Your Kingdom Come
Matthew 5:1-12
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Day 1
Your Kingdom Come
Start your day of study by worshipping our Holy God and acknowledging His Fathership and His love for you.
Oh, Heavenly Father, I am humbled and amazed that You, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, are my Father. How wonderful it is that You love me and desire to be in a relationship with me!
Thank Him for what He has done for you on the cross. Thank Him for the forgiveness of your sins. Ask Him to cleanse you of any sin that is present today.
What a privilege it is to know You, the One True God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die on the cross and pay the penalty for my sins so that I can be in relationship with You. Thank You that I am forgiven. Cleanse me today, Father, from these sins that I bring before You…
Thank Him for the new life you have in Christ. Ask Him for the guidance to live a holy life to His glory and honor.
Thank You, Father, for my new life in Christ! Please guide me today to live a holy life for Your glory and for Your honor. I cannot do this in my own strength. I need Your help, Father, particularly in these areas…
Pray to the Father “Your kingdom come.” Pray what these words mean to you personally.
O Lord, may Your kingdom come. Teach me how to live as a child of Your kingdom, and please help me to share the light of Your kingdom with others today.
New Life
In the previous lesson, we learned that God is holy. We were created for Him and His glory, but we all have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). In His great love for us, God sent His only Son to save us from our sins and bring us back to God. Now, we have life in Christ. We are God’s dear children and He is our Heavenly Father!
When my husband and I were dating, we lived over 5,000 miles away from each other, separated by the Atlantic Ocean. In order to marry my husband, I had to leave behind my familiar life. I had to move far away from my family and friends I loved. I had to leave my country and European culture for a completely new and unknown life in America. To become my husband’s wife, it was not enough for me to sign the legal marriage papers; I had to leave my old life and start a new life with him. I’m now committed to my new life of marriage and living in America.
God’s plan of salvation did not stop at forgiveness but involved a new order of life. Salvation is God’s action of restoring us to the highest life of His kingdom. Salvation is like saying yes in marriage and entering into a brand new life of fullness and joy with Him!
John 3:3
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 12:46
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
Read Hebrews 2:14. Besides bringing His kingdom to earth, what else did Jesus’ death accomplish?
Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Not only did Jesus bring His kingdom to us, but by His death and resurrection from the grave, He broke the power of death and fully freed us from the power of Satan and darkness. In other words, we are now fully free to live our new life with Christ. Slavery to Satan is over.
Colossians 1:12-14
12 And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
On the cross, Jesus won the victory over Satan. But for the sake of the people still belonging to darkness (to give them a chance to come into the life of His kingdom), Jesus did not remove the kingdom of darkness from this world and will not do so until His second coming. This is also why we will experience, while still here on earth, suffering, temptations, and persecutions from the dominion of darkness.
In His patience and meekness, Christ is establishing His kingdom on earth among His people. Jesus is calling us to forsake the way of life we used to live while enslaved to darkness. He desires that we put away everything we used to do to please ourselves (and Satan and his kingdom) that was ultimately for our harm and ruin. Instead, He calls us to live the life and blessings of His kingdom for our benefit and fullness of life. We are to live a life that is pleasing to Him and for His glory. Do we understand our great need to turn away from our former life and live that new life in Christ?
What Good Thing Must I Do to Get Eternal Life?
Matthew 19:16-22
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
We may think that faith in Jesus and having eternal life is just a set of religious acts and rules that we keep and do. Perhaps we think that if we just do the right thing, we can have that life. The young man in the story above had the same understanding. He genuinely wanted to know what good things he needed to do to gain eternal life, and he wanted Jesus to tell him about anything else he might be lacking. Two of the other gospels say that he addressed Jesus as “good teacher.” The young man was ready to be taught good things from a good teacher.
In His first reply, Jesus challenges the young man with this question: “Why do you ask me about what is good?” (In the other gospels, he asks “Why do you call me good?”) What good things are there that can give us eternal life? Are there such things that are good or good enough? I think Jesus is trying to shift the young man’s mindset away from his own good efforts and good deeds, knowing that they are inadequate. Jesus shares a vital truth here by telling the young man “There is only One who is good.” None of our good deeds are good enough. Jesus gives him a clear answer: God is the only One who is truly good, and only in Him can we gain the good we need in order to possess eternal life. He is the giver and sustainer of that life.
Once Jesus made it clear that only in God can we have eternal life, He affirmed that having the life of Christ is to keep His commandments. One of the characteristics that shows that we are alive in Christ and possess eternal life is keeping His commands (John 14:15 says “If you love me, keep my commands.”). Though the young man had kept the commandments, he did not have all that was required for true righteousness.
The young man, still not grasping Jesus’ answer, wondered what else he was lacking since he had kept all the commandments. To clarify His answer, Jesus tells him to sell everything and follow Him. Jesus was asking the young man to completely abandon his former life and fully enter into eternal life with Him. He was asking him to part from his way of living and his earthly treasures and invest himself in the treasures of heaven. Jesus called to him as He does to us: “Follow me.”
Jesus came to give us His life and is asking us to continuously choose God and be sustained by Him. He is calling us to abandon our own ways and will and to follow Him. To have eternal life is not some set of rules we just do or practice–entering the kingdom life enables us to do what is right in God’s eyes. It involves our whole being coming to submission to the will of a Holy God. This submission to His will enables us to live and do what we are called to do. Jesus says that to have eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). Knowing God is to allow His will to penetrate everything we are and restore us into the fullness of what God has created us to be. Left to our own efforts, we cannot live that kingdom life. Only through the work of His Holy Spirit can we undergo that transformation.
Now it just so happened that this young man was rich, and his life was centered around his riches and the position he had. His will was guided by the riches and he was in bondage to his own success. It would take too much effort to follow God’s will instead of his own and, quite frankly, all the efforts would end in defeat.
Is there anything in your life that holds you back from deciding to follow Christ?
Matthew 19:25-26
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Jesus’ disciples rightly realized that on their own they could not be saved or live that new life. It is only because of God and His work in us that we can have eternal life and live according to His kingdom principles. Peter, one of the apostles, later wrote in one of his letters (2 Peter 1:3) to remind believers that Jesus gave us everything we need to live the godly life. Jesus Himself through His Holy Spirit is sustaining and empowering us to live that life. He did not leave us as orphans to fend for ourselves; He is here living in us through His Holy Spirit. He also gave us scriptures to teach us how to live in His kingdom.
John 14:18
(Jesus speaking) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
John 15:5
(Jesus speaking) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
* * *
When we pray “Your kingdom come,” we are asking God to bring people into His kingdom, and we are asking for His life to be realized in us. But we are also asking for Jesus’ second coming, when Satan and his dominion of darkness will be put away once and for all and there will be a new heaven and new earth where we will live with our God face to face (Revelation 20:9-10; 21:1-7).
Until the moment of His second coming, Jesus wants us to understand the urgent need for the lost to come into His kingdom. He wants us to be involved in helping people to cross from the dominion of darkness into His kingdom of light.
How does one cross from the dominion of darkness into God’s kingdom? Read John 3:16-18.
Why is the resurrection of Christ so significant for us?
Reflect on your own life in Christ. Are you allowing the Lord to do His work and transformation in you, and have you been using all that is given to you to live that life in Christ? Or are you following your own will and hoping your own efforts will make you right before God?
What would it look like for you to live with the mindset of “Your kingdom come”?
Consider people in your life who have not begun living in God’s kingdom. Pray for them now.
Day 2
Your Kingdom Come
Start your day of study by praying “Your kingdom come.” Pray how these words apply to you personally.
Oh, Father, may Your kingdom come. …
Thank God for including you into His kingdom and pray for those who are still outside of His kingdom.
Thank You, Father, for including me in Your kingdom! Help me to grow in understanding what it means to be a part of Your kingdom. Help me to know how to share Your kingdom with others. Today I am specifically praying for these people who are not yet a part of Your kingdom….
Ask Jesus to guide you into full submission to His will, and ask for the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in you.
Oh, Lord Jesus, please help me to fully submit to Your will today. I thank You that You gave us the Holy Spirit to come alongside us and work in our lives. Please, Holy Spirit, teach me today through this Bible study and use the Word of God to transform my heart and my mind.
Thank Jesus for the victory over death and darkness and for making you free from it. Ask Him to help you to forsake daily any temptations leading you back to that life of slavery.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for freeing me from death and darkness! Help me today to run from any temptation that leads back to my old life.
Ask Jesus to teach you what eternal life is and how you can live in obedience to His word. Ask Him to open your eyes to the glory and the riches of His life.
Help me. Lord, to live in obedience to Your word today, and teach me how to live with a perspective of eternal life. Open my eyes, Lord, to the glory and riches of the life You want me to live.
Announcing the Kingdom of God
We have obtained forgiveness for our sins by our Heavenly Father and have been given a new life in Christ. What does the new life of His kingdom look like?
As we pray to our Heavenly Father, our first request should be “Your kingdom come.” We are inviting that new life to come.
The long-awaited redeemer, Jesus, came to this earth and with Him came His kingdom. But before He went to the cross to die as a sacrifice for our sins, He introduced the new life of His kingdom. In the gospels, He teaches us about and shows us this new life. He lives it out for us. He wants people to see, to taste, and to understand so that they can truly believe and live.
In His Sermon on the Mount, how does Jesus announce this totally new life, a kingdom that is completely opposite in nature from the darkness of this world? Here are Jesus’ words of introduction:
Matthew 5:3-12
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
How does Jesus announce His kingdom? Write down what you observe in Matthew 5:3-12.
By His Wounds We are Healed
Jesus starts with a statement that is so strong and inviting and inclusive.
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Who are the poor in spirit? If we think about the state that people were in before Christ came, we can see that the answer is everyone! We all were/are poor in spirit without the redemption of Christ. All who are in darkness are in need of Christ and His kingdom.
Are you still bound in the darkness? Are you poor in spirit and in need of His kingdom? Jesus states that “yours is the kingdom of heaven.” His blood has opened the gates to His kingdom. Come enter it! It is yours! What a blessing! Imagine, can you be more blessed than to have free entrance through Jesus Christ into His kingdom?
1 Peter 2:24-25
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
What does this verse say about Jesus? What does it say about us?
The first thing Jesus says is this: “I’m here. I came to rescue you from the life of darkness. I brought my kingdom with me. Come to me, one and ALL, so that what is mine becomes yours! Come to the fullness of life!”
Are you poor in spirit and in need of His healing grace? Take a moment to speak with Jesus about the condition of your soul and your need for His redemption.
God of All Comfort
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Jesus continues by presenting the first effect that His kingdom will have on people: they will be comforted.
Jews, God’s chosen people, understood very well what it meant to wait for the Messiah, the Redeemer. They were oppressed by other nations and waiting to be set free. Little did they know that they were oppressed by their own rebellion against the living God and needed to be set free from their own sins and their lives of darkness. In that state of darkness, they mourned for freedom. They counted on the promise of the Lord that they would be comforted one day.
Isaiah 40:1-5
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
In Jesus, this promise is fulfilled. He is here now. By welcoming His kingdom and by following Jesus, we become free from the oppression of our sin. Because of Jesus’ atonement, our mourning can turn into a rejoicing cry of freedom.
Though we have the comfort of eternal life, we still face the sorrows of this present world. But we have a promise that He will be with us and comfort us through it all.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Now that we belong to His kingdom, He gives us His Holy Spirit, who is also called the Comforter. As we wait on Him, we can be sure that we will be comforted by His Holy Spirit any time the sorrows and sufferings of this world come our way.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
On the day of His second coming, He will wipe every tear away! Every suffering will end!
Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
Life in this world is full of challenges, temptations, tragedies, injustice, and all kinds of pain and sorrows. You may be experiencing some kind of sorrow right now or have experienced it before.
How does the reality of His kingdom in you affect how you deal with hardship and suffering in your life and around you?
Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit as a comforter and guide. Think about a time in your life when He has comforted and guided you.
How does the assurance of the complete rule of His kingdom at His second coming impact the way that you deal with your sorrows and the sorrows of others around you?
Bring your sorrows and sufferings to the Lord and ask Him to comfort you with His Holy Spirit.
“I am Gentle and Humble in Heart”
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Jesus calls Himself meek (Matthew 11:28-30). It is an attribute that is often misunderstood as weakness. But on the contrary, meekness expresses God’s power and authority that is the strongest and highest (“far above all rule and authority, power and dominion…” Ephesians 1:19-23) but also gentle and reserved and full of grace.
God’s attribute of meekness describes the quality of Jesus’ Lordship. To Jesus belongs all power and authority (Matthew 28:18). Through Him, the world was created. He rules, and yet He wholeheartedly of His own accord submits to His Father. Their conformity is far from any hint of tyranny; it comes from perfect love and adoration for each other. Through His meekness, Jesus is guiding and leading us into submission to His Father and into the heart of their relationship.
In our world today, submission to anything other than ourselves is not admired. This self-centered thinking leads to the misconception of who God is and leads us further away from understanding our need to submit to God. If we decide how much of a say God is allowed to have with us, we are making Him submit to us. There is no need for us to submit to that kind of god. If we are honest, we will soon perceive that this kind of god (that we try to define for ourselves) cannot be the Holy God that reveals Himself through the Bible. We don’t figure out God–God makes Himself known to us. God is who He is. God declares who we are and directs our life. Nothing about Him changes just because we can’t understand or fathom or do not want to believe. God commands our submission to Him because He is the giver of life. Again, there is no hint of tyranny on His part that drives us into submission; it is pure love that drives us so that we can live abundant life in Him. When we truly seek to know God and taste of His goodness, we become more eager to submit to Him.
Look up the word meek in the dictionary. How is it defined? What are the synonyms?
When I looked up meek in the dictionary, I found this definition: quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive. Jesus describes the state of the ready heart of those who enter His kingdom. Blessed are those with gentle, ready hearts upon whom His kingdom is easily imposed. Those who are submissive to their Heavenly Father will enter and live in union with the holy God.
If you look up the synonyms of meek, you’ll find words like long-suffering and forbearing. To make a way for us to have eternal life, Jesus suffered and bore much on our behalf. Meekness is the quality of a steady heart–a heart that seeks whatever it takes, and loses whatever it may, to gain that blessed kingdom of God.
The promise offered for those entering His kingdom with a willing and submissive heart is an inheritance. The meek will inherit the earth. When you inherit something, you automatically become the owner of that thing. Jesus is looking for people like Him: those with meek hearts who one day will be well-qualified to rule the earth. He is looking for people who will rule with godly authority and grace.
Psalm 37:11
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.
Jesus is inviting us to learn submission from Him by taking His yoke upon ourselves. Only in full submission to Him will we find true rest and freedom for our souls.
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle (meek, KJV) and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Let us exercise submission to our Lord Jesus Christ while here on earth so that we can enter the rest that He so graciously offers to us.
We can grow in meekness by submitting to our Lord. Where do you need to exercise submission to Jesus?
As you think about Jesus, what can you learn about meekness, obedience, and submission to the Father? Look through the gospels to find some examples of His meekness, obedience, and submission.
Ask the Lord to guide you in submission to Him and ask Him for a willing heart to enter the rest that He is offering to you.
Day 3
Your Kingdom Come
Start your day of study by praying “Your kingdom come.” Pray how these words apply to you personally.
Oh Lord, my Heavenly Father, may Your kingdom come. …
Thank Jesus for His forgiveness of sins and bringing you into the life of God.
Thank You, Jesus, for providing forgiveness for my sins. Your Word says that when I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive them (1 John 1:9). I want to confess the following sins and ask Your forgiveness…
Thank Him for His Holy Spirit who is available to you and for the comfort He brings to you. If there are specific things you are mourning about, ask for His strength and comfort.
Thank You, Lord, for Your Holy Spirit! Thank You for being the God of all comfort. Please provide Your comfort for me in these areas… Please help me to have compassion for others today.
Ask the Lord to continue to help you to submit to Him daily. Ask him to show you how to exercise meekness today by relating to people around you.
Oh, Father, help me today to submit to You. Show me how to exercise meekness with the people in my life…. I thank You that I cannot do this on my own strength but that You can and will help and transform me. Holy Spirit, please teach me through Your Word as I study today.Oh Lord, my Heavenly Father, may Your kingdom come. …
A Robe of His Righteousness
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
What is righteousness?
Read John 4:4-26. What was the water that Jesus was offering to the woman at the well?
2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Can you explain what this verse (2 Corinthians 5:21) means?
We cannot obtain righteousness for ourselves because we have sinned and are not qualified to redeem ourselves. There is nothing we can do but receive it from Jesus. Jesus gave us His righteousness.
Now that we are justified through Jesus and blameless before the Holy God, He is calling us and causing us to live in this righteousness.
1 Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
I cannot help but imagine Jesus’ fervor and tender love when He declared “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” What amazing news for humanity!
People who understand their need for a savior, who thirst and hunger to be set free from their sins, now have a chance to obtain what they desire from the Righteous One, Jesus Christ. Those who were eagerly expecting the promised Messiah now will be filled. The righteousness of Christ will clothe them with righteousness and they will be blameless and justified before the living, holy God!
Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
2 Peter 3:13
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Now that we are blameless before our Holy God, we are called to live in that life of righteousness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Gift of Mercy
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
After finishing high school, I wanted to become a designer. That same year, my country, Croatia, was just out of the Balkan War and out of the Communist regime. There were no good design schools to attend at home. Led by God, I decided to leave my country and try to pursue my studies in Germany.
As I arrived in Germany, I was faced with the problems of immigration. After a very difficult time where I tried everything I was told to do in order to obtain a legal living, I came to a dead end. I was literally destitute and at a point where I thought I would have to live on a bench in the park. To keep my little bit of money from running out, for days I just had a piece of bread to eat. I went on my knees and I prayed: “Lord, I tried everything I know and I really want to stay here and study. I also know for sure it is Your will for me to be here, so please provide a way. I need Your miracle.”
The next day God started to provide miraculously! (I never had to sleep on that bench!) God led me to an elderly couple who gave me a place to live for free! They sponsored me so that I could get a visa and apply for college. They went with me through every hurdle and cared for me as most loving parents care for a child of their own.
I asked them in my broken German, “Why would you do this for me? I’m a stranger; how can you trust me and care for me in such a way?” Their answer came from Jesus’ very words: ”Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
I knew that I was shown mercy and love that I did not deserve.
The prophet Micah writes:
Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
What does the Lord require of God’s people?
When have you experienced mercy from God’s people in your life?
Jews experienced mercy from God when He forgave their sins each time they turned back to Him, when He rescued them from their enemies, when He cared for their well-being, and in many other ways. They also experienced mercy from people who were pursuing goodness because they loved God.
Jesus came to offer us yet another kind of mercy. The mercy shown from God now is a type that had never been shown before: the mercy of salvation!
Jesus also shows the basis on which His kingdom is built in us. It is not based on our own goodness and our good works, and it is nothing we deserve. It is based on mercy that is shown to us by Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
In that gift of mercy and grace, we are empowered to act merciful toward others. When we are merciful to others, God will show us all kinds of mercy.
What is the mercy we have received from Jesus Christ?
Have you received His mercy? If so, how has this affected your relationship with people around you?
In His Holy Place
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
A pure heart is emphasized all through the Bible. Only one with a pure heart will be given permission to see God. David often talks about this in his Psalms.
Psalm 15:1
O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, 3 who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,…
Psalm 24:3-5
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to falsehood, who does not swear deceitfully. 5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation…
The promise that those with pure hearts will see God has become possible through the shedding of Christ’s blood. His blood alone can cleanse us from all of the impurity of sin. Because He allows us to be washed in His blood, our hearts are now pure–we can enter into His kingdom and see God.
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Hebrews 9:14
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 10:21-23
21 And since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
What do the verses above say about the importance of a pure heart?
What is repentance? Why is it important for us to repent?
Through Jesus, our hearts are purified and washed clean of every sin. We become legitimate children of God. One day, we will truly see Him face to face.
1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.
What do we learn from Psalm 119 about how to stay on the path of purity?
Psalm 119:9-16
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
What are some of the results and ways of living with a pure heart here on earth in God’s kingdom? Read the following verses and look in the Bible to find more.
1 Peter 1:21-23
21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth, so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God…
John 13:34
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.
1 John 3:9
Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
Now that we have been washed and have obtained a pure heart, we are called to continue to live on this earth with a pure heart. Living with a pure heart means that we show our love for Christ in a visible way by walking in obedience to Him and to the will of His Father. We are called to carry out the new commandment that Christ gave us: to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
Ask the Lord to help you to love Him and obey Him. Ask Him to help you to love others as Christ loves you.
Day 4
Your Kingdom Come
Start your day of study by praying “Your kingdom come.” Pray how these words apply to you personally.
I love you, Heavenly Father. Your kingdom come.
Thank Jesus for the righteousness He obtained for you and ask Him to help you to walk in that righteousness today.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, that You, who knew no sin, became sin so that I might become Your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:12). What amazing grace this is! Help me to walk in Your righteousness today.
Pray to be sensitive to the needs of others around you and to show them mercy with love and compassion. Thank Him for the mercy He is showing you every day. Meditate on some examples of His mercy to you.
Father, help me to be sensitive to the needs of others in my life today. You are so gracious to give mercy to me every day. Your Word says that Your mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). Thank You so much for that! Help me to show mercy to others with love and compassion.
Pray for God’s guidance today to live in His kingdom with a pure heart that is pleasing to your Father and is for His glory. Acknowledge that it is only through Jesus that you can have a pure heart and live with a pure heart.
Be my guide today, Father. Please guide me in how to live in Your kingdom with a pure heart for Your glory. It is only through the precious blood of Jesus that I can have a pure heart. It is only through Jesus that I can live with a pure heart.
Ask the Lord to help you to love Him and love others as Christ loved you.
Help me to love You and love others today. Continue to teach me about Your love and Your will for my life as I study the Bible. Gracious Holy Spirit, be my Teacher today.
Prince of Peace
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
There is a peace that the world gives and a peace that Jesus gives.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
What is peace?
What is the difference between the peace that Jesus gives and the peace of the world?
Blessed are those who are peacemakers with others.
Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Blessed also are those who make peace with God. Jesus made the first move of bringing peace between God and humanity. While we were in our sins, we were enemies of God. Even though we are the ones who turned against God, Jesus, the one who is called the Prince of Peace, offers us peace despite the high cost He had to pay.
Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God…
Jesus’ name, the Prince of Peace, declares His attribute (his nature; character quality) of peace. As children of God, we need to possess God’s qualities. We are to become like Him. From the beginning He wanted us to be like Him. Because God created us in His image, we have all the prerequisites for being like Him. What was lost and tainted through sin can be restored through Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have the gift of peace. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in us (Galatians 5:22). In Jesus, we are at peace with God and are now called the children of God! We are no longer enemies but family!
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The fruit of God’s peace offered to us is growing in us. Please meditate on the following scriptures.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
James 3:17-18
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
1 Peter 1:14-16
14 As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. 15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”…
How does the peace of Christ affect you and the people around you?
Do you see the relationship between “pure in heart” and “peacemakers”? Explain how they are related.
Come to the Lord in prayer and ask him to show you where in your life and relationships you are hindering His peace from flourishing. Ask Him for forgiveness. Pray that you can submit to Him to bring His peace to others.
Great is Your Reward in Heaven
Have you ever been persecuted because of righteousness and because you belong to Christ?
Matthew 5:10-12
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
How can these words give you encouragement and hope?
It is just natural that the wicked, defeated kingdom of darkness would fight to its last breath. By entering the kingdom of God, we leave and betray the kingdom of darkness. Satan will be after us to persecute us. He will do all that he can to hurt us and make us doubt our new life in Christ. He can even use believers in their ignorance to persecute fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
The prophets were the ones who were announcing the coming of Christ and warning people to prepare themselves so that they would not miss the Messiah. They warned people to change their ways and come back to worship the Lord. To mislead God’s people and keep them away from God and His goodness, Satan tried to stop the prophets by persecuting them.
Now that Jesus has brought His redemption, Satan has lost absolute power over people who belong to Christ.
Even though Satan has no power to claim those who are in Christ, he keeps fighting to harm and disable us as much as possible. The biggest blow to Satan is when people cross into God’s kingdom and live for righteousness.
1 Peter 5:8-11
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
It is not God’s desire for us to suffer the horrific effects of the kingdom of darkness. It breaks His heart. But for the sake of many who still don’t have faith in Christ and for the hope that they would come to Him, Christ is patiently building His kingdom and rescuing His people from His enemy. Satan continues to exercise His power on earth until the second coming of Jesus. This is our present state.
1 Corinthians 15:24-26
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
We can be comforted in knowing that Jesus can sympathize with us. Jesus Himself understands the suffering. He suffered the greatest agony of our sin and death.
Hebrews 2:9-10
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.
Jesus clearly and openly speaks about suffering and the evil that Satan and the world will inflict upon us while here on earth. He warns us that we will not be spared.
Matthew 10:16
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
But Jesus also promises us that nothing will be able to snatch us out of His hand. His love for us is eternal! Through His love we will be victorious!
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 7:9-17
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Further, Jesus promises that He will turn all for our good.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
He promises that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can endure.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Jesus promises that He will be with us until the end. He promises His own Holy Spirit to dwell in us to provide us with love, strength, comfort, and advice.
John 15:26
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.
Mark 13:11
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Peter says that God gave us all we need to live a holy life here on earth. God didn’t leave us to fend for ourselves. He is all and everything for us and sustains us.
2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Jesus promises that after suffering for His name’s sake, we will receive a great reward in Heaven.
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.
How can these words of Jesus encourage you and change your perspective on suffering for Christ?
Come to the Lord on your knees and pray for those who are persecuted.
Paul, fully trusting the Lord, writes:
Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Phillipians 3:10
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
In your prayer, meditate on the glory that Jesus has prepared for you.
Pray to know Christ in your suffering–to know the power of Christ in all your suffering.
Your Kingdom Come
Jesus brings His kingdom to all people. Many still have the great need to come to Christ and enter His kingdom. Jesus Himself prayed the prayer “Your kingdom come.” He prayed this prayer for us and for all the people of this world:
John 17:25-26
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
God has not stopped working in revealing His kingdom to unbelievers. May we join Him in announcing His kingdom! We can pray with confidence and urgency: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.”
Think back on the last week or month. How did you share and announce God’s kingdom to those in need of it?
Do you feel the urgency of leading people around you to the kingdom of God?
Look back at what you have learned in this lesson about “Your kingdom come.”
Please take a moment to go on your knees before our Lord Jesus, who is offering His kingdom to us. Start by asking “Our Holy Father in Heaven, Your kingdom come.” Pray on what you have learned and how these words apply to you personally.
Pray for the people you know who need to come to God’s kingdom where they can live the fullness of life in God.
***
In this lesson, we learned how to pray “Your kingdom come” as we reflected on the Sermon on the Mount. There is much more to learn about this line of the Lord’s Prayer through continued study of Jesus’ sermon. By looking at the complete teachings of Jesus in the gospels, we could learn even more–we would never exhaust the layers of meaning of this prayer.
My hope and prayer for you is that you would continue to learn how to pray “Your kingdom come” by obeying Christ and living in fellowship with Him and our Father in heaven. Only in our true fellowship with God can we learn How to pray.
BIBLE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
Your Kingdom Come
Sermon on the Mount
Bible Text, Matthew 5-7
Lesson 1
Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name
Lesson 2
Your Kingdom Come
Lesson 3
Your Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Lesson 4
Give Us Today Our Daily Bread
Lesson 5
And Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors
Lesson 6
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From The Evil One
Lesson 7
I Am Invited.
What Is My Response?
ALL LESSONS
Your Kingdom Come
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.