The Jews were living under the misconception that when the Messiah comes, he will free them from the Roman yoke and establish His own kingdom. Similar was the belief of the disciples of Jesus. If we pay close attention to the teachings of the Lord Jesus, we will see that in most of His sermons, He referred to the kingdom which was the kingdom of heaven. Jesus tried to clarify that the kingdom referred to, was the heavenly kingdom, eternal life, and had no bearing on the earthly kingdom.
Jesus taught His disciples a model prayer: Luke 11:2-4 “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Lord’s Prayer also features in Matthew 6:9–15 as part of Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount.
Thy Kingdom Come is not just an expectation for the coming of Christ in the future, but Thy Kingdom Come also expresses the desire to see God’s Kingdom become established throughout the world. The Lord’s dominion must be evident in the lives of His followers. Praying, “Thy Kingdom come,” means asking the heavenly Father to help us in our own lives to be faithful, obedient, and true Christians. We spread God’s kingdom not only with words but also through the lives we live. His kingdom should be in our hearts.
We know from Scripture that God wants all sinners to be saved. I Timothy 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” So, in Christ’s model for prayer, we have confirmation that intercessory prayer for the salvation of souls is a worthwhile endeavour. Praying, “Thy Kingdom come,” is the same as saying, “Lord, please let all receive Your gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.” God’s kingdom thus, means people to turn to Christ for salvation.
As believers in Jesus, we acknowledge God as our King. Praying, “Thy Kingdom come,” means we desire His sovereign rule over our lives here on earth, as we submit to His authority and yield to His control in every aspect of our existence. God’s rule on earth is what every true believer ought to strive for, as Jesus instructed: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). And everyone who puts that goal first in his mind and heart will pray every day “Thy kingdom come”!
Likewise, praying, “Thy Kingdom come,” means we earnestly yearn for God’s reign to be established throughout the whole earth. We pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” so that God’s sovereign rule will come now and in the future in its fullness and permanence. The coming of that kingdom is a fact and does not depend on whether we believe it or not, but the good news for believers is that there is a reward of eternal life for them at Christ’s coming.
Dr Ashwin Drummond
laddertoheaven.co.in