And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
—Mark 9:1
The first mark of the kingdom of God, the church, is that Christ is King. Christ and John had both preached that the kingdom of God was “at hand” (Matthrew 3:2; 4:17). In Mark 9:1 Christ said that the kingdom would come in power during the lifetimes of some who heard Him. That could mean nothing else but that when He, as King, had ascended the throne of the Father, the kingdom would be revealed in the hearts of His disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the kingdom of heaven, God’s will was always being done; in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s disciples would do His will on earth as it was done in heaven.
The characteristics of a kingdom can be seen in its king. Christ now reigns on the throne of the Father. There is no external manifestation of the kingdom on earth; rather, its power is seen in the lives of those in whom it rules. It is only in the church, the members of Christ, that the united body can be seen and known. Christ lives and dwells and rules in their hearts. Our Lord Himself taught how close the relationship would be: “At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20). The faith of His oneness with God and His omnipotent power would be next to the knowledge that they lived in Him and He in them.
This must be our first lesson if we are to follow in the steps of the disciples and share their blessing. We must know that Christ, as King, dwells and rules in our hearts. We must know that we live in Him and by His power are able to accomplish all that He wants us to do. Our lives are to be entirely devoted to our King and the service of His kingdom.
This blessed relationship to Christ means, above all, a daily fellowship with Him in prayer. The prayer life is to be a continuous and unbroken exercise. It is in this way that His people can rejoice in their King and can be “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37) in Him.