The Reign of Christ Over Enemies, Pt. 3

Dearly beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the passage before us is rich in adventure — 200 horse, 270 foot, a night march, a suicide pact, and more. But though the adventure is exciting, it's not the point. Luke is not some early version of Alexandre Dumas or James Patterson. He's not writing to excite us. He's writing to reassure us regarding the Kingdom of God. His book is here to give us certainty regarding what we've been taught about Jesus. In particular, we see that this exciting night escape affirms all over again that Jesus reigns. He even reigns over those who are openly, explicitly, and violently opposed to His reign. His Kingdom cannot be thwarted, not even when 40 men get together and make a suicide-murder pact. That's the good news that Luke has to share in this passage. We'll see other things as well: that the reign of Christ makes use of unlikely means. He is perfectly capable of co-opting good Jewish boys, Roman legions, official communiques, and due process of law to serve His people, and thus to advance His reign.