Tantalizing Tastes Of The Kingdom To Change Our Perspective On Life

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Worship In The Kingdom

Luke 9:29 And as he [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.

In the kingdom of God, we see Jesus as he really is. While the disciples watched, Jesus’ facial structure changed. From the Greek, we see that the form or shape of his face was “other.” Jesus’ face changed form from his earthly (thirty-something, tanned, Middle-Eastern) face to how he looks in heaven.

The Bible tells us Jesus put on human flesh. What he looked like on earth is not what he normally looks like at home.

John tells us what Jesus really looks like: Rev 1:14-15, 16 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze…. …and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

On the mountain his robe wasn’t just white, reflecting the sun’s light, it was incandescent, radiating his own light, dazzling white. In heaven, Jesus is a walking floodlight of glory. If you picture Jesus only as a man on earth, or a baby, or a dead body draped in Mary’s lap, this text is for you!

This glimpse of the kingdom is so you can recalibrate your expectations.

Fellowship In The Kingdom

 Luke 9:30-31 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Moses and Elijah lived hundreds of years apart from each other, and hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but they all know each other from their time together in the afterlife. The text tells us they too appeared in glory.

In the kingdom, the inhabitants are in glory. We are told that the redeemed of all ages—in Daniel 12:3 … shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; …, like the stars forever and ever.

How did Peter recognize Moses and Elijah? I’m not sure, but apparently glorified bodies somehow emanate identity. If this is the case for all of us, then if you have a child who died before birth, you will recognize them in heaven. And you will recognize Moses and know which Joseph is which. And everyone will know you.

Moses and Elijah came to fellowship with Jesus. They were there to talk to Jesus about his departure, his death. Part of the kingdom of God is fellowship with the redeemed believers of all the ages. Jesus took comfort from Moses and Elijah, who are friends with each other and with Jesus. Doesn’t that make you long for the kingdom?

It’s interesting to me that mortals and immortals appear together in this glimpse of the kingdom, just as they will dwell together in the Millennial kingdom on earth (saints who live through the Tribulation, and the glorified saints who return to rule and reign with Christ, according to Revelation 20:4-6).

But in the church age, this sweetness of fellowship has already started. We can already have rich, meaningful relationships with those in Christ.

Lordship In The Kingdom

Luke 9:34-35 As he [Peter] was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

When you pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” you are praying for an earthly kingdom that is as much in line with the will of God as the heavenly kingdom is. A kingdom where everyone obeys God perfectly.

1 John 2:3 and by this we know know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

The kingdom of God will be populated only by people and angels and creatures that want to obey Jesus. If you don’t want to obey him now, you will not want the kingdom to come. The kingdom of God is the place where the will of Jesus is the central concern and only preoccupation of everyone and everything.

Conclusion:

If you disobey Jesus and reject his salvation now, seeing him in his kingdom will be the most devastating experience imaginable. But if you love Jesus and love to obey him, be encouraged, when the kingdom comes, you will know Jesus better, love him perfectly, be surrounded by Christians, and be preoccupied with nothing but obedience forever and ever.

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