 40 – “When the sun was setting…” Jesus could have easily said that His work was done for the day! He also could’ve made Himself inaccessible when He needed time alone, but even when He went to a desolate place in vs 42 He was still able to be found This is the reality of God’s presence with us today as well. He is with us in a very real & personal way. And it is more widespread b/c His Spirit is with us. It’s interesting that Jesus, the very presence of God with us, still went away to be alone with the Father. What does that reveal about this Kingdom? Presence is priority! God makes Himself present to us & we are to present ourselves to Him! The Kingdom of God will be recognized by this reality!
Power – There’s a heavenly power at work within earthly limits!
With the coming of Jesus and this heavenly Kingdom, there came an accompaniment of miraculous signs & displays of supernatural power!
Those with diseases were healed & those possessed by demons were delivered! With God’s earthly presence came displays of great power! We see examples of this all throughout Scripture when God’s presence & power aligned. So why does it seem like we don’t see this power today? Let us not forget the purpose of these signs & miracles of Jesus! They were done to substantiate His true identity and give evidence to His reign! They were also done to substantiate His claims of forgiving sins! Only the power of God could do that, & Jesus was giving evidence that He had it! These signs & displays of power also foreshadow that which is still yet to come when Jesus returns & His Kingdom is fully realized! Jesus is the very presence of God with us & He reveals the very power of God amongst us, in order that He can declare the purpose of God to us!
Purpose – There is a heavenly purpose for which Jesus came! More than a mere presence, more than a display of power, Jesus came for a redemptive purpose–to see men saved & come into His kingdom!
There is a spiritual need that must be addressed in every person! If God’s purpose in Jesus is not fulfilled, then we have nothing, we are nothing! If God is with us, but leaves us in our state of sin & death, or if He heals our physical bodies yet leaves our soul to rot, then what good is that, is He? Jesus’ highest aim/purpose and the reason for which He was sent was… Vs. 43 – “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God…” Proclaiming the kingdom of God, where the lost are found, the blind see, the dead rise, where sins are forgiven & eternal life is granted. This is the purpose for which Jesus was sent, and it was & is still His top priority! This is why Jesus would say to the Galileans in Vs. 43 that he needed to leave. As important as His presence was, & how necessary the display of his power, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God takes precedence! So when you feel as if God is not present, or that His power has not been displayed in your life, remember that you are a recipient of His preaching, the proclamation of His Kingdom, & in receiving that you receive all three!
Presence – Jesus is the very presence of God with us here on earth! Vs 41- Even the demons recognized Him as such & declared it in fear
We can also see in Vs. 40 that this presence of God, in Jesus, was very personal! In encountering all those who had diseases, Jesus, “laid His hands on every one of them and healed them all.” God’s presence, in Jesus, was also 24/7. Vs. 40 – “When the sun was setting…” Jesus could have easily said that His work was done for the day! He also could’ve made Himself inaccessible when He needed time alone, but even when He went to a desolate place in vs 42 He was still able to be found This is the reality of God’s presence with us today as well. He is with us in a very real & personal way. And it is more widespread b/c His Spirit is with us. It’s interesting that Jesus, the very presence of God with us, still went away to be alone with the Father. What does that reveal about this Kingdom? Presence is priority! God makes Himself present to us & we are to present ourselves to Him! The Kingdom of God will be recognized by this reality!
Power – There’s a heavenly power at work within earthly limits!
With the coming of Jesus and this heavenly Kingdom, there came an accompaniment of miraculous signs & displays of supernatural power!
Those with diseases were healed & those possessed by demons were delivered! With God’s earthly presence came displays of great power! We see examples of this all throughout Scripture when God’s presence & power aligned. So why does it seem like we don’t see this power today? Let us not forget the purpose of these signs & miracles of Jesus! They were done to substantiate His true identity and give evidence to His reign! They were also done to substantiate His claims of forgiving sins! Only the power of God could do that, & Jesus was giving evidence that He had it! These signs & displays of power also foreshadow that which is still yet to come when Jesus returns & His Kingdom is fully realized! Jesus is the very presence of God with us & He reveals the very power of God amongst us, in order that He can declare the purpose of God to us!
Purpose – There is a heavenly purpose for which Jesus came! More than a mere presence, more than a display of power, Jesus came for a redemptive purpose–to see men saved & come into His kingdom!
There is a spiritual need that must be addressed in every person! If God’s purpose in Jesus is not fulfilled, then we have nothing, we are nothing! If God is with us, but leaves us in our state of sin & death, or if He heals our physical bodies yet leaves our soul to rot, then what good is that, is He? Jesus’ highest aim/purpose and the reason for which He was sent was… Vs. 43 – “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God…” Proclaiming the kingdom of God, where the lost are found, the blind see, the dead rise, where sins are forgiven & eternal life is granted. This is the purpose for which Jesus was sent, and it was & is still His top priority! This is why Jesus would say to the Galileans in Vs. 43 that he needed to leave. As important as His presence was, & how necessary the display of his power, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God takes precedence! So when you feel as if God is not present, or that His power has not been displayed in your life, remember that you are a recipient of His preaching, the proclamation of His Kingdom, & in receiving that you receive all three!
