Podcast Host (16:27)
What does it mean to live in light of the Resurrection? We live in a polarizing time where battles for political power or division from cultural struggles are rampant. Everyone is trying to aggressively dominate culture with their ideology. How do we as believers, followers of Christ function in it all? Are we supposed to contribute to the clamoring, the arguing, the debating? What are we supposed to do with this polarized and politically charged time? Jesus came into the world during a polarized and charged time in history. Occupied Palestine under the boot of Roman oppression. It seems like an odd time to come in and establish a new kingdom. But Jesus didn't do any of this by accident. He, the Son of God, had chosen before all of eternity to enter in and save his creation at the perfect moment. Looked at from our perspective, it might not seem like it was such a great time. Israel was a conquered country occupied by Roman soldiers and oppressed by Roman taxes. The Roman emperors who ruled at the time and the Jewish leaders they used as their puppets are remembered as violent, sadistic demagogues. There was emperors like Caligula, Nero, Herod. They were all terrible and corrupt men and had their boots on the necks of society. That's why when Jesus is with his disciples as the resurrected king, they ask if he's going to restore the kingdom of Israel. They are essentially asking if Jesus is going to storm Rome as the resurrected ruler of the world and take the throne. The answer is is yes and no. Jesus said to them, it is not for you to know the time or the dates the Father has by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. It's not hard to notice that when Jesus is asked, is it time to take power and create God's kingdom here on earth? Jesus answers that he wants them to preach the gospel, convert people, and to grow the numbers of disciples all throughout the world. He says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Yet today, even among believers with high view of Scripture in Jesus words in their red letter Bibles, these sweeping commands from our Savior to evangelize rather than to seek political clout are being brushed aside as irrelevant in favor of other pursuits that are touted as more necessary, relevant, or appropriate to highly charged political culture in which we now exist. We see the church often getting lost in political battles of occupation and regime change. That's the way of Caesar. It's not the way of Jesus. His rule was upside down to the dominating, oppressive and aggressive culture, to the kingdoms and conquerors. He wasn't after the throne of Caesar. He was to Jesus. That was too small of an accomplishment. He wanted the souls of mankind. And what does it look like for a redeemed soul to go in and conquer the world? Well, it looks upside down to what the world preaches. The world says, hate your enemies, but Jesus says, love your enemies. The world says, strike back, but Jesus says, turn the cheek. The Great Commission charges us to change the world one heart at a time, with the character, words and power of Jesus. What was that evangelistic strategy for the disciples who existed in an even more hostile and marginalized culture? It was to spread the gospel message in any and every opportunity they had. They wanted to proclaim the crucified and risen Lord. May we never abandon the Great Commission in order to gain control of culture and seize power. As we have seen Jesus. Disciples were asking when he was going to restore the kingdom of God. Their question was correct, but the intent behind their question was wrong. They wanted to know when Jesus was going to take the throne and establish an earthly kingdom, not understanding and perceiving that the kingdom was going to be established in their hearts and it was going to be shown in the way they treated the poor and the marginalized. It was going to be displayed in the way they brought in the orphans and widows. It was going to be revealed in the way they preached the hope of Jesus to the masses. It is the great tradition of false prophets who tell us to battle against earthly powers and earthly regimes. But Scripture explicitly tells us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the powers and principalities and ideologies that would hinder people from the love of God. We are to serve, not to rule or to influence in this world, but rather as imitators of Christ, serving the world, lifting it up so it would see and glorify Jesus. What does that look like for us today? It looks like establishing a community of people transformed by the Gospel, face planting through life still, but repenting, continually growing and being sanctified into the image of Christ, serving the people around us, extending hands to the broken, extending an encouraging word to those who are lost in despair, the kind of community that's fueled by the power of God continually glorifying Jesus. In Romans 12:9 we're told that our love must be sincere. We must hate what is evil, cling to what is good. We must be devoted to one another in love, honoring each other, never lacking in zeal, but with spiritual fervor, serving the Lord and those around us. We want to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer and sharing the Lord with people in need and bringing peace and hospitality wherever we go. We're told not to repay anyone evil for evil, but rather to bless those who persecute us. We're told to feed our enemy when they're hungry. We're told to give them water when they're thirsty. In doing so, we will establish a much greater kingdom than that of Caesar than that of Rome. The Gospel comes equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus to change hearts. Each individual heart submitted to and changed by the Gospel will eventually create a community that looks like the Kingdom of God. No other message has either that dynamic or that joy today. Be people of the Great Commission. Go out there and baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them about the character of Jesus. Live life with people, but don't be succumbed to the darkness of the world. Be people of hope, restored out of shame and mobilized for something great. Thanks for joining us on the road to the Resurrection. In our next episode we are going to explore a new little miniseries through Christ's parables. We'll enter in to dramatized parables told in a way that you have never heard before. In so doing, we'll learn more about the Kingdom that we just spoke of. How do we exist as Kingdom citizens? Buckle up. The Jesus Podcast is just getting started and it's only going to get better from here.
