The shining of the kingdom of God began with Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Imagine someone dead coming out of the tomb, and showing himself during forty days among his friends, sitting quietly with them, eating before them, coming in silently through the walls, and going out silently, without any sound of a slammed door! Those events of the living, resurrected Christ exploded the disciples’ minds, for they had already experienced how Jesus was condemned with injustice and shame, and died poorly on the cross, despised and mocked by the rulers and the public, and then truly buried on Friday, as if his death and burial were the end of their hope.
The first day began as the torch of a new age, with the entrance of eternity into time. By his presence, Christ proved that his kingdom is not of this world, but is a spiritual state, which is imperishable, and full of joy, righteousness, love, truth, humility, and abstinence. The epistles are filled with description of this heavenly truth in the midst of hatred, impurity, pride, lying, wars, and injustice. Christ explained to his disciples over forty days from the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets the mystery of the wonderful movement referred to by the true prophecy produced by all the righteous prophets who longed for the kingdom of God and expected its shining. Now the heavenly state has come, and the eternal King has appeared standing and tangible among his followers.
This kingdom of God began in Jerusalem, who killed the prophets and crushed the Son of God. Yet the Lord took his peace out of this city of peace, and commanded the Galilean fishermen not to go back to their fishing profession in Lake Tiberias, but to stay praying in the offensive city, waiting by their faith for the realization of the Promise of God in them.
Christ declared to his disciples, from the beginning, the meaning of this divine promise that they would recognize God as he is, fearing no underestimation, or burden from the mighty destroyer, and unknown Judge, but that he would proclaim himself to them as a father making them his secure children. This is Christ’s special message: that the holy God is a merciful Father. From this revelation our cultures are changed and we understand that the coming kingdom is a fatherly kingdom, and that his children are serving princes, and praying judges, following the example of Jesus who died for all, and redeemed them from the just anger of God.
By that Luke recorded to us one of the last words from Jesus’ mouth: “You have heard the Promise of the Father from me.” This statement signifies the summary of all the teachings of the Son of God: that the great Holy One adopts us, fills us with his essence, and makes us his children. That was exactly the purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross. He forgave us our sins and sanctified us that we might find the entrance to God, love the Father, and his name be hallowed through our behavior.
Before that, John the Baptist was aware of the coming change that would move heavens and earth. But the forerunner of Christ in the wilderness was also aware that the kingdom of God could not immediately come to evil people and natural men, unless their stony hearts and refusing minds were cultivated. So he baptized the repentant in the Jordan as a token of their deserving death. Their raising from the water symbolized their appearance as a new creation. Yet, John taught and confessed openly that his baptism did not truly change man, and that immersion in water indicated that no one could reform himself, cultivate the others, or purify himself ascetically, for we are all malicious, natural, and wicked.
The prophet in that wilderness indicated the Lamb of God who baptized the repentant with the Holy Spirit, for he was born of the Spirit of God, and continued sinless, giving himself to God in this Spirit without blemish, and reconciled all the faithful to his Father that we might have a portion in this kind, blessed Spirit. Did you recognize the Promise of the Father? This Spirit is determined to dwell in you. Then Christ himself will be centered in your heart, and your body will become a temple of the living God. Are you prepared to receive God today?
Humble yourself and get ready for the Promise of God, as Christ was always humble. He did not say: “I baptize you with the Holy Spirit” as the Baptist told about him, but left this glory to his Father, and taught that the Holy Spirit himself was determined to come to us. As such offers the Father and the Son, offer us the Holy Spirit in a complete unity, for this Spirit of the Father and of the Son is only the divine love. Did you realize the will of God? And are you preparing yourself prayerfully to receive him, as Christ commanded his apostles to wait and pray?