To One day See the Kingdom of God
4 December, 2009, 10:10 am
John 3:1-8 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
We have been in this popular text now for a few days. It is important now to take a moment and consider the kingdom of God. There are two things that Jesus says about this kingdom in the clouds (that’s sarcasm keep reading). Jesus says unless a person is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God and unless he is born of water and spirit he cannot enter it.
We have already addressed what it means to be born again. So now let’s take just a moment and consider what this Kingdom is.
We often imagine that this earth is the devils realm and God’s kingdom is a place of bliss in the clouds where dead people play harps.
This is a lie.
First of all, you should have no interest in serving a king who cannot conquer his enemy’s territory. God made the earth, do you really expect the creator to simply throw it all away and establish a kingdom someplace else? That’s like a ruler living in exile.
Make no mistake here, The Creator and King is not an exile.
Maybe humanity rebelled against him, but he didn’t just leave and ask a few to follow him. He is taking it back.
During World War II the Germans invaded France. To some people, it looked a lot like Germany. The Germans carried out their program of racial cleansing. They put German practices and authorities in place. They set up puppet leaders who would follow German policy. To the frenchman who was unaware or unpatriotic, he would have thought he lived in a new and expanded German kingdom.
But the thousands of French resistance fighters saw it differently. They saw the France they loved and they were determined to one day restore their country to its full glory. Then, they knew they would parade in the streets of Paris like it was Bastille Day all over again!
The one who has been born again is like the French resistance fighter. They do not doubt that this planet which circles the sun and sustains our life is smack in the middle of God’s Kingdom. It may have been attacked, but it is His. They know it and they see it that way.
They work hard to see it restored to its former glory.
And one day they will parade on streets of gold. Parade on streets of gold here. Here on this planet. In the center of God’s kingdom. This is where those who are born again will enter into his kingdom.
And the one who is born again looks forward to marching in that parade.
How about you?
