The King's Mission

This was really encouraging to me this morning as I was reading/journaling.  I'm posting it exactly as I wrote it in my journal entry.

“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.  But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”  (Luke 24:45-49, ESV)

The Christ, the rightful God-appointed King, the Savior Messiah, must suffer, die, and then rise from the dead, according to Jesus and according to the Scriptures.  The kingdom of God is to be led by a completely triumphant king, conquering even death itself!  (Now that’s a powerful ruler, one to make even the Marvel and DC comic writers envious!)  This Christ has specific instructions and specific purpose in the earth:

1.       That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name.  This king has the power to forgive sins, and He has the boldness to call us to turn away from our sin and to turn to Him.

2.       That this news is to go to all the nations.  People all over the world are to be invited into this supernatural kingdom!

3.       That His followers are witnesses, testifiers to the good news of Jesus the Christ.  They are  representatives and living illustrations of His kingdom.

4.       That the “promise of my Father” will come upon His followers, clothing them with “power from on high,” the necessary power for global-sized mission and kingdom work.

What a Christ!  What a King!  What a kingdom!  What a mission!  What a privilege!