Week 3 - Your Kingdom Come
2022-09-03
The Gospel of the Kingdom:
George Eldon Ladd
- Luke 19:11-12 illustrates the definition of kingdom as one of authority. The nobleman went into a far country not to receive land. He went to receive authority.
- The Kingdom of God is His kingship, His rule, His authority.
- The Bible’s definition of mystery is a divine purpose now disclosed that was once kept secret.
- The Old Testament’s view of the coming of God’s kingdom was usually seen as a single great event.
Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo:
David Wells
- The nature of petitionary prayer lies in the refusal to accept reality outside how God intended creation. It expresses the hope that God can change things.
- The wrath of God is thus intimately connected with petitionary prayer that also seeks the triumph of truth and the banishment of Evil. (162)
Jesus and the Gentiles
H. Cornell Goerner
- Malachi is the source of prophetic literature that outlined the role of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 3 says there will be a messenger who will prepare the way and that the Lord himself is the messenger of the covenant. In chapter 4, God says He will send the prophet Elijah before the end—which Jesus confirmed was John the Baptist in Matthew 11 and 17.
- From the beginning, Jesus had a vision for a universal kingdom. It explains why Satan tempted Jesus with giving him all the kingdoms of the world. Luke 4:25-26 also refers to a story from 1 Kings 17 where Elijah ministered to a Gentile widow.
- The 70 disciples sent out in Luke 10 represent symbolize the Gentile nations. Genesis 10 listed Noah’s descendants 70 in number.
A Violent Reaction to Mercy
Patrick Johnstone
- In Luke 4, Jesus preached out of Isaiah 61 and concluded he had fulfilled this prophecy. However, he ended the reading mid-sentence and omitted the words, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” This stirred anger in the Jewish people because the expressed vengeance on the Gentiles was not expressed. Jesus even followed up with examples God’s servants ministering to Gentiles in the Old Testament. He made clear that was not going to wreak havoc on the Gentiles—he intends to save them.