Praying for the Resurrection
“Your Kingdom come!”
A Christian prays this on a regular basis. Praying to our Father to bring His Kingdom to our world is not a mere suggestion, but an instruction the Son gives for us when we pray. (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2)
The request is twofold. The early Church had an understanding of God’s Kingdom being present already, but not fully realized until Christ returns. When we pray, “Your Kingdom come”, we are asking for the Lord to bring His fullness to our empty setting. We are asking the Lord to lighten our darkness with His presence.
“As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons…” -Matthew 10:7-8a (CSB)
“If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” -Matthew 12:28 (CSB)
Praying for God’s Kingdom to come also refers to the return of the Son, Jesus Christ. It is asking for the Lord to return soon, bringing His everlasting Kingdom once and for all, permanently driving out the dark forces.
“He who testifies about these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” -Revelation 22:20 (CSB)
“It is, indeed, good news to all who love Him and mourn the sins and sorrows of a ruined world.”
Asking for God’s Kingdom to shine in the present is something I pray for daily. Seeing pain, guilt, addiction, disease, and injustice everyday stirs a desire to see the Lord once again deliver a lost soul out of the darkness and into His light.
But in regards to the Second Coming, how often do I actually want Jesus Christ to return that very day? I know the proper theological answer to hope Jesus comes back this very moment, but how often do I mean that? If I’m in a stressful situation, the thought is certainly comforting. But what about when I’m consumed by my ambitions and my future goals?
To be fair, many of us don’t want our Lord to return just quite yet because we love so many relatives/friends who don’t follow Jesus. It’s a very hard pill to swallow, and I personally feel this gut reaction to just not think about it. I don’t have an easy answer to that anxiety, other than we need to be humble, seek the Lord, and keep praying for them. When we pray, “Your Kingdom come”, may that Kingdom be experienced in the hearts of our loved ones who don’t yet know the Lord.
But taking aside that anxiety for a moment, how often do you look forward to the coming resurrection? How do you even understand the resurrection?
Resurrection that focuses on flourishing
Depending on how you were taught Scripture, you may understand eternity as Christians getting to go to heaven when they die. I remember as a child having a pretty boring vision of what that would look like. A huge ensemble of people standing on clouds with their hands to their sides singing hymns.
I certainly believe the New Earth will have worship, but Scripture also points to a more three dimensional way of life.
Scripture doesn’t point to the resurrection simply being an endless concert in the clouds. It points to a restored earth all together, redeeming what was lost in Eden. Jesus and the Scriptures use expressions such as:
Feasting together at a table with the saints (Matthew 8:11)
Worshiping God in a holy city (Revelation 22:3)
Belonging to a united family (Mark 10:29-31)
Being comforted from our past sufferings and trauma (Revelation 21:4)
If our idea of eternity sounds boring, we need to relearn what Jesus is promising. Lets turn to a voice from the early Church to get their perspective on eternity.
Polycarp’s eternal ambitions
We’ve talked previously on this blog about the 2nd century bishop and martyr Polycarp and his warnings toward greed. In his letter to the Philippians, Polycarp references both the resurrection of Christ and the future resurrection of humanity multiple times. Polycarp makes it clear where he stands: our treasure is stored for the life to come.
“If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that he will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, we shall also reign together with Him, provided only we believe.”
Polycarp later mentions Christians who were martyred for the faith such as the Apostle Paul and Ignatius. Polycarp assures the Philippians that their death wasn’t in vain, “For they loved not this present world, but Him who died for us, and for our sakes was raised again by God from the dead.” (Polycarp to Philippians 9.2b)
I don’t believe the Holy Spirit is a killjoy. On the contrary, God brings fuller joy than anything else. But the truth is, there is much about this present world I do love that I know is not good for my soul. I am sure the New Earth will have endless joys and resources that far outmatch anything this world has to offer. So why do I settle for less? Polycarp’s words confront my complacency and challenge me to remember where my true citizenship is.
Focusing on eternity does not exclude caring for the present
At the same time, Polycarp’s determination for the long run did not bring indifference to those in need. Both Ignatius and Polycarps’ letters condemn the theology and practice of Docetism, a tribe of Gnosticism.
One of the criticisms the Church had on Gnosticism was an overemphasis on the spiritual realm and complete neglect of the physical reality. Ignatius condemns the Docetists in his letter to Polycarp’s church for having no care for orphans, widows, the starving and others in need. (Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans 6.2)
Unlike the Gnostics, Polycarp gives instructions in his letter to the Philippians to care for the poor, widow, orphan, and sick. (Polycarp to Philippians 6.1) While rebuking greed, luxury, and worldly pleasures, Polycarp does not excuse Christians from having to care for their neighbors. To be Kingdom-minded is to seek the eternal comfort in the next life, while giving comfort to those around you.
Conclusion
I believe that while each of us are still living this life there is work to be done. I also want everyone to turn to Christ. I am not promoting a doomsday mentality. But may we earnestly wait for Christ to return once and for all, bringing His justice and complete healing. May our treasures and desires ultimately not be perishable.
“Indeed, the more we know Jesus spiritually, the more will we long for His personal and eternal presence in the fuller and more glorious sense which His personal advent will bring.”
Bibliography
Simpson, A.B. (1890). The Fourfold Gospel. Harrisburg, PA. Christian Publications Inc.
Schaff, P. (2016). The Complete Ante-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Collection of Early Church Fathers. Toronto, Canada.
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.