A BLESSED CONFERMENT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

You are those who have stood by Me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:28-30

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever had something passed down to you?

I have and each time it has been a blessing.

After my father left this world to be with Jesus, my mother gave me some things that she thought I would like having. There were pictures and letters from when I was on some of my military deployments. There was a scrapbook I had made by hand for my father centered on Forbes Field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates played baseball between 1909 and 1970. My father watched a lot of baseball there and it held a special place in his heart, thus the reason why I put the book together for him.

I also was given a couple of small note pads that my grandfather had used when he served in the United States Army in the early 1920’s. They might not seem like much to the ordinary person but I loved reading through what he had written, imagining what it must have been like to serve then. The note pads informed me that my grandfather had actually traveled all the way south to Fort Monroe, a location not far from where I live today in Virginia. Frankly, I had gone a long time in my life without even knowing my grandfather had served his country so it was a real blessing to discover he did and then get to read through some of his service experiences.

Well, as we turn to our verses for today, we find Jesus passing down something to His disciples, something of far greater worth than some pictures or letters, a scrapbook or note pad. For what Jesus was giving had eternal kingdom value. Look again at His words here:

You are those who have stood by Me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:28-30

The scene here is the moments after Jesus shared His last Passover meal with His disciples. He had less than 24 hours before He would die, crucified on a cross on Calvary’s hill, and had some important final parting words for His faithful followers.

His disciples had been with Him through thick and thin. They never abandoned their Master and I am sure there were more than a few times when they could have done just that. In fact, these committed followers all had left things behind to be a part of Jesus’ exclusive inner circle. Families and occupations were deserted and it would have been easy to just give up the ministry journey with Jesus and return home.

But the disciples didn’t do that. They stood by Jesus through all the trials and stayed true to the calling they had received. In turn, Jesus showed them how to be legitimate fishers of men, a skill they would need after their Master departed. He also rewarded them in another way, a reward they would enjoy for eternity.

For Jesus conferred, or passed along, the kingdom of heaven, just as He had received from His Father God. This married up with what the scriptures say about anyone who receives Jesus as Savior. For in the eighth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read this:

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” Romans 8:14-17

Jesus’ hand-chosen disciples were first led by Jesus but after His ascension, they were led by the Holy Spirit. They were truly children of God and co-heirs with their Master, Jesus the Christ. And they would definitely find themselves sharing in His sufferings before they would share in His glory as they would experience severe persecution once trying to pick up where Jesus left off with gospel sharing ministry work which would begin in Jerusalem, spread to Samaria and Judea after persecution broke out in the holy city, and then move onto the world.

But there time would on earth wouldn’t last forever. There would be a time when, like Jesus, their work would be complete and they would get to enjoy the very reward Jesus promised, eating and drinking at His table in heaven while sitting on thrones from where they would judge the very twelve tribes of Israel.

In other words, the disciples would have a special place in the kingdom as a result of the kingdom work they did on earth. And the truth of the matter is that every person who places their belief and hope in Jesus as Savior will join His first disciples there, in the kingdom of God following their own kingdom work on earth.

It’s just the continuation of a blessed conferment which started with God giving into Jesus, His Son, and then Jesus giving further to anyone who places their believe and trust in Him as Savior.

I pray you are counted in that number.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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