This is the reading of the Last Will and Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Last Will and Testament? What is this all about? You mean Jesus has left us something - He left an inheritance? Yes, an inheritance! How could that possibly be? Jesus didn't have anything. He roamed the earth. He had nothing. He had no place to lay His head.1 Luke 9:58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." He didn't have a place to go sleep. He had nothing! And He's going to leave us something? That's not possible is it?2 Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
Maybe the reason we don't understand is because we have earthly and fleshly minds.3 Romans 8:5-7 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. The people of the earth, what do they leave? They leave things. They leave boats, cars, houses, clothes, furniture. All of us understand what those things are don't we? You can see them, taste them, feel them. But Jesus didn't have any of those things. He had something else. He had something we can't see. He had something that was more real, more everlasting. That car? It will eventually fizzle out. It will end up in a junk pile. That house? It won't last very long. It will decay, it will be leveled to the ground. Those clothes? Ah, they tear and eventually we throw them away. The furniture? It becomes dingy, stinky, moth-eaten. We have to take it to the dump some day.4 Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Jesus has something to give all of us, something that never perishes, never wears out - THE KINGDOM.5 Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Oh yes, you say, "The Kingdom is coming, it will be here someday, maybe a million years from now." I tell you - no. I tell you that Jesus has already given His Last Will and Testament. It was given at the Lord's Supper. It was His Last Supper before His death.6 Luke 22:15 Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." You see, He had a Kingdom. He brought it with Him. He received it of His Father. And He was to pass it on to those who will inherit the Kingdom.
Now who was the first to receive this Kingdom? Those who stood by Him in His trials and tribulations.7 Luke 22:28 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials." It was the twelve apostles, and they received it at His Last Supper. He read His Will and He handed the Kingdom over to them.8 Luke 22:29 "And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me." It's recorded in the scriptures9 Luke 1:1-4 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. - at Luke, Chapter 22. Read it. He hands the Kingdom over to the twelve. And what do they do? They argue about how they're going to divide the Kingdom up amongst themselves. Who is going to be the highest?10 Luke 22:24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. Who is going to be this? Who is going to be that? It was quite a heated discussion - you should have been there. This wasn't just a simple meal. These people were arguing over their inheritance!
Jesus corrected them. He said, "This Kingdom is not like the Kingdoms of the world, don't you understand? My Kingdom is not of this world!11 John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." This Kingdom is different. You are not to be like the Gentiles. You are not to lord it over one another. I want you to do exactly the opposite. For those who desire to be the highest, I want you to serve. I want you to be servants of all.12 Luke 22:25-27 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves." That is how My Kingdom works. There is no other way. I've already taught you all you need to know about the Kingdom of Heaven. Have you forgotten my Sermon on the Mountain?13 Matthew Chapters 5, 6 and 7. I gave you instruction - not on the ways of the old kingdoms of the world - but on the Way of our Kingdom. This Kingdom is different from all the other kingdoms. The Kingdom is a looking glass. Look at the world and it will tell you how our Kingdom runs, because we are on the other side of the looking glass. The world runs their kingdoms by hate. We run ours by love. They run theirs by oaths.14 Matthew 5:33-34 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne." We run ours by 'Yeas' and 'Nays.'"15 Matthew 5:37 "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
The Last Will and Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ was handed over to the twelve at the Lord's Supper. He gave it to them, He made them aware. It is documented. He was the first born of many.16 Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. He received the Kingdom from the Father and He passed it on to His followers. Not to just anybody, but only to those who stand in trial and tribulation17 Luke 22:28-29 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me." - to those who stand until the end - they shall receive the Kingdom. The Kingdom is ours. It is our inheritance.18 Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.