Photo by Smitha Basil George: ‘On the way — The Journey’

A Nobleman’s Journey and a King’s Return — Part 1

Authored by Smitha Basil George under the complete direction and guidance of God, the Holy Spirit, dated February 21, 2024.

The Return

The return of a person whom we love and long for, is a great reason for celebration. The days leading up to the person’s return will be very exciting for those who are waiting. During these days, those who are waiting will be thoroughly engaged, making sure that things are ready and at the disposal of the person when they need it, and making all arrangements to provide them with a warm and loving welcome. On the other hand, if the person returning is not someone whom we don’t want to associate with, or whom we know that we are sure to displease by our conduct and preferences, then that person’s return would be an uncomfortable event. If the one who returns has received power and authority, that will accentuate the waiting person's degree of joy and preparations, or on the other hand the fear of return. When the returning person is the King of the universe Himself, for those who are longing for His return, there is every reason to be exultant, and for the ones who are against Him, every reason to be terrified.

This is a two part article series, walking through the journey of a Nobleman as told by Lord Jesus Christ, and as depicted in Luke 19: 11–27 of the Holy Bible [1]. The first part covers the journey of the Nobleman to a far away country to receive a Kingdom for himself, and the second part covers the return of the Nobleman as a King and what can be expected for his servants and citizens upon His return.

Scriptures for detailed study [1]:

1. Isaiah 53
2. Jeremiah 3: 17
3. Luke 19: 11–27
4. John 1, 16
5. Acts 1–2
6. Romans 8
7. 2 Corinthians 5: 21
8. Ephesians 5: 25–27
9. Philippians 2: 8–11
10. 2 Timothy 2: 11–12
11. Hebrews 2, 4, 9, 10

The Nobleman’s journey to receive the Kingdom

In Luke 19: 11–27, Lord Jesus, towards the end of His public ministry ([2] a three and a half years of time within the window of 26 AD — 33 AD), told His disciples a parable of a nobleman going to a far country to receive a Kingdom. The disciples thought that the Kingdom of God established by Jesus Christ on earth would be coming shortly at that time. Also, He was then closer to Jerusalem, and they knew that He as the Lord would be reigning from the Throne at Jerusalem according to the scriptures that they already had (Jeremiah 3: 17 — “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.”).

However, according to God’s plan of salvation, before establishing the Kingdom of God on earth, human beings had to be delivered from their sins first. Sinful man couldn’t be present with God, since God’s holiness would consume sin and its holders. Because of this, a sinful human being would need to stay separated from God, in a condition otherwise known as death, and in eternal sense, hell. Because every human being commits countless number of sins during their lifetime, they would eventually have to remain in this state of eternal separation from God. No amount of good works can neutralize a human’s countless sins, and God’s justice demands punishment for every sin. Moreover, any good work done with an intention to neutralize a sin, eventually becomes another sin, because the intended motive is not the good work in itself, but an escape from the punishment of the sin.

Jesus, who was one with God, the begotten Word of God the Son, came down in the form of a human being with the very intention of saving human beings from their sins & sinful nature, and their subsequent separation from God, by destroying the sins of the human beings, by putting those to death, and eternally erasing those from the record of them who transfer those over to Him. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” — 2 Corinthians 5: 21. With the death on the cross after suffering extreme torture, Jesus paid for all of mankind’s sins with His life and blood, took the punishment for every sin, thus destroying those once and for all. “By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” — Hebrews 10:10. Also since He had no sin in Himself, He could defy death and could come back to life — Acts 2: 24 — “whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

While speaking the parable of the nobleman’s journey (also known as the parable of 10 minas) to the disciples, Jesus knew that He would accomplish the above, at the end of His time of public ministry on earth. He had a long journey to make. Following His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to heaven, He started the transformation (Acts 1–2), of those who repented of their sins and received His atonement for themselves, by sending the Holy Spirit of God over to them, starting on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1- 4).

Mission of the Holy Spirit of God

Reiterating a few of Jesus’ words on the mission of God’s Holy Spirit:

John 16: 8–15

“8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

The Holy Spirit of God is the One who guides those who have decided to live as a new creation for Jesus Christ — the members of the body of Christ or otherwise known as the Bride / the Church of Christ, in the path of transformation to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8). Even while we are weak, or when we do not know what the will of God for us in any situation is, or what we ought to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, according to the will of God for us, because He knows both God’s heart and where we currently stand with respect to that. Also when He guides us into all truth, and when we surrender our will to follow His guidance, we will start to overcome our own sinful nature, in our road to be fully redeemed to Christ’s nature, as God originally intended us to be. From the Day of Pentecost (during 30–33 AD), the Holy Spirit is performing this transformative action upon the Church of Christ, who already has come in this path up to approximately 2000 years (would be completing 2000 years in the window of 2030–2033 AD).

The Office of Jesus Christ as High Priest

The transformative work of the Holy Spirit is being done at the same time when Jesus Christ is in the presence of God, the Father, advocating for us, as a High Priest. The high priest, according to the Levitical Law that God gave to the Jews through Moses, could enter the earthly tabernacle’s Most Holy Place of God only once a year, and only with the blood of unblemished sacrificial animal(s) which was/were sacrificed to cover for the sins (animal blood would never erase human sins though), of himself and of all the people on behalf of whom he is pleading God’s mercy for (Hebrews 9: 7). But Jesus, with His sacrifice on the cross, atoned for the whole mankind’s sins once and for all, and entered into the Most Holy Presence of God in heaven as a High Priest for the whole mankind with His own blood (Hebrews 9, 10).

Hebrews 4: 15–16:

“15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

All 4 Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and Isaiah 53 give details on the life of Lord Jesus, from the time of His birth in a stable in Bethlehem to the care of Joseph — a carpenter and Mary, till He gave His Spirit up on the cross. He faced and endured every trial and temptation that a human being could go through on earth. He had no clean place to be born, His parents had to run for His life to Egypt to escape Herod’s massacre of male babies under two years old, He needed to care for His big earthly family as the eldest Son, suffered diseases, faced the temptations from devil at the beginning of His public ministry, suffered very frequent interrogations, tests and revilement from religious leaders, betrayed by one of His own disciples, was falsely accused and witnessed against, underwent a very unfair trial, was shamed and mocked worse than a criminal, and finally suffered excruciating torture and death on a rugged cross, while not sinning in thoughts, words or actions the whole time.

He knows what it means to be a human, and understands any pain or temptation that a human may go through in their lifetime. So He advocates for those who have given their lives over to Him, before the Father God and thus helps in the time of our weaknesses, in our journey towards complete redemption from our sinful nature. When we are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and clothed in His righteousness, God the Father sees Jesus when He looks at us, and through Jesus, we can enter into a Father -> child relationship with God the Father. We are thus elevated from the position of a mere creation heading towards separation from God, to a child who has a close relationship and inheritance with God the Father. This is what is highlighted when Apostle John wrote in John 1: 12–13 — “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.

From the time of Jesus’ ascension to heaven to the right hand of God the Father as our Lord, Christ and our High Priest, He is continuing this transformative action on His Church. Because He remained sinless and obeyed the Father till the death on the cross and thus accomplished the redemption for the whole mankind, manifested in His Church, God elevated Him above all kingdoms, dominions, powers and principalities, of the whole universe, and made His Name above all names.

Philippians 2: 8–11:

“8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Thus the nobleman has received His Kingdom, and is refining and transforming His body — the Bride / the Church to be on His side, as He rules and reigns in His Kingdom over the earth:

2 Timothy 2: 11–12a: “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him”.

Ephesians 5: 25–27:

“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

The nobleman’s return as the King of the earth, and what can be expected by His servants and citizens are covered in the next article — ‘A Nobleman’s Journey and a King’s Return — Part 2’.

References

1. The Holy Bible, https://www.biblegateway.com/ , New King James Version
2. Compelling Truth, as retrieved on 21st February, 2024 from https://www.compellingtruth.org/length-Jesus-ministry.html