Work of Christ
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18
Prince of Peace! . . . born in a cattle feeding trough. King of Kings! . . . with nowhere to lay His head. Hosanna (Save Now!), Son of David . . . riding on a donkey, not a regal horse. What kind of King is this? Pilate asked a good question of Him, “Are you a king . . . ?”
Jesus answered Pilate truthfully that He is, in fact, a king. Jesus’ kingdom, however, is not of this world. He did not gather twelve men to be generals, and seventy to invade Roman provinces to establish political borders. He came to found a spiritual kingdom, one of grace. He lowered himself even to the point of death, in order to found a kingdom that cannot be defeated. A kingdom so powerful that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Through His life and death, He brought forgiveness—life and immortality. He founded the Kingdom by His work of redemption, and He populates His kingdom by the spreading of the Gospel. This is the warfare that is fought. It is fought by winning hearts and minds and creating faith.
You and I belong to this kingdom. Christ rescued us and brought us into it through our baptisms. Now He rules in our hearts by His Word. And we need not despair over falling away from His kingdom. When we pray, “Thy kingdom Come,” we are asking that His kingdom come among us, that Jesus sends His Spirit through the Gospel to keep us in His victorious kingdom. He also protects us. He curbs the devil, the world, and the sinful flesh—the kingdom’s enemies. Jesus has defeated these three through His work on the cross, and now He has all authority to put evil in its place.
We belong to Christ’s kingdom, and onward we march to an eternal home to rejoice with the King for all eternity.
Crown Him with many crows, The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King thro’ all eternity.
The Lutheran Hymnal 341:1