The Matter of The Kingdom

The Matter of the Kingdom And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35 When the disciples gathered with Jesus on the mount of His ascension, they had a pressing hope, saying, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" Their hope was the hope of Israel, the hope of a restored kingdom, the hope of a covenant glory renewed. Jesus's answer was cryptic but clear, it was by the coming of the Spirit that that kingdom would come, and through that means by the preaching of His word, He would regather and restore the lost kingdom again, but not as they expected, not on an earthly hill, but upon the mountain of heaven, not in an earthly Jerusalem, but a heavenly one, not one of an earthly throne, but a heavenly one, as Jesus said to Pilate, My kingdom is not of this world. As we peruse the gospel of the kingdom, we must remember the grand design of the kingdom and its restoration which was all Israel's hope; for it is the lens by which we must observe the wonderous works of the Savior. As we observe the many miracles and teachings of Jesus in Matthew, we must look beyond the individual occurrences and accounts and must look for that restorative hope found in and through them. For of all the sayings, healings, and actions of Jesus, when we step back and consider the whole of them, we shall see the whole of the matter at hand; this is the gospel of the kingdom. Matthew gives us such insight by the employment of two recurring phrases: First in Matthew 4:23: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And again, here in Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. These two verses are bookends in Matthew that serve to direct the reader to the grand scheme of the kingdom Christ is unfolding. We are seeing the prefatory work of our Lord in His restorative and renewing work of the kingdom. The concept is grand, the idea immense and broad, but when seen the whole of the message becomes clear; Christ came to gather the lost sheep of Israel. So, Calvin says: It was not without reason, therefore, that the Lord, by appointing, as it were, twelve patriarchs, declared the restoration of the Church. Besides, this number reminded the Jews of the design of his coming; but, as they did not yield to the grace of God, he begat for himself a new Israel. So, here we see the work of Christ to initiate a kingdom, a new kingdom, a new Israel from the old, a new twelve patriarchs like unto the former, a new nature of that kingdom, and a new Shepherd. This whole section deals with the newness of Christ's kingdom and the nature of that kingdom. Doctrine. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of old, which has been made anew. When Ezra and Nehemiah brought a remnant back to the land, no kingdom was established; for it was yet to come. The nations feared its return, as we hear Sanballat say to Nehemiah, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king. The world feared the restoration of that kingdom; they, nor Israel understood the truly wonderous coming King and kingdom to come. In that kingdom He has instituted: I. Renewal. I really struggled with the apparent discontinuity of Matthew. But the continuity is truly wonderous when understood! We have to step back to see it! Then, what a wonderous picture Matthew is painting! For he is painting a tapestry of the kingdom! It is a new kingdom. It is a glorious kingdom. It is an eternal kingdom. It is a kingdom unlike the kingdom of old. It is a kingdom unlike the kingdoms of this world. It is a kingdom of heaven. The best way to understand it is by way of comparison. The kingdom of old was diminished, conquered, no more. Its kings were weak, sinful, and divided often in their loyalties. But this King, He is far different, and His kingdom is unlike their kingdom. For He came to build a kingdom unlike the kingdom of old. He came to sit upon the throne of David, but in a place where enemies cannot pursue, where the flesh cannot undo, where the grave cannot win. He came to administer a kingdom not of this world. Thus, the discussion of old wineskins and new wine fits perfectly in this passage. The old structure, the old shadows and types, were to be replaced by the reality they pointed to in Christ. When John's disciples sought to understand the nature of Christ's actions and His disciples' practices, we have those of the old order trying to comprehend the new, just like the scribes and Pharisees who could not comprehend matters of the kingdom. The new kingdom would not be about earthly principles and traditions, but about heavenly designs and directives. The kingdom of heaven was of the old, but unlike the old, it was a kingdom in this world, but not of this world. It entailed renewal and it involved: II. Gathering. His kingdom involved a regathering of those that were scattered. The kingdom of Israel, first divided and then conquered, had been carried away captive, it needed to be regathered. Its kings had gone away in chains and had not come back. But now came Christ the King. He would gather those that were lost. His kingdom, while a restoration of their kingdom, still would be far more vast and glorious than the former. For His kingdom, this kingdom, would include those from all nations. It would include only those that would come by faith alone. Every miracle, every healing shows that His kingdom is a kingdom of faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith. III. Conquest. He also came to subdue all our enemies. In order to conquer, He must not only defeat the enemies' forces, but He must make their subjects His. Christ came to raid and raze the strong man's house. Jesus will say, But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house (Mt. 12:28). Thus, the Lord shall spoil the devil's house. He will lead captivity captive. He will gather those captives of His enemy and make them His. The gathering of His subjects from afar would include the spoils of the devil's dominion. Behold the glory of the King. IV. Restoration. The kingdom involved a reinstitution of law, a reinstitution of order, a reinstitution of rule. It would be a kingdom administered in righteousness. Those in the kingdom of heaven would be ruled in righteousness. See the glorious administration of righteousness and faith. See how the law has become a pleasant matter in Israel. See how it is administered in true justice. See how sacrifice and offering involve mercy and humility. See how it is all about His glory and our blessedness. The restoration of the kingdom of old in the new involves and answer to Habakkuk's cry, Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. Now, it is come to pass what was said by Isaiah, Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it (Is. 40:3ff). There is a restoration of the kingdom of old, restored in newness and glory. For He has made straight what was crooked. In doing so He has restored its twelve tribes, Israel is rebuilt, regathered, and restored. V. Building. He began a good work and now He alludes to the bestowal of that kingdom upon His new ambassadors, or shepherds, now he prepares to advance that work in His chosen ambassadors. The next section advances into the adjudication of the kingdom, the administration and delegation of it. Christ will build His kingdom. The kingdom of Israel, that of the promise, that of the Spirit. We are it. We are under the administration of twelve as of old, but now of new, the two having become one. Christ has shown the way in which He will administer the kingdom in power, Spirit, and word, now He alludes to the way in which that kingdom will come, as He bestows upon His own the power and authority to adjudicate that kingdom. We can follow the transfer of authority from Christ to the apostles, as they take up the charge as under shepherds of their King. As Christ looks upon the multitudes of Israelites scattered as sheep without a shepherd, the Good Shepherd speaks to the calling of those who will as His underlings go forth to gather the lost sheep of Israel. When a Canaanite woman later in Matthew comes to Jesus seeking His audience, He said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour (Mt. 15:24ff). Christ has come to regather the lost sheep of Israel and to build a kingdom far more glorious than of old. He has called His own sheep and they are His, as it says, I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (Jn. 10:14ff). So, Christ came to build a kingdom, to gather the sheep, to conquer, to spoil, to build, and to gather, and all for His: VI. Glory. The kingdom restored is far more glorious than that which was lost. Calvin speaks of the remarkable glorious work of the kingdom of heaven in this way, "God extended far beyond Zion the scepter of the power of his Son, and caused rivers to flow from that fountain, to water abundantly the four quarters of the world. Then God assembled his Israel from every direction, and united into one body not only the scattered and torn members, but men who had formerly been entirely alienated from the people of God." See the glory of the kingdom of God. See the wonder of the kingdom of heaven. See the scheme, scope, vast wonder, and glory of the kingdom come! Our thoughts of God's kingdom work are too low, too frail, too small, and too base, for what He has done in Christ, by His Spirit, through His word, is glorious and remarkable. For the day is coming when it shall be announced: The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of God. Then of His wrath and fury it shall be said, It is done. Then the King shall ride forth on a white horse where it is written He is faithful and true. Then shall we see the new Jerusalem. Then we shall see all enemies subdued. Then we shall see the King in all His glory. Then we shall marvel and understand what He meant. I become bogged down in the details, I was troubled by the parts, I could not see the forest beyond the trees! Stop looking at the individual parts that seem to lack continuity, instead look and behold the glorious tapestry of His conquering reign! What a portrait is being drawn! Uses 1. For our shame in our shallow perceptions of Him and His glory. Our shallow perceptions come by way of several categories: Ignorance. You'll never know much of your Lord if you know little of this book. Sloth. You'll never grow much in His splendor if you spend little consistent, laborious, engaged study of this book, of prayer, and of fellowship. Indifference. The principal impediment to most growth is indifference. If you plant a seed a go away, most often nothing shall grow from it. So it is with faith; indifference does not kindle a fire. Prejudices and misconceptions. So often prejudices prevent us from seeing what it is we are to see. The Pharisees could not see the truth because of their traditions and presuppositions of the Messiah. Stagnancy. Too many are content with shallow faith. It is time to hear Paul's rebuke to the Corinthians or the Hebrews, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, and plead that we might see clearly the wonder within these texts. There are so many facets of God's glory and wonderous work that requires maturity in faith; it cannot come without the Spirit and the word. We should be ashamed that we are so novice in our faith, that we are so superficial in our faith, It has been said that American Christianity is three thousand miles wide and half an inch deep. It is true. There is so much of the Lord's glory that is found here in the depths of His word that it is shameful how little we attend to it. Back in the days of Israel, when they wandered in the wilderness, the Lord bestowed on them incomparable benefits and blessings, all of which they quickly tired of, repulsed, and rebuffed. One example was Manna. The people quickly tired of it, something so marvelous, yet in a moment repulsed. So often people prefer ceremony, superstition, great demonstrations of outward signs and wonders, and think little of what the Lord has given. Shall we complain? For our reproof in not seeing Him in all His glory! To see Christ in all His glory one must first be laid low, low in admitting our ignorance, low in admitting our preconceptions, low in admitting our failings and prejudices, low in admitting we are in great need of Him. A man may as well go to Hell for not doing good - as for doing evil. (Thomas Watson) 2. For our excitation let us look and behold the wonders! How? By these means: You need eyes to see the unseen. First, you need eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand. You need to be raised from the dead to understand this. You need to be given eyes to see to behold this. You need to be exercised to speak of this. You need to be healed of your bloody issue to speak with Him and behold wonders your weak faith can't openly confront. You need the help of His grace and His servants to bring you to Him! See and behold things to wonderful of which I speak! Like the blind man that twice Jesus applied His grace to, who first seeing but shadowy figures and later saw clearly, so we must keep coming to Him to see clearly. You need eyes to see beyond the visible. So much of this life gets in the way of seeing Him and all His glory. There are the burdens of this life, the labors of it, the attractions and distractions of it, the allurements of it, and the loves of it, all working together to draw us from Him. The more this world is given, the less of Him we see. We need to put this world behind us, so that we might see ahead. This world is blinding, its noise deafening, and its storms frightening, we must look beyond them. You need eyes to see above and beyond. You cannot see that which is above unless you look to it! You must meditate upon His promises, your inheritance, Him in His glory, you in Him. But you cannot see without faith. You cannot know that which is unfamiliar, without familiarizing yourself with it. Make it a daily meditation. Life shipwrecks so many, either through trials and tribulations or pleasant days. Where one thousand are destroyed by the world's frowns - ten thousand are destroyed by the world's smiles. The world, siren-like, sings us and sinks us! (Thomas Brooks) It is not the bee's touching of the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he who reads most, but he who meditates most - who will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian. (Thomas Brooks)