The Establishment of the Kingdom

by Jeff Curtis

   The kingdom / the church existed in purpose. Throughout eternity, it existed in the plans and purposes of God; “¹⁰ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11).

   It existed in promise. Throughout the Old Testament, the kingdom / church existed in prophecy and promise. Isaiah said that in the last days the Lord’s house would be established and the Word would go forth from Jerusalem; “² Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. ³ Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3). Paul identifies the Lord’s house as the church; “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1Timothy 3:15). Daniel prophesied that God’s kingdom would be established in the days of the Roman empire; “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44).

It existed in preparation. Christ began His personal ministry during the days of the Roman Empire. During His personal ministry, the kingdom / church existed in preparation. Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached that the kingdom was “at hand” or almost there (Matthew 4:17; 3:1-2). Jesus stressed that His kingdom was a spiritual institution (John 18:36) and used the terms “kingdom” and “church” interchangeably; “¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19).

Jesus said that His kingdom would come “with power”; “He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”  (Mark 9:1). After His resurrection, He told the disciples that the power would come when the Holy Spirit came and that they would be His witnesses beginning at Jerusalem; “Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.” (v.8). They were to wait in Jerusalem until that power came; at that time repentance for the remission of sins would be preached in His name “beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:45-49).

It existed, and continues to exist, in power. The Holy Spirit came on the first Day of Pentecost after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1-4). The power came; and so, the kingdom / church was established.

As Isaiah and Jesus foretold, the preaching of the gospel began at Jerusalem (Acts 2:29-38). People who believed, repented, and were baptized were added to the kingdom / church (Acts 2:41, 47; KJV). From that point, the kingdom / church was spoken of as being in existence (Acts 5:11; 8:1-3; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 1:6).

“Do This in Remembrance of Me”

by Jeff Curtis

Years ago, there was a TV show called “You Are There.” Each week, some historical event was reenacted and the viewer, in effect, taken back to that occasion and put into the action. Something similar occurs each Sunday as we gather around the Lord’s table.

The Lord’s Supper is essential to our Christian experience. It was instituted by Jesus almost 2,000 years ago. The occasion was the Passover feast eaten by Christ and His apostles a few hours before He died, and the biblical account is found in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and 1Corinthians 11.

Human beings forget so quickly! It’s for this reason we establish memorials, such as edifices and ceremonies, to stir our memories. The Bible tells us about God’s goodness (Gen. 9:8-17), Jacob’s stones that were intended to help him remember that God was with him (Gen. 28:10-22), the Passover feast which commemorated the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt (Exod. 12:14). Today, we erect tombstones at the graves of loved ones so that they will be remembered. Jesus, understanding that people soon forget, instituted the greatest memorial of all: the Lord’s Supper.

For that memorial, He could have chosen any material He wanted. Marble, precious metals, priceless jewels – all could have been used, because He is worthy of the most costly memorial ever constructed. However, He selected two of the most common elements on earth.

1. The Bread. “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a

blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat this is My body’” (Matt.26:26). Bread is perhaps the most universal food in existence; almost everyone everywhere eats bread. Wheat, the primary ingredient in most bread, is one of the most common grains on earth.

2. The Fruit of the Vine. “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He

gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you… But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (Matt. 26:27-29).

In that time and place, “fruit of the vine” referred to the fruit of the grapevine. It might be noted that the Greek word for “wine” (oinos) is not used in the passages on the Lord’s Supper, but rather “fruit of the vine,” a term that includes grape juice. Grapes are also a common food term. Though not as universal as wheat, grapes can be purchased at most locations. Again, “the fruit of the vine” is fitting for this part of the communion service. Whether coincidental or not, the reddish tint of most grape juice strikes many Christians as appropriate to represent the blood of Jesus.

Biblical information indicates that the early church partook of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week. They met “to break bread” (Acts 20:7) “on the first day of the week” (1Cor. 16:2). The KJV just has “the first day of the week”; but since every week has a first day, the indication is for every first day. Since each Lord’s Day centered on the communion service, their observance must have been weekly. This conclusion is confirmed by uninspired Christian writers during the early centuries of the church. The historian John Mosheim wrote, “The Christian worship consisted of hymns, prayers, and reading the Scriptures, a discourse delivered to the people, and concluded with celebration of the Lord’s Supper.”

In conclusion, partaking of the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s Day is very important. May we regularly worship with the saints and partake of the Lord’s Supper.