THE CURRENT REIGN OF JESUS Tomorrow:
(1 Corinthians 15:25)
At the appointed time, when Jesus comes again, the Father will show, or reveal, what He is NOW! Jesus will not become the "blessed and only Potentate" when he returns. Rather, He will be clearly seen in that capacity, when "every eye shall see Him" (Rev 1:7) -- a capacity He has had from the very moment He sat down on the right hand of God. When He comes again, no one will ask who He is. There will be no one calling for the doctors of the law, as Herod did when the King was born. Nor, indeed, will anyone be sending an ambassage like John the Baptist did, to ask if He is the One we should be looking for. It will be abundantly clear who He is. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Phil 2:10).
If anyone is to be gathered to Christ when he returns, they need to confess with their mouth NOW that He IS "Lord" (Rom 10:10). The confession is not that He will be Lord, but that He IS Lord. God has already " made Him both Lord and Christ," as was announced on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36). Further, there is no such thing as a true Lord who is not also the King. To postulate that Jesus IS Lord, but that He is not yet King is to unveil a flawed understanding, and a minuscule faith.
Our text affirms that Jesus "IS the blessed and ONLY Potentate." When He is unveiled in that capacity, all will instantly know that He has been "the blessed and only Potentate" all along. The word "Potentate" is actually a contemporary word, even though you would never think so judging from several translations of Scripture. it means "Ruler, Sovereign: one who wields great power or sway" (Merriam-Webster). The Greek word translated "Potentate" is "dunastas," and means "mighty, of great power, potentate." It is the word from which "potent" is derived, and involves not only formal authority, but absolute effectiveness and unquestionable jurisdiction.
Jesus is the "blessed" Potentate. That is, He is the only One God has sanctioned and empowered. He is the "only" Potentate. He has no peers, no co-regents, and no rivals. There is such remarkable clarity in the proclamation of this, that one wonders how anyone could miss it. Of course, the reason is that Satan has blinded men's minds to it.
Ponder what is said about the Sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Following His resurrection, Jesus affirmed, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth" (Matt 28:18). He has not received a token of universal power, but "ALL power." It is not only the authority resident in the earth, which is the inferior realm, but the authority in heaven also, which is the superior realm. In a delineation of the various forms of the power that has been subjected to Christ, the Scriptures affirm the following. "Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (1 Pet 3:21-22). Every form of authority, whether for us or against us, answers to Jesus! All levels of authority -- all Stratus of power, have been subjected to Him. These powers all know who the Lord -- the "blessed and ONLY Potentate" -- is. It is only men in this world that do not know it.
As "the blessed and ONLY Potentate," Jesus Christ is presently seated "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Eph 1:21). He is not the ONLY Potentate by a slim margin, but in a surpassing way -- "far above" every form of power. He is also "Lord of the dead and the living," meaning that there is no place where one can be freed from His Sovereignty. When Peter preached the Gospel to Cornelius, he was quick to say this of Jesus: "He IS Lord of all" (Acts 10:36).
Our text continues by saying He is "THE King of kings, and Lord of lords." The book of the Revelation twice refers to Him in this way (Rev 17:14; 19:16). The greatest of all kings, whether men or spiritual forces, presently operate under the authority of Christ. When He has no further purpose for them, they will immediately cease to be kings and lords, for He "puts down" as well as "sets up" (Psa 75:7).
If there is any doubt in your mind concerning Jesus being a King NOW, you must ask yourself where such a question originated. What prompted such a thought? It certainly was not the Word of the Lord. That has made it abundantly clear that Jesus IS King, IS Lord, and IS the "blessed and ONLY Potentate." Every form of authority in all realms has been given to Him. He is enthroned above them all, and has "power over all flesh" (John 17;2).
This is not a matter men are simply to debate. It represents a fundamental pillar of God's great salvation. In order for your salvation to be brought to its appointed culmination, it had to be managed by "the blessed and ONLY Potentate." You cannot get to heaven, so to speak, on your own. Your church cannot get you there either, even if it boasts of being "the true New Testament church." If Jesus does not "bring" you to God, you simply will not get there (1 Pet 3:18). If Jesus does not "bring" the "many sons" to glory, they will not arrive there (Heb 2:10). If He does not make continual intercessions for the saint, they will not be saved "to the uttermost" (Heb 7:25). None of the essential things being accomplished by Jesus can be done if He is not King NOW!
Prayer Point: Father, thank You for giving Jesus power over all flesh. Thank You for giving Him all power in heaven and earth. I praise You for making angels, principalities, and powers subject to Him. I know I could realize nothing You have promised without His matchless power. In His name, and because of Him, I give honor and glory to You!