Podcast Summary:

North Point Community Church
Episode: The Last Kingdom, Part 2: Reclaiming the Plotline // Andy Stanley
Date: January 26, 2025
Speaker: Andy Stanley

Overview of the Episode

In Part 2 of The Last Kingdom series, Andy Stanley reclaims the central plotline of Christianity by emphasizing Jesus’ true role as King. He unpacks the historical, linguistic, and theological background of why the identity of Jesus as "Christ" (God’s anointed king) has been obscured or reduced over the centuries. His core message: Christianity is not merely about Jesus' roles as teacher, friend, or forgiver, but about recognizing and responding to him as the reigning King who established a new, everlasting kingdom. Stanley challenges listeners—especially those uncertain or skeptical about faith—to rediscover or reconsider who Jesus actually claimed to be.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Misrepresentations and Reductions of Jesus’ Identity (00:00–07:00)

• Andy addresses non-Christians, ex-Christians, and skeptics, noting:

  “The Jesus that maybe you're not interested in is not the Jesus that Matthew and John knew...And if the teaching of Jesus ...did not strike you as good news…it may have been … fake news.” (01:10)

• He humorously illustrates how Christians and churches often reduce Jesus to a function or role (e.g., “sin forgiver,” “heaven guaranteer,” “hashtag bestie Jesus”)—much like introducing someone as only a “cook” or “snake remover.”
• Main idea: Reducing Jesus obscures who he is and why he matters, both personally and globally.

2. The Problem of Lost Meaning in Translation (07:01–14:35)

• Andy traces how the Greek word Christos (“anointed one,” i.e., king) was transliterated—not translated—in the Latin Bible (as Christus), and thus lost its original significance as a royal title.
  • “Christ … became instead of a title, it became a name…like Jesus’ last name…For most people, Jesus’ identity as a king and his purpose for coming was reduced to a list of roles he played.” (13:30–14:15)
• The true plot line: Jesus is not simply a great teacher or miracle worker, but God’s final King who came to establish a never-ending kingdom.

3. The King and His Kingdom—What the New Testament Really Says (14:36–33:40)

• If one reads the New Testament understanding “Christ” as “King,” the theme is unmistakable.

• “From Matthew all the way through Revelation … the term Christ shows up 496 times because the authors did not want us to miss the point.” (16:10)

• Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts—Stanley gives a rapid-fire tour showing “the King” is the dominant motif:

  • Matthew: “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ [King Jesus] … The birth of Jesus Christ … This is the story of the birth of a king.” (17:30)

  • Mark: The good news is the arrival of God’s anointed king—His kingdom is near.
    “If … the good news … doesn't strike you as anything but good news, you haven't read it correctly...” (18:20)

  • Jesus’ core message: “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” (20:45)

    • Here, “repent” means to change your mindset and embrace the reality that the king and his kingdom have arrived.

  • Sermon on the Mount: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” (23:20)
    Prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done…” (24:05)

    • The Sermon is a “crash course on how kingdom people act, react, how they pray and prioritize…” (25:00)

  • Luke: The angel to Mary: “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David … and his kingdom will never end.” (26:00)

  • John:

    • Andrew tells his brother Peter, “We have found the Messiah…” then clarifies for Greek readers: “…that is, the Christ.” (27:00)
    • Nathaniel upon meeting Jesus: “You are the Son of God. You are the king of Israel!” (27:55)
    • John’s purpose statement:

      “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ [the King], the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (29:33)

4. Crucifixion: Jesus Condemned for Claiming Kingship (33:41–36:55)

• Mark, based on Peter's eyewitness account:
  • The high priest confronts Jesus: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
    Jesus’ response—“I am.” (34:40)
• Stanley highlights:
  “Not because of what he taught, [but] because of who he claimed to be—the Christ, God’s final king.” (36:48)

5. After Resurrection: The Disciples’ Response (36:56–40:20)

• The disciples worshiped him:

  “…when we saw him, we worshiped him…These are Jewish young men, you can’t even have an image of God…And in this moment, these young men worship their rabbi ... If that's all we had, that's all we need.” (37:00–38:15)

• Jesus accepts their worship and makes a monumental claim:

  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (39:45)

  • “This is king language…Only a king, God's final king, who owes us nothing and gave us everything...” (39:50–40:10)

6. What Does This Mean for Us? (40:21–End)

• Recognizing Jesus as King exposes the shallowness of a “what has he done for me lately” faith.

• The invitation:
  “He’s the king who came not to ask us to give our lives for him, but came to give his life for us…He came to reverse the order of things. And he didn't come to die. He came to reign.” (40:40–41:15)

• Living with kingdom values transforms people, families, communities, and nations.

• For nonbelievers:
  “I know I don’t have any right to tell you what to do, but you should at least consider accepting his invitation to follow … because in the end, his will will be done.” (42:20)

• The universal recognition:

  “At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow … and every tongue will confess that Jesus, God's anointed king, is the boss, is the Lord, has the right to rule…” (44:08–44:35)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On “Fake News” About Jesus:

  “If the teaching of Jesus as it was presented to you did not strike you as good news … it really may have been the original and ultimate fake news.” — Andy Stanley (01:10)

• On Missing the Plot:

  “If the life of Jesus was a puzzle, the box top would not be three crosses on a hill. Jesus' death isn’t the story. A resurrected king is the story.” (16:45)

• On the Word “Christ”:

  “Christ … became instead of a title, it became a name…like Jesus’ last name…For most people, Jesus’ identity as a king and his purpose for coming was reduced to a list of roles he played.” (13:30–14:15)

• On Jesus’ Core Message:

  “The kingdom is near because the king is here. The kingdom is near because the king is in town. The kingdom is near because the king has touched down.” (21:15)

• On the Disciples’ Worshipping Jesus:

  “These are Jewish young men. You're not going to worship a person. … In this moment, these young men worship their rabbi. If that's all we had, that's all we need.” (37:00–38:15)

• On the Nature of Jesus’ Authority:

  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (39:45)

• On the Universal Acknowledgment of Christ:

  “At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess, every tongue will recognize … That Jesus, God's anointed king, is the boss, is the Lord, has the right to rule..." (44:08–44:35)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic / Quote | |:--------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–01:10 | Addressing skeptics/outsiders; “the Jesus you’re not interested in is not the Jesus Matthew and John knew.” | | 07:01–14:15 | Historical loss of the meaning of “Christ”; translation problem. | | 14:36–16:45 | "If the life of Jesus was a puzzle … Jesus' death isn’t the story. A resurrected king is the story." | | 17:30-18:20 | Matthew and Mark—Jesus as King, not just rabbi or miracle worker. | | 20:45 | Jesus’ core message: “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” | | 23:20 | “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” Sermon on the Mount as “kingdom values 101.” | | 27:00–27:55 | John 1—“We have found the Messiah … the Christ;” Nathaniel: “You are the king of Israel!” | | 29:33 | John’s thesis: “These are written that you may believe Jesus is the Christ [King]…” | | 34:40–36:48 | ‘Are you the Christ?’—Jesus' confession; condemned for his claim to kingship. | | 37:00–38:15 | Disciples worship Risen Jesus—profound Jewish context. | | 39:45 | “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” | | 42:20 | Invitation for nonbelievers to follow: “His will will be done … consider accepting his invitation.” | | 44:08–44:35 | The destiny of all: “At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow … and every tongue will confess … Jesus, God's anointed king, is the boss, is the Lord…” |

Takeaways

• The true identity of Jesus—God’s anointed king—has been hidden or diluted over centuries, yet stands at the center of the New Testament.
• Jesus came not just to forgive sins, but to inaugurate and reign over the final kingdom of God, a kingdom that is already being established on earth.
• Followers of Jesus are challenged to live with “kingdom first” priorities and to let his kingship transform every aspect of life, community, and society.
• The invitation is open: instead of reducing Jesus, recognize and respond to him as King—and participate now in the kingdom that will ultimately conquer all.

End of summary. For the next part of the series, listen to Part 3 of The Last Kingdom on the North Point Community Church podcast.