Kingdom Disciples

Jesus explained that he was going to Jerusalem where the Son of Man would be arrested, tried, and executed – Mark 10:32-34. Jesus is “ on the way ” to Jerusalem and the Cross in the  Gospel of Mark . This theme occurs several times, beginning with John the Baptist who was sent to “ prepare the way before the Lord .” The Nazarene would complete his messianic mission as the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ portrayed in the Book of Isaiah when he was tried by the priestly leaders of the Temple and executed outside the walls of the City of David at the hands of Rome, the World Empire .

His disciples are called to self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life to ransom  many from sin’s  bondage – Mark 10:35-45. After predicting his impending death, two disciples began jockeying for high positions in his future Kingdom. Thinking according to the ways of this world , they did not comprehend what kind of Messiah Jesus was and what it meant to follow him. However, in Jerusalem, he would demonstrate how to become his disciple and achieve “ greatness ” in the Kingdom of God when he was nailed to the Roman Cross.

Paul anchored all that God has done for His Church in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Galatians 1:1-5. Paul claimed the source of his apostleship was the same God who raised His Son from “ among dead ones .” Jesus died and was raised from the dead to “ deliver us from this evil age .” In his Letter to the Galatians , Paul responded to “ men from Jerusalem ” who operated as if the old era before this event remained in effect. They insisted that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Jewish calendar, and they challenged Paul’s Apostolic authority.

Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies . The inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until after his crucifixion is a central theme of the  Gospel of Mark . Ironically, the first man to do so is the Roman centurion on duty at his execution. His self-identification as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable to unregenerate men.  He was the Savior no one expected or wanted .

In his Letter to the Colossians , Paul stresses the exaltation of Jesus following his resurrection. Some members of the congregation were confused about his authority over the spiritual powers that remained hostile to God and His people; therefore, Paul reminded the Assembly of just how highly God has exalted the one who became the “ Firstborn of the Dead .”

Following Jesus means living a self-sacrificial life of service to others, especially to the weak and the insignificant . Jesus explained to his disciples what it meant to be the Messiah of Israel while on the road to Jerusalem. There, he would face his final confrontation with the Temple authorities ending in his unjust death at the hands of the Romans. Was not Jerusalem the appointed place where the prophets of Yahweh were slain, where the Messiah himself must suffer rejection and death, according to the Scriptures?

Following his baptism in the Jordan River, the Voice from Heaven identified Jesus as the Son of God and the Servant of the LORD . The theme of fulfillment is prominent in  Matthew’s Gospel . The promises of God are fulfilled  in Jesus, the  Anointed Son sent to redeem Israel and rule the nations. Peter confirmed that he was the “ Messiah ” but failed to understand that he would undertake that role as the suffering “ Servant of Yahweh ,” a misunderstanding that persists to this day. Christ’s true identity and the significance of his mission are revealed in his Death and Resurrection.

A key point of the  Letter to Hebrews  is the victory of the Son on behalf of his people and his exaltation to the “ right hand ” of God as their High Priest as a consequence. He secured what none of his predecessors could. Through his sacrificial death, he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” then he “ sat down ” in the “ true and greater Tabernacle ” in God’s very presence where he now intercedes for his saints.

The Church has been plagued for centuries by prophets, seers, and mystics who claim to possess secret knowledge and new insights into the mysteries of God beyond anything found in the Scriptures, knowledge obtained via visions and dreams, or perhaps by deciphering the Hebrew alphabet or the Jewish calendar. The Bible certainly does speak of God’s “ mysteries ,” His unexpected ways that differ radically from human wisdom, but they were disclosed in His Son twenty centuries ago.

Overused by both the Church and the surrounding society, the English term ‘spiritual’ has become meaningless. To some people, it is synonymous with the word religion . To be religious is to be spiritual . To others, it refers to things that are not of this physical universe, things and beings that are supernatural, otherworldly, noncorporeal, invisible, and timeless.

The priesthood of Jesus is a key subject in the  Letter to the Hebrews . He became the “ merciful and faithful High Priest ” who now intercedes for “ his brethren ” from the presence of God. This subject was anticipated in the Letter’s opening paragraph, including the uniqueness of his priesthood, when the Author declared that he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” and then afterward, he “ sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High .”

Paul links the start of the “ Last Days ” with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The time of fulfillment arrived, and all God’s promises now find their “ Yea and Amen ” in the risen Savior. Similarly, the  Letter to the Hebrews  declares that “ in these last days ,” God has “ spoken ” His definitive “ Word ” in His Son who now sits at the “ right hand of the Majesty on High .” History reached its pivotal point in the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God.

After predicting his death, two disciples began jockeying for high-status positions in his coming Kingdom. Thinking according to the ways of this world’s concepts of political power, they did not comprehend what kind of Messiah Jesus was (and remains), and therefore, what it meant to follow him “ wherever he goes .” However, in Jerusalem, he would soon demonstrate how one achieves “ Greatness ” in the Kingdom of God.

To the Colossians, Paul emphasized the exalted position of Jesus that he attained through his death and resurrection . In his Letter, the Apostle stresses the exaltation of Jesus following his resurrection. It seems some members of the congregation were confused about his authority over the spiritual powers that remained hostile to God and His people; therefore, Paul reminds the Assembly of just how highly God exalted the very one who became the “ Firstborn of the Dead .”

Having established his priestly qualifications,  Hebrews  presents Jesus as the High Priest who intercedes faithfully and sympathetically for his people. He participated fully in the nature and sufferings common to all men, therefore, his priestly intercession for his “ brethren ” is characterized by compassion for them. The “ Son ” experienced the same death that is common to all men, and in doing so, he qualified for the priesthood “ after the order of Melchizedek ” even though he was not a member of the Tribe of Levi. What set him apart from other men was his sinlessness.