For thine is the kingdom, and the power

Today we’ll take a look at the last phrase of the Lord’s Prayer, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever!  Amen.”

³⁵ (Jesus said), “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”     – Matthew 24:35

Walt Disney had it figured out.  He knew exactly how to appeal to the masses.  Princess after princess, movie after movie, his company made billions capitalizing on this intoxicating human dream:  “I want the kingdom.  And the power.  And the glory.  I don’t have to share the spotlight, do I?”

Wouldn’t it be spectacular to live in a glorious palace, and bask on the throne of a powerful kingdom?   Dreams come true with Disney.  But a big reason why the dream is so tantalizing is because it’s only a dream.  Every dreamer eventually realizes that real life isn’t just re-creating a Disney movie.  Human beings aren’t in control of anything.  Even the smaller earthly victories we gain from time to time fade quickly into yesterday’s news.  Nothing lasts forever.

Nothing, that is, except God and his Word.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  Jesus owns THE kingdom, THE power and THE glory!   Not just some of it.  Not just for a little while.  All of it, for all time.  The clock will never strike midnight on the reign of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Forever and ever, the Lamb will be reigning on his throne.

And get this…he invites us to reign with him.  Jesus didn’t just keep his sturdy kingdom, unfathomable power and eye-popping glory for himself.  No, he shares everything he owns with us.  In addition to his kingdom, power and glory, his generosity is also off the charts.  In the end, your dreams do come true.  The Christian gets the kingdom, the power and the glory when Jesus takes them to their heavenly home.  The Christian’s ending is real-life.  That’s better than any Disney animation.

Thank you, Jesus.  You are in eternal command of your kingdom, your power and your glory.  And simply because you wanted to, you shared with us.

Prayer (written by Martin Luther, about the words, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever!  Amen.”):

So shall it be for us, since you have given us your Word.  Your Word is far more certain than the earth beneath our feet and your promises more enduring than the heavens high above us.  These will all pass away, but your Word shall stand firm forever.  Hear our prayer, then, not because it is so worthy, but because your promise is so certain.  Amen.