GOSPEL THANKS

The Kingdom Of God: Luke’s Gospel

On April 8, 2020 By charlieIn God’s Kingdom, Luke

It has been said that, in the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus as “the Friend of the friendless” (William Barclay, The Men, The Meaning, The Message Of The Books, p. 17). This is wonderful. Jesus is our Friend. We rejoice in this great message when we sing, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.” Jesus is our Friend, but there is more to the gospel than friendship. Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus is not only our Friend. He’s also our King.

– He is the King of our salvation. This is what we say, when we say, “Jesus is our Saviour.” He is the King of my salvation. Only Jesus can save me. Without Jesus, I cannot be saved. He is our Saviour, the King of our salvation.

– He is to b eking in our life of discipleship. This is what we are saying when we say, “Jesus is my Lord.” He is the King in my life of discipleship. Jesus must take first place in my life. If Jesus is not set on the throne of our lives, you and I are not living as true disciples. Jesus is our Lord. He is to be King in our life of discipleship.

When Jesus was on earth, he went from place to place, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom of God – this was the central theme of his preaching. When, today, we are faced with the message of Jesus, we are faced with the question, “How can I enter the kingdom of God?” This the most important question of all. There is nothing more important than this.

When Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, people misunderstood him. They thought he was a military leader, a political leader, a social reformer. They had missed the point. Jesus had a higher calling. Jesus is our King. He came to this world as our Lord. He came to be our Saviour. When Jesus spoke about the kingdom, he was not speaking about an earthly kingdom.He was proclaiming the kingdom of God, the rule of God, the reign of God. When Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, he called his hearers to acknowledge him as the King of their salvation, the King of their lives. Today, Jesus says to you, “What is your relationship to the kingdom? Have you entered the kingdom?

Jesus’ first hearers missed the point. Today, we can still fail to understand Jesus. To see him as a great teacher, a social reformer, a political activist is to misunderstand him. Who is Jesus? He is our Saviour. He is our Lord. Who is Jesus? This is more than a question of historical curiosity  It’s more than a question that we can ask, casually, about a man who lived centuries ago. Who is Jesus? This is the question of our eternal destiny. It is the question of heaven or hell. Jesus is the way to heaven. Without him, you and I are bound for hell. Who is Jesus? This is the most important question of all. It’s a personal question. It is directed towards you and me. “Who do you say that I am? Jesus puts his question to every one of us. Do you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour from sin? Have you crowned him as Lord and King of your life? This is the question which the Lord puts to you today.

How can I know Jesus as my Saviour? How can I submit to him as my Lord? You must recognize that you are lost. You must acknowledge that you need to be saved by Jesus. You must ask Jesus to save you. You must come to him with the faith that he, alone, can save you, the faith that he, alone, is the Saviour. This is where we must begin – knowing Jesus as Saviour. From there, you go on, in faith, submitting yourself to Jesus as the Lord of each and every part of your life.

We now turn our attention to Luke 9:57-62 – This is the story of three men. Looking at their story will help us to see the importance of trusting Jesus as our