Prologue

Prologue (1:1-4)

The letter starts with a glorious seven-fold proclamation of Jesus.  It is like the heralding of the Champion at a tournament - an announcement to all of who it is that takes to the stage.  Here the writer boldly proclaims Jesus as Prophet, Creator, Heir, Image, Upholder, Priest and King!  What a way to describe Him who is our marker; Him who we must keep our eyes fixed upon!

What does this prologue tell us about being fit for the Kingdom?  Firstly, it is an introduction to the superiority of the ruler of that Kingdom, and secondly, it reveals that being fit for the Kingdom is realising that our service is worthwhile; that the One whom we serve is worthy.  In essence it is a statement of intent.

God speaks.  “God spoke” - a statement asserted, not argued.  We must take it or leave it.  I would be so bold as to declare that this is the platform on which the whole letter is founded!  To be fit for the Kingdom of God is to live in the certainty of God speaking (through His various ways and means).  The problem we have is that we still want to live in the “former ways” - it is always a case of, “Speak to me Lord”; always desiring additional, or new, or the latest revelation for our life and circumstance.

Now through the Son an end has come to the imperfect.  It is a recurring theme in the letter, of the past things having given way to something better.  No doubt, there is value in a lot of things on their own merit, but only with Christ are things made perfect.  Christ has come to restore the full Gospel communication - creation, fall, redemption, completion - restoring the capacity for us to hear God speak.

When it comes to God revealing Himself to people, He is best seen in His Son and heard through His Son - if we cannot learn about God through His Son, then nothing else will convince us!  We need to let that establish our vision and underpin our personal and church theology.  It is useless to continue if God makes no revelation to us!

God manifests.  Jesus is the exact representation of God.  Here we have a statement of the Trinity - not explained, just stated.  Again, it is a statement of intent - we either accept it or we do not; either way, it stands as a revelation from God.  We have to learn to be comfortable with His majesty and authority, and to act accordingly in order to be fit for service.

God initiates.  God sustains and upholds.  He carries toward and forward.  We are carried forward by His Word, and He moves us inexorably toward His conclusion, by His Word of power.  We need to know, and be comfortable with knowing, that our ends are not ultimate ends: His end is far superior to all other ends.  God's end is to make us like His Son.  He will make us like Christ.  The problem is that many people (sadly including many Christians!) do not actually want that in this life.

One of the greatest modern needs is the need for nothing to go wrong in our lives.  What we actually need is a gospel confidence in the knowledge that God is carrying us toward a beneficial end.  Jesus is the “starter and finisher of our faith”; “He who began a good work…”; “I know Him to whom I have entrusted…”; “Faith and perseverance inherit the promises”; and, “The race is not to the swift but to those who endure”.

God saves.  What a wonderful statement of intent: God provides purification for sin!  How we need that to be proclaimed as a fact of our lives.  In the past we tried our own ways - as Donald Guthrie writes: "Wherever there is any sense of sin there is generally present a strong desire to be cleansed from it” - but we were never successful, nor could we ever be.  But now, this has been achieved in Christ: “He sat down” - the work is complete.  He is not standing up again and having to come and do it all over.  He is not leaving heaven and the Father's side (until the Father's time is fulfilled) to come again and re-die for our sins: once was enough, and His sitting down is a statement that "it is finished"!

God reigns.  Once again the writer states a profound truth very simply - Christ the Son has all the honour.  He has the superiority over all things (cf. Rom.11:36).  In a world (and in the Church) where God is taken lightly, it is worth making this statement of intent continuously and boldly, that our God reigns (cf. Act.4:24-31).  John Frame writes, "He is the almighty, majestic Lord of heaven and earth, and He demands our most passionate love and obedience".  [Frame, J. M., "The Doctrine of God", p.3]

To be fit for the Kingdom we need to keep the marker, Jesus, in view.  We need to have a confident certainty of the revelation of God, the Holy Trinity, through the Son; if we keep Him in view then we will receive revelation.  We need to be certain of our salvation and purification through Him, and to know His purpose.  Lastly, we must be confident in the King's majesty - He is worthy!