The Power Of God's Kingdom

The power of God’s Kingdom

John 12:12-16 NIV

What a splendid occasion it must have been, Jesus riding on that humble donkey, into the city of Jerusalem, while children spread palm branches on the street in front of Him. The people singing and shouting "Hosanna, Hosanna! Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord."

Those were festival days. And the people who stood on the side knew that something special was happening in their very midst. Someone special was entering their city. And so they shouted "Hosanna."

The word Hosanna means "save we pray" a song of deliverance, honor, hope, joy.

Palms and the branches of palms were used in this important historic entry because they were then regarded as an emblem of victory, and the carrying and waving of its branches was emblematic of success and in honor of royalty.

John 12:12-16 NIV

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt."

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

Our King of peace.

Jesus came not as a conquering political hero on a war-horse. But as a spiritual deliverer on a lowly donkey. Proclaiming his spiritual kingdom.

Five days later the same crowd shouts for his crucifixion. What changed?

It wasn’t Jesus who changed. It was the crowd’s awareness of who Jesus really was.

They wanted a savior, who lives up to their expectations,

Christ came that we might live up to his standards

Jesus is not going to give us what we want, but what we need.

They wanted a physical KINGDOM

The notion that the Messiah would establish a literal kingdom upon the earth originated with the Jews. Many of them placed literal interpretations upon those prophecies which relate to the coming of Christ, and as a result they expected him to establish a temporal throne, subdue the nations, and restore again the kingdom of Israel.

Men try to make the kingdom by their own hands

At one time they tried to "take him by force, and make him a king," but he departed from them. John 6:15. He said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures." "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight."—John 18:36.

They did not understand the kingdom was there already

John the Baptist announced that the kingdom was "at hand" in the person of Jesus (Matt 3:2).

Jesus answer to a physical kingdom

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,

Luke 17:20, 21. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, Lo, there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."—

Rom. 14:17—"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost."

The need for a spiritual Kingdom

1. Satan has his kingdom

Matt 4:8-9 KJV

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

a) We must take it deadly serious

Satan is very crafty, Man does not know himself so well as Satan knows him. There are back ways and subterranean passages into man’s heart which the devil well understands; and he who thinks that he is safe, let him take heed lest he fall.

It is even so with us. We may think that we are covered with virtue till we are totally invulnerable, but we have a heel somewhere; there is a place where the arrow of the devil can make way.

b) The occult is everywhere

Church of Satan

Back when Satanism could still shock the American public (how long ago that seems!)..

In 1966, Anton Szandor LaVey declared the beginning of the Satanic Age. Also at that time he founded the Church of Satan

LaVey set out to overturn Christianity and it’s virtues. LaVey promoted other “virtues”: indulgence, gratification of one’s impulses, revenge.

Satan work’s on us with the impulses come naturally to man. Satan uses the philosophy “if it feels good, do it” to lure souls into his kingdom.