“And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’” (Matthew 26:27–28 NLT)

As the hour of Jesus’ arrest approached, we see God’s plan continuing to unfold with amazing precision. Jesus and His disciples needed a place to share the traditional Passover meal together. God arranged for them to encounter a man with just such a place (see Luke 22:10–13).

This Last Supper would be the last time these thirteen men, who had shared and experienced so much in their three years together, would ever be in the same room. And before their food had time to digest, the world as they knew it would be changed forever. Jesus used this final teachable moment to prepare them for what was to come.

Using the elements of the meal, He explained the sacrifice He was about to make. The bread represented His body, which was about to be nailed to a cross—that is, given in place of ours. The wine represented His blood. He said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you” (Luke 22:20 NLT). Jesus’ blood covers our sins and makes us righteous in God’s eyes.

The disciples may have been reminded of the words He spoke after He had fed five thousand men (plus thousands more women and children) with only five barley loaves and two fish:

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. . . . I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh. . . . I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me” (John 6:35, 51, 53–57 NLT).

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19 NLT). When we share Communion together today, that’s exactly what we’re doing: remembering the sacrifice Jesus made.

The disciples needed to understand that sacrifice because, sooner than they possibly could have imagined, they would be sharing the news of it with the world.

That privilege and responsibility didn’t end with them. Every follower of Christ must be a truth-teller. We must help others see the truth of Christ’s sacrifice—why it was necessary, what it accomplished, and what it means for us.

Reflection question: Aside from Communion, how do you commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood?

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“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’” (Matthew 26:1–2 NLT)

At the same time Jesus was breaking the news of His imminent death to His disciples, the leading priests and elders plotting His death were trying to work around a snag in their plans. Jesus was still popular with the Jewish people. (Their meeting was taking place only three days after Jesus’ triumphant arrival on Palm Sunday.)

Complicating things even further was the fact that Passover was one of the holiest celebrations on the Jewish calendar. Executing someone many people believed to be the Messiah during Passover was a good way to start a riot.

And a riot was the last thing the Jewish religious leaders wanted. Their goal was to maintain the status quo. The Romans were extremely tolerant of Jewish worship practices. Roman leaders understood that respecting the religious traditions and customs of conquered territories promoted stability in the empire. As long as things remained peaceful and orderly—and taxes were paid, of course—the Romans were content to let the Jewish priests and elders lead as they saw fit.

Jesus threatened not only the status quo with Rome but also the leadership of the priests and elders. Throughout His ministry, He challenged their authority and exposed their hypocrisy. As He neared the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus became bolder in His challenges. He was forcing their hand so that they had no choice but to kill Him.

Their task was made easier by the help of someone in Jesus’ inner circle. “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, ‘How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?’ And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus” (Matthew 26:14–16 NLT).

The Bible doesn’t say why Judas betrayed Jesus—only that “Satan entered into” him. What we do know is that Judas regretted his decision. When he heard that Jesus had been condemned to death, he hanged himself. The blood money he received was used to buy a potter’s field.

Judas’ betrayal may seem like the ultimate surprise plot twist—the blindside that no one saw coming. But there’s one problem with that interpretation: His betrayal was prophesied centuries before it happened.

David wrote, “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9 NLT).

The prophet Zechariah wrote, “And I said to them, ‘If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to.’ So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the Lord” (Zechariah 11:12–13 NLT).

Everything that led to Jesus’ death on the cross was carefully orchestrated by God. It was all part of His perfect plan of salvation. And it was driven by His amazing love for us.

Reflection question: Why is it sometimes hard to see God’s plan at work?

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“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:21 NLT)

After Jesus described the events surrounding His Second Coming, He ended His Olivet Discourse by sharing four parables with His disciples. The parables continue the themes of punishment and preparing for the Master’s return. But each one adds a new perspective to the discussion.

The first parable, found in Matthew 24:45–51, deals with a faithful servant who manages his master’s household wisely while his master is away. The faithful servant cares for and feeds his fellow servants. When the master returns, he rewards the faithful servant by entrusting him with greater responsibilities. An evil servant, on the other hand, beats his fellow servants, parties, and gets drunk while his master is away. When the master returns, he punishes the evil servant.

The wise servant was faithful because he trusted that his master would return. That’s why he took his responsibilities so seriously. The evil servant acted wickedly because he had some doubts about his master returning. He chose to follow his own agenda instead of his master’s.

The second parable, found in Matthew 25:1–13, involves ten bridesmaids who go to meet the bridegroom at midnight. Five wise bridesmaids made sure to take enough olive oil for their lamps; five foolish bridesmaids didn’t. The five foolish bridesmaids leave to buy oil. While they’re gone, the bridegroom comes and escorts the five wise bridesmaids to the wedding feast. The five foolish bridesmaids are locked out. The bridegroom is Jesus. The five wise bridesmaids are followers who are prepared for His return. The five foolish bridesmaids are those who are unprepared for His coming.

The third parable, found in Matthew 25:14–30, deals with a master who entrusts three servants with money while he’s away. Two of the servants invest the money entrusted to them so that they have a return to show their master when he comes back. They are rewarded for wisely using what their master gave them. The third servant buried the money entrusted to him because he was afraid of losing it. He is punished for his foolish use of his resources. The first two servants knew and trusted their master. The third servant did not.

The fourth parable, found in Matthew 25:31–46, is set after Jesus returns to judge the world. He will separate the sheep, the people who accepted Him as Savior and Lord, from the goats, the people who rejected Him. The sheep, whose lives were changed by Jesus, cared for those closest to His heart—the poor, the needy, the outcasts. The goats, whose lives were unchanged, ignored those people.

Two thousand years after Jesus shared these parables with His followers, their truths still resonate. We don’t know when Jesus will return. But we have important responsibilities to fulfill in the meantime. Let’s make the most of our time by growing in our faith, encouraging and supporting our fellow believers, and sharing Jesus’ message with the people who need to hear it.

Reflection question: What do you take away from the last four parables Jesus shared with His followers?

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“Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?’” (Matthew 24:3 NLT)

The Jerusalem temple was a magnificent structure, one the Jewish people were exceedingly proud of. Jesus’ disciples were no exception. As they left the temple, they pointed out its beauty and grandeur to Jesus. His reply must have shocked them.

“Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” (Matthew 24:2 NLT). Imagine how shocked the disciples would have been if they’d known His prophecy would be fulfilled in less than forty years.

On the way back to Bethany, they stopped on a slope of the Mount of Olives. The disciples’ curiosity got the better of them. “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” (verse 3 NLT). Jesus’ reply, which is known as the Olivet Discourse, takes up the better part of two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus revealed God’s future plans for Israel—plans that are also discussed in Daniel 9:24–27 and Revelation 6:1–19:21. He described the seven-year Tribulation period that will follow the Rapture, as well as His own Second Coming, which will end the Tribulation.

The images are disturbing—war, famine, earthquakes, and persecution. False messiahs and false prophets will lead people astray. Sin will run rampant. Love will run cold. Through it all, though, the Good News of Christ will be preached throughout the world.

Matthew 24:21 offers a sobering summary of the Tribulation, especially the second half: “For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again” (NLT).

When the suffering reaches its crescendo, “All the peoples of the earth . . . will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (verse 30 NLT). The King will not be riding a donkey when He returns. He will not be meek. And He will not come in peace. He will come to conquer evil once and for all. He will come to usher in His kingdom. He will come to pronounce judgment on this sinful world.

And to those who would try to predict the day of His Second Coming based on the signs and events He described, Jesus offered this reality check: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (verse 36 NLT).

Jesus wants us to understand that His will is not for us to try to figure out the dates of these end-time events. His will is for us to be ready when they do occur—and to make sure that others are ready, too.

Reflection question: How can you help prepare others, especially unbelievers, for Jesus’ return?

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“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.” (Mark 11:15–16 NLT)

On Palm Sunday, the people in Jerusalem mistakenly celebrated Jesus as the conquering Messiah, the King who would lead the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire. On the following day, they got a glimpse of His true agenda.

After cursing the fig tree that produced no fruit, Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem. His focus was on the spiritual, not the political. Rather than worship or teach, however, He turned His attention to the money changers and merchants in the outer court. According to the passage above from Mark 11, He cleaned house.

The question is, why?

The merchants, the people who sold animals for sacrifice, served an important purpose. The temple in Jerusalem was the center of worship for all Jewish people. People traveled great distances to attend festivals and offer required sacrifices there. Those sacrifices often involved animals such as birds, sheep, goats, and bulls. Those who didn’t raise animals themselves had to buy them somewhere. And transporting them all the way to Jerusalem was a complication many wished to avoid. So the merchants who sold animals near the Jerusalem temple provided a necessary service. Of course, they made a profit. But they weren’t necessarily gouging their customers. At least, not all of them were.

The money changers were equally important. Many people offered money as sacrifices. However, the region of Judea, where Jerusalem was located, was under the rule of the Romans. The people who lived in Judea used Roman currency. That posed a problem because Roman coins were stamped with images of Roman rulers. And Roman people worshiped their rulers as gods. So Jewish people considered their images a form of idolatry—and inappropriate for sacrifices to God.

What’s more, the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 30:13, “Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the Lord. (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs)” (NLT). The money changers at the temple exchanged Roman currency for Jewish half-shekel coins.

The problem was that the merchants and money changers were infringing on worship at the temple. Their booths were originally positioned outside the temple complex. Over time, however, they moved into the outer courtyard of the temple, the area where Gentiles worshiped. The merchants and money changers were misappropriating worship space for business. That’s why Jesus drove them out.

In Psalm 69:9, David wrote, “Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me” (NLT). Jesus showed His followers what passion for God’s house looks like.

Jesus prioritized worship. And He wants us to prioritize it as well. It stands to reason that He would react strongly to anyone or anything that makes it harder to worship God. We can embrace that same attitude by removing the obstacles that hinder our own personal worship.

Reflection question: How do you keep things from interfering with your worship of God?

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“The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat your fruit again!’ And the disciples heard him say it.” (Mark 11:12–14 NLT)

Staying in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration was out of the question for Jesus, especially after His hero’s welcome on Palm Sunday. The crowds would have mobbed Him and interfered with the vital work of His final days. So He stayed in Bethany, which was less than two miles from Jerusalem. He likely stayed in the home of His friends, the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

On the day after His triumphant entry, Jesus returned to Jerusalem. On the way, He saw a fig tree that had leaves on it. Usually, fig leaves indicate that a tree has fruit. Jesus was hungry, so He approached the tree to pick a fig to eat. Instead, He discovered that the tree had no fruit.

“May no one ever eat your fruit again!” He said. Jesus cursed the tree because it bore no fruit.

This may seem out of character for Jesus, as though He lost His temper because He was fooled by vegetation. But this wasn’t the first-century equivalent of kicking a broken vending machine. Jesus wasn’t “hangry.” He was giving His followers a real-life parable—an unforgettable lesson on the importance of being fruitful.

The Old Testament prophets used the fig as a symbol of Israel. Micah 7:1–3 says, “How miserable I am! I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest who can find nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig can be found to satisfy my hunger. The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth” (NLT).

The passage is referring to the spiritual condition of God’s people. They give the outward appearance of being holy and obedient, but they produce no fruit—no real evidence of their holiness and obedience. Appearances can be deceiving, but genuine fruit can’t be faked. If a fruit tree doesn’t produce fruit, it’s useless. Likewise, if God’s people don’t produce spiritual fruit, they are useless.

In cursing the fig tree, Jesus was denouncing Israel’s relationship with God and warning the people of Israel of the coming judgment. He was also sending a warning to people who claim to be Christians but show no evidence of a personal relationship with Him.

In John 15:8, He said, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (NLT).

James was a little more blunt: “Faith is dead without good works” (James 2:26 nlt).

And the apostle Paul wrote, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22–23 NLT)

Those qualities please the Lord because they show that our faith is genuine and that our spiritual fruit can nourish others. If you nurture those qualities and allow them to blossom in your life, you’ll help others see just how life-changing a relationship with Christ can be.

Reflection question: What spiritual fruit has God produced in you?

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“Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” (Matthew 21:8 NLT)

Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the Passover celebration on a donkey, as a king would. And that’s how the crowd treated Him when He arrived—as a king. Jesus accepted their praise and worship, something He rarely did during His earthly ministry.

Matthew 12 tells the story of Jesus healing many sick people. “But he warned them not to reveal who he was” (verse 16 NLT). And in Matthew 16, after Jesus commended Peter for declaring Him to be “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (verse 16 NLT), we find this statement: “Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah” (verse 20 NLT).

Jesus issued no such warnings before He entered Jerusalem. He wanted everyone to know that He was the Messiah, the King they had been waiting for.

He understood that the people’s excitement was misguided. The crowds weren’t praising Him because He came to save the world from God’s punishment for sin. They cheered because they believed He was going to free them from Roman control (and taxes).

The people who lined the streets with palm branches and welcomed Jesus with open arms didn’t know that His actual mission was infinitely and eternally more important and more valuable than the military skirmish they envisioned. So days later, when their narrow-minded expectations were still unmet, their cheers turned to cries for His death. Their “Hosanna!” turned to “Crucify Him!” The people who hailed Him as a hero denounced Him as a fraud.

It’s interesting to note that the Romans, the ones who had the most to lose if Jesus had turned out to be the Messiah the Jewish people expected, apparently didn’t see His triumphant entry as a threat. Nowhere in the Gospels is there a reaction to Jesus’ arrival by Roman officials or soldiers.

The Roman military was stationed in Jerusalem to prevent rebellion. But they didn’t see Jesus or the crowds who gathered to greet Him as dangerous rebels. As far as Rome was concerned, the event was just a bunch of unarmed peasants waving broken tree branches to greet a local rabbi who was sitting on some old clothes as he rode a donkey.

Hardly the type of movement that could disrupt an empire. Or so they thought.

The Jewish religious leaders, on the other hand, saw an enormous threat. They received loud and clear the message Jesus communicated with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem: The Messiah had come.

The religious leaders had tried to rid themselves of Jesus since the earliest days of His ministry. But because His work had not been completed, they were helpless to do anything. With Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, they faced another problem: His popularity with the crowd. As long as He had the people’s support, the leaders could do nothing to Him. So they bided their time and worked to undermine Him in the eyes of the people.

And because their plans aligned with God’s plan, they succeeded. The Hero of Palm Sunday would be Public Enemy #1 by Good Friday.

Jesus knew what was coming. Yet He willingly faced rejection—and much worse—to fulfill God’s plan of salvation.

Reflection question: What preconceptions about Jesus can get in the way of sharing the truth about Him today?

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“‘Go into the village over there,’ he said. ‘As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, “The Lord needs them,” and he will immediately let you take them.’” (Matthew 21:2–3 NLT)

A Sunday school teacher asked her class, “Does anybody know what next Sunday is?”

A little six-year-old girl raised her hand and said, “Next Sunday is Palm Sunday.”

The teacher said, “Very good. Do you know what the meaning of Palm Sunday is?”

The little girl replied, “That is the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and the people laid palm branches at His feet.”

The teacher said, “That is exactly right. Does anybody know what the following Sunday is?”

The same little girl raised her hand and said, “That is the day that Jesus rose again from the dead. It is Easter Sunday.”

“Very good,” the teacher said.

The little girl continued, “But if He sees His shadow, He will have to go back into the ground for six weeks.”

For the next two and a half weeks leading up to Easter, we’re going to look at the meaning and significance of several different events that took place during the Passion Week—the days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. And we’re going to start with the arrangements Jesus made for His arrival in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.

Jesus had made the trip to Jerusalem countless times for various festivals and occasions. But His arrival on Palm Sunday was unique. Look at His instructions to His disciples in the passage above.

Hundreds of years earlier, the Old Testament prophet Zechariah had written these words: “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9 NLT).

Jesus was certainly aware of the prophecy—and so were many people in the crowd that awaited Him in Jerusalem. Prophecies about the Messiah—the King, the Chosen One—loomed large in Jewish life. But always with a political slant. The Jewish people of Jesus’ day were waiting for a Messiah who would lead them in revolt against the Roman Empire.

Their baseless expectations often distracted them and kept them from embracing Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of Heaven. So Jesus rarely announced Himself as the Messiah during His public ministry.

But that changed on Palm Sunday. When Jesus chose a donkey colt as His means of transportation, He was sending an unmistakable message. He was saying to everyone, “I am the king Zechariah prophesied about. I am the Chosen One, the Son of God. The Messiah has come!”

In the culture of the first century AD, a king who entered a city on a donkey came in peace; a king who entered a city on horseback came to conquer. So Jesus was also making it clear that He was not a political threat to Rome.

He was, however, a threat to the Jewish religious leaders. He knew they were plotting to kill Him. He knew that in a matter of days, His disciple Judas Iscariot would help them by agreeing to betray Him. So Jesus’ decision to enter Jerusalem on a donkey was also intended to provoke His enemies. He wanted them to follow through on their plans to execute Him so that He could fulfill God’s plan of salvation.

Jesus made it clear that He is the Messiah, God’s chosen One to save the world. Everyone who believes in Him will reap the rewards of His saving work—that is, eternal life.

Reflection question: How do you know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world?

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“Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’

Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:15–16 NLT)

First Kings 18 tells the story of the prophet Elijah’s challenge to the false prophets of Baal. Elijah would build one altar and place a sacrifice on it. The prophets of Baal would build another altar and place a sacrifice on it. The deity who sent fire to consume his sacrifice would be declared the God of Israel.

The prophets of Baal went first—and failed. They couldn’t get their god to send fire, primarily due to the fact that their god didn’t exist. But here’s an interesting detail that reveals something important about the real God. When Elijah’s turn came, he instructed his servants to pour twelve large jars of water over his sacrifice and altar.

Every jug of water they poured made it less and less likely that anything but a miracle—the work of God Himself—would fulfill the requirements of the contest. God wanted everyone to know that when fire consumed everything on and around Elijah’s altar, it was because of Him.

The same principle can be seen in the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. Each one is like one of Elijah’s jars of water. It makes it less and less likely that anything but a miracle could fulfill them all. God wanted everyone to know that when the Messiah came and fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, it was because of Him.

And that puts the ball in our court. When we study Scripture and see Jesus’ miraculous fulfillment of prophecies made hundreds of years before His birth, we’re faced with a decision. Jesus proved Himself to be the Messiah, the Savior. We can’t treat that like a historical curiosity. We have to make it personal. We have to let it impact our lives. We have to answer deep within our soul the question Jesus asked Peter in Matthew 16: “Who do you say I am?” (NLT).

Jesus wants us to trust in Him for salvation. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT).

Jesus wants us to be like Him. The apostle Paul wrote, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29 NLT).

Jesus wants us to put Him first in our lives. He said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT).

Jesus wants us to tell others about Him. Psalm 96:2–3 says, “Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does” (NLT).

If Jesus is who the Bible claims He is, there’s no risk in any of those pursuits. And Jesus certainly proved that He is who the Bible claims He is.

Maybe you’re afraid to stand up for Jesus Christ. You’re afraid that it could hurt your career or a relationship or something else. But there comes a moment when you have to stand for what you know is true. You may be criticized and might even lose something important to you. But whatever you lose, God will make it up to you. He will bless you for standing for what is right.

Reflection question: Who do you say Jesus is, and how does that impact your life?

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“For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12–13 NLT)

Charting the rise and fall of empires is not always easy to determine, as there are overlapping or conflicting dates of when nations rise and fall. Generally speaking, though, the Western Roman Empire lasted just over 500 years, from 27 BC to AD 476. The Ottoman Empire lasted 623 years, from 1299 to 1922 (although its remnants can still be found in living rooms throughout the world). The Assyrian Empire, in its different forms, surpassed the millennium mark beginning in 2025 BC through the fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 609 BC, it spanned more than 1,400 years.

It’s hard to draw parallels between these empires or to say definitively why some endure longer than others. Some people might say the only real takeaway is that nothing lasts forever. But that’s not true.

The passage from 2 Samuel 7 above records the promise God made to David, the king of Israel and “a man after God’s own heart.” God promised David that his kingdom—and that of his son and successor Solomon—would last forever. And it would last forever because their descendant would be the Messiah, the Son of God, who will rule for eternity.

Psalm 89:29 offers a similar prophecy: “I will preserve an heir for him; his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven” (NLT).

And Isaiah 9:7 says of the Anointed One, or Messiah, “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (NLT).

When you think of all the things that can go wrong in a nation, empire, or kingdom, the idea of one lasting forever seems nearly impossible. But that speaks to the nature of Christ’s kingdom.

There will be no divisions, no corruption, no power plays, no dissatisfaction. The Lord will rule, and everyone in His kingdom will joyfully submit to Him. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (NLT).

That brings us to one more point that absolutely must be mentioned. Not only will Christ’s kingdom last forever, so will everyone in it. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT). Jesus paid those wages when He gave His life on the cross in our place. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to live forever with Him.

He said so Himself: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die” (John 11:25–26 NLT).

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and have asked Him to forgive you of your sin, the Bible teaches that when you die, you will go immediately into the presence of God in Heaven. That is God’s promise to you.

But God promises not only life beyond the grave; He also promises life during life—not just an existence, but a life worth living. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).

That is the hope and promise for all Christians. That is why the believer does not have to be afraid to die. Or afraid to live.

Reflection question: How do you know—or how can you know—that you will spend eternity with Christ in His kingdom?

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