Jesus Christ - Sovereign Over This World and the Next

June 30, 2013 Evening:

Title: Christ Over All

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 100

Gospel Passage: Mark 10:32-34

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:8a “... putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Sermon Point: Jesus won everything in His costly battle against sin

... putting everything in subjection under his feet.

Jesus won everything

In the words before us we see that God has placed everything under the feet of a man. This reminds us of Genesis 1 and 2 as it relates to Adam, but the author of Hebrews is talking not about Adam's world primarily, but about the world that is coming into being. Nonetheless, if God is to have absolute sovereignty over the new heavens and earth, He must also have absolute sovereignty over the existing heavens and earth. It is in the midst of this existing fading world that the the new resurrection world is being born. God the Father has put everything in subjection under the feet of the Son of God. After Jesus rose from the dead, He communicated this same truth to His disciples by telling them that all power and authority had been given to Him.

In 1 Chronicles 4, the otherwise unknown man of Judah named Jabez prays to God and asks the Lord to expand His territory. Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has a territory of sovereignty that extends to the fullness of the resurrection kingdom.

In the little Hebrew book called Obediah, God speaks a word to Edom, the nation that came from Jacob's twin, Esau. Jacob was the elect son. Esau's line was not the chosen heritage. At the end of the Lord's words of judgment upon Edom, the symbolic nation of the world that is passing away, God makes this statement through His prophet: “Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.” What kingdom? The kingdom of the elect (Mount Zion)? The kingdom of the world (Mount Esau)? When the final kingdom of the elect shall come in fullness, then it shall be entirely known what Jesus has won, for the kingdoms of this world will very obviously be the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.

During the Apostle Paul's prison years, Jesus still was sovereign over all. The best and the worst that any faithful follower of Christ could face here and in eternity has all been placed under His mysterious power and authority. When we are able to see this with the eyes of faith we are very happy to sing, even in prison, “How Great Thou Art.”

… in His costly battle against sin

The spoils of war from our Savior's great victory have come to us without any charge. We could never have paid for the gifts that God has for us. This is why we rightly speak of “free grace.” Yet the grace that we have received in the kingdom of God was very costly for Him.

What did it cost Jesus to include us in the victory of His family? He paid the price of His incarnation. He paid the price of facing very many strong foes. He paid the price of nurturing unsteady disciples. Ultimately he paid the cost of the cross, where he paid the debt of sin that was so far beyond our ability to pay.

The victory of His costly sacrifice shines forth for us now in the glory of His resurrection. By His death He not only won His own immortal human body, but a complete resurrection world that includes us. Even now, as he works out everything toward that great final salvation, all things in heaven and earth must be accomplished according to the will of the Son of God.