Radically Different
“Do not be like them.”
Matthew 6:8 (NIV)
Today is Inauguration Day, the installation of a newly elected president and a change in the executive administration for the United States. Regardless of which candidate you supported in the November 2024 election, we all know that change is coming as soon as Donald J. Trump is sworn into office. The truth is that many things have already changed post-election and prior to today’s inauguration as evidenced by the recent Israel-Hamas cease-fire and hostage release that occurred last weekend.
With the change in administrations, there will also be big changes in priorities and personnel. The previous administration’s top priorities included an open border policy, an emphasis on DEI and climate change, as well as large tax and spend initiatives. The new administration’s policies will be focused on securing our nation’s borders, reducing crippling inflation, increasing our energy independence, strengthening our military readiness, and reducing government waste.
Two thousand years ago there was another administration and inauguration change. Jesus was born a king, not a prince. He was inaugurated into his kingdom with his baptism by John the Baptist and anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus spent his three-year earthly ministry proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God, never stopping to define it, but always pointing others toward it.
There are still only two kingdoms on this earth two thousand years later: the right side-up kingdom of the world that values power, status, influence, and money or the upside-down Kingdom of God where the poor are blessed; the last is first; and the greatest citizen in the Kingdom is the Suffering Servant of all.
In the longest recorded message of his ministry, Jesus outlined his administration’s values and priorities. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) has been described by author John Stott as the "best known, least understood, and least obeyed" message ever preached. It is Jesus' Manifesto for a Christian's life as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. The Sermon on the Mount describes Christ's ideal for the Christian counterculture or value system. His message is a call for us to be radically different from both the secular world and the nominal church.
The Beatitudes teach us that a Kingdom citizen’s character is to be noticeably different from the world’s character. Our influence as salt and light is to serve as a preservative and provide light to a dark and dying world. Our righteousness is to exceed the nominal church in both ethical and religious behavior. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves; go the extra mile; and give another shirt. Kingdom citizens are called not just to love neighbors, but to also love our enemies. Our service and ambition are to further the King’s interests, not our own. Christ’s law is love and his Gospel is peace, for he is the Prince of Peace.
Most of the people who originally heard Jesus’ Kingdom pronouncements were baffled or confused. Others, especially the traditional religious establishment, were angry, dismissive, or threatened. The Jews were expecting a conquering Messiah who would overthrow the hated Roman government and return Israel to its previous glory under King Solomon. No one expected that the long-promised Messiah of the Old Testament prophets would not only be the king, but also the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53) sent not to conquer, but to be crucified.
The Kingdom of God is the redemptive reign and rule of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Everyone is invited to enter Jesus’ kingdom, but few accept Jesus’ call to follow him. Jesus doesn’t say, “Learn from me;” but “Follow me!” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, martyred for his faith in a Nazi concentration camp writes, “When Jesus calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
The newly inaugurated Trump administration is term limited by our Constitution to just four more years. It is temporary and finite. The Kingdom of God under King Jesus endures forever and will never be destroyed (Daniel 6:26). As Kingdom of God citizens, we are called to be radically different as we follow King Jesus, die to ourselves, love others sacrificially, and become more conformed to the image of Christ.
This morning the President’s U.S. Marine band played Hail to the Chief to announce the President’s arrival. As Kingdom of God citizens, however, we proclaim, “Hail to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords for our Lord God Almighty reigns forever and ever!” (Revelation 19:16, 6)
Radically different!