A Closer Study of the Lord’s Prayer: Part Two

NOTE: This is the second in a series of study articles on the Lord’s Prayer. See the first article here and the introduction to the series here.

by John Kreutzwieser

Thy kingdom come / Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Jesus taught His disciples to pray for the kingdom of God to come among the people of God’s creation so that God’s will could be done among them.

What is God’s kingdom? The kingdom of God is the Lord’s rule and reign over His creation, and especially over all people in Christ (see Colossians 1:13-14).

The Triune God has reigned over all creation since the beginning of time (see Psalm 99). However, the kingdom of God is not fully experienced among us because of sin (see Genesis 3:22-24). The Book of Genesis reminds us that all was right and good at the beginning and that the will of people was aligned with God’s purposes for humanity (see Genesis 1:26-31). The fall into sin disrupted that alignment (see Genesis 3:1-19). God’s will was no longer done on earth (see Genesis 6:5 and Romans 1:18-32).

Jesus Christ came to this earth to restore the kingdom among people and enable God’s will to be done (see John 1:9-13 and Matthew 4:23). This has a present and a future dimension.

The present aspect of the kingdom is experienced among Christ’s people in Word and Sacrament. Jesus Christ has all authority by His resurrection from the dead (see Matthew 28:18). The kingdom has truly begun as Jesus is enthroned in the heavens and is the rightful Lord of the earth (see Revelation 5:1-14). This occurs now whether we pray for it or not. As Martin Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism, “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that the kingdom of God may come to us also.” As people in a fallen world, we need to have the reign of Christ continually enter our lives. This happens when we encounter God’s Word and Sacrament (see Luke 17:20-21). The kingdom of God is experienced in the present exclusively through the work of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 14:17). We need to pray daily for the kingdom to come to us.

The present aspect of the kingdom is experienced among Christ’s people in Word and Sacrament.

The future aspect of the kingdom is the actualization of God’s reign in the resurrected life of the new creation when Jesus Christ comes as the Lord of all at the end of time (see Matthew 25:31-34 and Daniel 7:13-14). As Revelation declares, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). There is a dimension of this prayer—“Thy kingdom come”—that is a plea for the future life in the new creation. As Jesus said, “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20).

We also pray for all the people of the earth that they might receive God’s kingdom in Word and Sacrament now through the Holy Spirit’s work in the Church (see 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 and John 6:51). For it is only by the Word and Sacrament that anyone can begin to do God’s will. All people need God’s kingdom to come to them so that they can live as the Creator’s intention was for human beings.

The will of God is for all people to live under the rule of the Son (see John 6:40). Through the guidance of God’s Word (see 2 Timothy 3:16) and strengthened by the Holy Sacrament human beings can begin to follow God’s will (see 1 Corinthians 11:26). By faith in Christ, we have the freedom to make God pleasing decisions in our lives as we live out our vocations in the world (see James 1:5).

Since even Christians do not follow God’s will perfectly on this earth (see 1 John 1:8-9), we continually cry for the kingdom to come among us (see Galatians 5:16-18) and enable us to live in God’s will, as do the heavenly beings.

The angels in the spiritual realm always live in the will of God (see Psalm 103:19-21). We pray that this may happen more and more in our lives and in the life of every person on earth. We pray that the kingdom, in the Word and Sacrament, become crucially important in our lives so that God’s will can be done (see Hebrews 10:19-25). We pray for our families, our communities, and all in the world that they all may desire God’s kingdom and regularly receive His precious gifts. We are praying that all may come into the Church and experience God’s kingdom both now through faith and in the new creation to be actualized in the future.

The only way that God’s will can be done on earth is if people are guided by the Word and strengthened by the holy body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament. May that take place, blessed Lord. We pray for this every day in the Lord’s Prayer.

———————

Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser is pastor emeritus of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Print this article