Matthew 25:34
Dive Deeper
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Matthew 25:34
Behind the Scenes
This week, our final week in our series about who we are in Christ, we are looking at our place of honor as an heir of God our Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This verse occurs during a conversation between Jesus and His disciples before His crucifixion. The disciples questioned Jesus on the timing of the “end of the age” meaning the end times and Jesus’ second coming. He taught about different signs that would occur before His return. They clearly didn’t comprehend what was about to happen, or what His “return” would be, so Jesus used parables to try to explain it. Jesus highlighted that even He didn’t know the precise timing of His return, but in the parables, He taught how we are all to be ready for when He does come.
How do we ensure we are ready for his return? First, we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. When we say “yes” to the free gift of grace from Jesus, we become a co-heir with Him in the kingdom of God. When Jesus returns, He will judge the world, and we will either be in His family, an heir of God, or not. We also need to be audacious in telling others about Jesus. As believers, we are responsible for sharing the Good News.
Now, as heirs, we become “those on his right.” In the Bible, the place of strength, authority, and blessing was always at the right hand of God. In Hebrews 10:12, we see “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus sits at the right hand of God – the place of strength, authority, and blessing. Okay, so take a look at this closely, Jesus was telling His disciples, “the King will say to those on His right…”, that’s you and that’s me when we have accepted the free gift of grace and salvation. We sit with Jesus at the right hand of God and as such, we gain the strength, authority, and blessing of God. WHOA!
Make it Real
I find it hard to really grasp this truth. We inherit the kingdom of God, and He prepared His kingdom from the foundation of the world. The moment He created the heavens and the earth, the creatures that would inhabit the earth, the vegetation and plant life, and us, He prepared to bless us with His kingdom. He knew you and I would be eternal family members, and He prepared our home.
What does this home look like? What does it look like to be in the family of God for eternity? It’s a place of no more tears. It’s a place with no more strife. It’s a place where our bodies will be perfected, and there will be no more pain. It’s ever-increasing joy. It is joy and greater joy and greater joy forever and ever and ever.
Are you getting it yet? We have been predestined, as children of God (and we are all children of God), to inherit the Kingdom. We get to choose whether we will accept this kinship, this blessing, and this eternal gift. But we had better make that decision sooner rather than later because, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)
And it’s okay that we don’t know the time of Jesus’ return because we get to grab on to that inheritance NOW. We don’t have to wait. We can access the strength of God here on earth. When we face something that would be unbearable without Him, we get to tap into that strength. We have the authority as a recipient of the inheritance to call out the enemy and call on the name of Jesus. And we have the blessing of God in all that we do when we commit our life to Him and focus ourselves on His mission and His will. See, as an heir to the family of God, you are given the strength and authority and blessings of God here and for eternity.
Colleen McGeorge
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Father God, thank You for choosing me – for choosing all of us. Help those who have not yet accepted Your free gift to see the beauty of Your inheritance. Help them to see that You truly love them and want for all to be in Your family. Thank you for giving us the strength, authority, and blessing associated with being Your child. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.