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“What Is Unlocked in the Kingdom?” — Week 4
By Dr. Su Vining, Family Ministries
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 16:19).
Why would we want those keys of the Kingdom? What if I give  you a key today and tell you that you can have whatever it unlocks? What if I further tell you that it will unlock a car? My guess is that you would come with excitement and anticipation. What if you find out that the car turns out to be a ’69 Ford Falcon with a rusted-out body and cracked windshield? My guess is that your excitement would greatly diminish. So, what is so great about these keys of the Kingdom? I will tell you that you won’t be disappointed with what they unlock. Why should we long for the keys of the Kingdom?
- They give us power and authority to act on behalf of the King. We have His authority to lock and unlock. A Jewish custom in the temple was that those who became keepers of the Law would receive the key to the closet within the temple where the sacred books of the Law were kept. There would be tablets upon which to write. That person had been given the authority to teach and interpret the Holy Scriptures. Peter was given the authority to preach and open the door of salvation on the Day of Pentecost. He unlocked the truths of Christ and 3,000 sinners walked through the unlocked door. He locked out deceit from the temple with Ananias and Saphira. At the house of Cornelius, he unlocked the truths of salvation to the Gentiles. Christ left those early disciples with great power. We have been sealed with a price and have His power and authority at work in our lives.
- We are given protection from the Enemy. It was the duty of the king to provide for the protection of the manor from the enemy. The medieval kingdom was responsible for the safety and well being of its inhabitants. Knights and soldiers were sent to guard the manor. Part of Christ’s handing over the keys is to lock out the forces of the Evil One. He prays in John 17:15 that God would “keep and protect them from the evil in the world.”
- We have daily provisions. The keys to His kingdom assure us that we will be provided with what we have need of. We will lack for nothing when we have those keys. He truly supplies all of our needs.
- You can enter the presence of the King. In Medieval Times, no one was allowed to enter into the presence of the king without a formal invitation. Most of the time, only the nobility classes were allowed in the inner sanctum of the castle. The serfs and peasants were seldom given permission to have an audience with the king. Although we are unworthy of entering His presence, He has mercifully given to us the keys of the Kingdom and invited us into His presence.
Conclusion: An almost absurd tradition in Medieval Times was the use of something called a whipping boy. A prince selected a young peasant to live in the castle to serve the purpose of being his whipping boy. Every time the prince misbehaved, the whipping boy was brought in and punished on behalf of the prince. It was unlawful to punish a prince, so punishment was carried out by trading places with the whipping boy.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Prince of Peace became the whipping boy for the slaves of this world. His willingness to trade places with us for crimes He had not committed unlocked riches to His kingdom that we did not deserve. He freely gives us the keys of His kingdom.
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