Read and reflect on the following article by Rev. Capt. Livingstone Nyanje
(Download this article as a PDF).

Your Kingdom Come

God desires that His kingdom will break into your life as well as mine. But the kingdom of God does not come through the normal systems of our world. It does not arrive through politics or education or a new job. The kingdom of God comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

Matthew’s gospel begins with the birth of Jesus, God’s promised King. Jesus’ coming had been prophesied for thousands of years. From the royal line of David, Jesus came to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

In Matthew 2 the wise men ask, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” When Jesus started His ministry He declared that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Throughout His life and ministry, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, and He demonstrated God’s Kingdom in action. But Jesus was not the type of king that people expected. This King will be King over all the earth. His kingdom is radically different than the kingdoms of the world, and it seems that Jesus’ kingdom is opposed at every step of the way.

The King Delivers from Evil

In our passage for this week, Pilate tested Jesus by asking Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Matthew 27:11). Pilate tested the might of Jesus by telling Him to defend Himself. He also gave Him an opportunity to deny being a king and escape the cross. But Jesus knew that there is only One who has power over death and life. Jesus knew that He cannot become a King simply because people are proposing Him to be one. For He knew He already was the King.

Jesus’ trial before Pilate at the end of His life is similar to His temptation before Satan in the wilderness at the beginning of His ministry. In Matthew 4, God’s enemy, Satan, tells Jesus to jump down for it is written “He will command His angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you lest you dash your foot against stone.” Satan uses people, especially those in authority, to twist God’s Word in order to trick and enslave people.

Remember how he tricked Eve? Satan asked her, “Did God say that you are not allowed to eat any of the fruit from the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Satan knew what God had said to Adam, but he changed it just a little. Satan is a liar and a deceiver. Satan made people think that they should demand that God perform miracles to prove Himself to them. Satan tries to draw their attention to the spectacular and the miraculous and at the same time tries to keep them from giving attention to what God really says in His Word. Satan told Jesus to throw Himself down from the temple to test God who had promised to take care of His Son.

Satan always comes at a time when there is real need in your life. When you are in desperate situations is when quick solutions come your way. But it is good to pay attention to what the Scripture says about the situation you find yourself in. Can you pause for a moment and reflect on this?

How many times have you shown a faithless move in your life? When was your last time you failed to resist a temptation?

Pilate, like Satan, tried to offer Jesus an easy way out, but it was really a trick and a trap. Satan could falsely offer Jesus control over the people in this world because when Adam rebelled against God and followed Satan, Satan became the god of this world. Satan gained influence over the minds of the people of the world so he could lead them to do the evil things he had planned.

Who is King of Your Life?

Jesus came to overthrow all the evil powers of this world and to rescue us from sin. And so Jesus’ journey of kingship took Him to the cross. Jesus was mocked. He was beaten. He was given a crown of thorns. Jesus then suffered and died on the cross with a sign placed above His head that read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37). On the cross, Jesus Christ defeated Satan and overcame death. He cancelled the penalty of sin that was awaiting humanity. Jesus now offers this freedom to those who accept Him as Lord and Saviour. He promises eternal life to those who believe in Him. Are you one?

Have you received Jesus as your King? Have you invited Him to save you from your sin, from evil, and from death? If you’ve never made that decision, today can be the day where the kingdom of God breaks through into your life. Jesus died for you to pay the penalty for your sins, and He rose again from the dead to offer you new and eternal life with Him. Jesus is the true King. Will you ask Him to reign as King in your heart and in your life?

Mwambie Mtu
(Tell Someone)

Have you made a decision for Jesus Christ either recently or in the past? Share your story with someone else this week.