Sometime this month, the future leader of this nation will place his left hand on the Bible, raise his right hand in the air, and repeat the presidential oath. In that moment, he will become the most powerful person in the modern world. Then he will stand before the nation as your new president and make promises to you—plans, solutions, and promises for a better tomorrow.
The dawn of a new presidency calls each of us to pause and reflect. For the last year our nation has fixated on who can save us from the mess of 2020. For some, the inauguration is a celebration; to others, a huge disappointment.
Why is it that you and I are so prone to fix our hopes for a better future on a mere man? The Bible tells us that it is an age-old tendency with dire results. Yet God’s Word does not leave us hopeless. It reveals the campaign of another Man—One capable of fulfilling His promises and ushering in the better future which we desire.
The Desire to be Ruled
Long ago, God chose the Israelite nation to be an example of how His kingdom functions. God Himself was their king, ruling through chosen judges. As the nation grew however, the people became obsessed with the idea of having a king like their secular neighbors. God granted their request, but told the prophet Samuel, “they have not rejected you but have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7,8). The children of Israel had inaugurated a king and dethroned God in their hearts.
Like the Israelites, we often trick ourselves into believing that an earthly ruler can save us. In doing so, we replace the only One who can actually establish justice and peace. “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of host will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7).
The Ideological Platform of God’s Kingdom
Political leaders run for office on a platform of ideas; they promise a better economy, an increase of jobs, a way to combat racial tensions, or to alleviate poverty. Yet how rarely they fulfill their promises.
At the beginning of Christ’s campaign for our hearts, He presented his platform of ideas in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In the Beatitudes, He identifies those who will be in His kingdom—the meek, the pure in heart, the peacemaker and the oppressed. He explained His laws and their true heart meaning. He taught about divorce, lust, anger, retaliation, and promises. But most of all He taught us to make love for God and man supreme. The platform of Christ’s kingdom is not built on unrealistic promises. It is built on the ethos of heaven: LOVE.
The Inauguration that Changed the World
Christ’s 33 year-long campaign accomplished much. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, and caused storms to cease. His voice echoed through the valleys and penetrated the hearts of man. Yet His work was not complete.
For thousands of years the world had languished under the great dictator, Satan. He had demonstrated his ruling principles of self-service, hatred, and deception. Millions followed in his ranks. Now, through a most unusual battle, Christ would defeat Satan so he could be inaugurated as the King of our fallen world.
Christ, “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22), was beaten, battered and bruised. A crown was placed on His head–not one bedazzled with jewels and gold, but a crown that would pierce the flesh of his brow, and cause blood to flow down His face. He was presented to the world, not on a podium high above for all to see, but rather on a cross. The King of the universe hung on a tree like a painting nailed to a wall. Hell assumed victory at the death of Christ. However, hell’s defeat was evident when He rose from the tomb and ascended to heaven. Christ’s selfless love revealed at the cross prepared the way for Him to be inaugurated as King of humanity and take up His work for us in the heavenly sanctuary.
Follow the Leader
When Jesus came to this earth, He explained that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). When we accept Christ as our Savior and are born again, we become citizens of His Kingdom of selfless love. If we allow Him to rule our hearts, He will do more through us than we could ever accomplish on our own.
We need not rely solely on elected officials to bring peace on earth. Christ invites us to join His campaign for humanity. He wants us to teach the things He taught, heal the hurting, fight for the disenfranchised, and lead souls to Him. While Christ completes his work in the heavenly sanctuary, we must complete our work on earth.
We seek these things because we are part of a “kingdom [that] is not of this world” (John 18:36). This is the great truth. God’s coming kingdom of glory cannot be corrupted by the nations of this world. Its existence is beyond any government or kingdom. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation give us confidence that God’s kingdom will be established, and that we will be a part of it.
Let the inauguration of Christ bring us into closer communion with Him. Seek to be the change that God has ordained. On the dawn of His kingdom, let us promote His campaign, His message of truth, and strive to finish the work He has given us.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in”. ~ Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Speech
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