God’s Kingdom: the Power and the Glory

God’s Kingdom

If you’re like me, when you memorized the Lord’s Prayer, you ended with “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.” This ending is called a doxology: an expression of praise to God. The doxology brings the prayer full circle, beginning and ending with God’s kingdom.

Footnotes and Brackets

Now take a moment and read Matthew 6:13 in your Bible. Unless you have a King James’ version, you may be in for a surprise: either this doxology is missing (NIV) or it appears in a footnote (RSV, GNT). The Voice places brackets around the doxology. Why? Because this ending to the Lord’s Prayer isn’t in the oldest manuscripts. Scholars disagree when the doxology was added, but it appeared two to four hundred years after it was first written down. Footnotes and brackets aside, most people still pray this ending to the Lord’s Prayer.

Easter People

What better way to live as Easter people than to remember the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever?

• the Kingdom: When Pilate questioned Jesus about his kingdom, Jesus replied that his kingdom did not belong to this world. His purpose was to speak about the truth (John 18:33-37). As Easter people, we remember the truth Jesus brought–that God loved the world so much that God gave God’s only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not die but have eternal life. (John 3:16).
• the Power: At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the devil tempted him to use his power for his own gain. Jesus refused (Luke 4:1-13). Instead Jesus used his power to heal. When the unnamed woman who suffered bleeding for twelve years touched his cloak, Jesus felt power go out of him (Luke 8:43-48). As Easter people, we remember God’s power heals.
• the Glory: After Crucifixion came Resurrection. After shame, glory. As Easter people we say with joy, “The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son” (John 1:14).
• forever: We think of forever as being the future, but forever goes back to the Beginning, back to when the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1). And forever is now. Now is the kingdom. Now is the power. Now is the glory.

Amen.