As Matthew 16 concludes, the writer records Jesus making an almost offhand comment as He concludes His teaching to the disciples about the foolishness of chasing worldly wealth, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
No doubt some of the disciples heard this and in their imaginations assumed that He meant some of them would not die before they see Jesus return at the end of time. As with much of the prophetic, it is hard to see exactly how it will be fulfilled when it is first spoken. But the modern reader ought not to make the same mistake. Clearly the disciples all passed into glory long ago, so what Jesus meant is not that. It is something else.
Immediately following this comment to the whole of the disciples, Jesus is transfigured at the top of Mount Hermon in sight of Peter, James and John. Later, Jesus would appear to all but Judas after His death and resurrection. Later still, Jesus would appear to the apostle John on the island of Patmos (after which, John would write The Revelation of Jesus Christ – the last book of the Bible.)
In all three instances, SOME of those standing there when Jesus made His comment saw Him in His glorified state. They saw the Son of Man, and they saw Him in His Kingdom. Further, Jesus said they would see him ‘coming in his kingdom’. The transliterated original language is “erchomai”, and it means “to travel toward, to approach, to be brought, to happen to”. In each of those three cases, the disciples saw Jesus as Jesus was to be in His Kingdom. So they literally saw Jesus coming in his Kingdom, just as Jesus said they would.
The really good news of course, is that all of Jesus disciples will eventually see the Son of Man – not so much coming in His kingdom, but actually in his Kingdom. As Hebrews teaches us, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
The disciple of Jesus Christ lives a life of expectation. An expectation that we will perceive Christ coming in His Kingdom through the Spirit’s work in and about us during our lifetime. That is the hope of glory. That is the promise fulfilled in part. That is the Christ-life that we can live and must life right here in the flesh. But there is also the expectation that we will see Christ in His Kingdom at the end of our lifetime. That is glory. That is the promise fulfilled in full. That is the Christ-life we will live forever in redeemed bodies – flesh made new and never again subject to decay.
That is Christ’s Kingdom fully realized, a promise made not to some disciples – but to all. Amen.
We have been chosen by God the Father to be his spiritual children. In Christ, our sins have been forgiven, and we have been given an inheritance that this world knows no way to measure. In the Holy Spirit, we have been sealed in Christ, made secure until our final redemption when we will see the Lord face-to-face.
Max Anders
APPLICATION: Intentionality
What we do for Christ matters forever because it is acknowledged in heaven. What we do for ourselves does not, because it is not.