March 30th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON ACTS

RESTORING THE KINGDOM

 Acts 1:6 “ . . . they gathered around Him and asked Him, “Lord, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus spent a goodly amount of time teaching and counseling with His disciples.  For three plus years He had been doing this.  One would think by now the disciples understood that Jesus would not physically remain on this earth.  However, their Jewish minds, were still working overtime.  They believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  They believed the Messiah was supposed to re-establish Israel as a world power such as it was during the time of David and Solomon. 

With their expectations of the Messiah to become an earthly king, thus of Jesus, “. . . they gathered around Him and asked Him, “Lord, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  This was their hope not unlike of the crowds just weeks earlier at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Remember, on that occasion the people received Jesus as a conquering king and royalty. 

The disciples should have remembered Jesus’ words, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)  His heavenly Father had not sent Him into the world to establish an earthly or worldly kingdom.  Indeed Jesus was given all authority over heaven and earth by His Father. (Matthew 28:18-20)  And in the Book of Revelation, John writes, “.
. . there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15) 

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, as the King over heaven and earth You are, reign over me, this world and all eternity that many in this world by God’s grace will submit to You now and for all eternity.  In Your holy name.  Amen.

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His pow’r and His love;
Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath and deep thunder-clouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

This earth, with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy pow’r hath founded of old,
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
Our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend!

O measureless Might, ineffable Love,
While angels delight to hymn Thee above,
Thy humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall sing to Thy praise.

O Worship the King // LSB 804

Public Domain