Category: Illustration

Purchaser | Possessor | Potentate

Jesus Christ stands as the divine Purchaser who, through His sacrificial death on the cross, redeemed humanity from the bondage of sin and death, paying the ultimate price with His own blood to buy back what was lost in Eden (1 Peter 1:18-19). As the Possessor, He claims ownership over those He has redeemed, sealing believers as His treasured possession with the Holy Spirit, ensuring their eternal security and inheritance in His realm (Ephesians 1:13-14). In His eternal Kingdom, Jesus reigns supreme (Potentate) as the King of kings, the sovereign Lord who establishes justice, peace, and righteousness, inviting the faithful into intimate fellowship and authority under His rule (Revelation 19:16, 1Timothy 6:15). For the believing Christian, this unfolds as a profound progression: first, embracing redemption as purchased slaves set free from sin’s tyranny; then, surrendering(regeneration) to His possession as beloved children adopted into God’s family; and ultimately, advancing to co-heirs and co-rulers in His Kingdom, where faith matures into eternal reign alongside the risen Christ, transforming earthly pilgrims into victorious participants in His divine glory (Romans 8:17; Revelation 5:10).

PURCHASER – Redemption – Accomplished at the Cross (SAVIOUR)

• 1 Peter 1: 18-19. Purchased with the precious blood of Jesus
• 1 Corinthians 6: 20. Bought at a price
• Revelation 5: 9. His blood purchased us from every tribe, language and nation
• Acts 20: 28. Bought the church with His blood
• Ephesians 1: 7. Redemption through His blood

POSSESSOR – Regeneration – Working of the Holy Spirit (LORD)

• Acts 20: 28. Redemptive ownership
• Romans 8: 1, John 17: 6-12. Spiritual union
• John 10: 28-29. Protection and Guidance
• Ephesians 1: 18. Covenant relationship
• Romans 10: 9. Jesus as Lord of His People
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Not your own anymore
• For further study: John 10:14-16, 27-29, Ephesians 1:13-14, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9, Matthew 28:18-20

The Greek word κύριος (kyrios) is commonly translated as “Lord”, “master”, or “owner“, ”possessor” in English. It is frequently applied to Jesus, emphasising His divine authority, ownership, and lordship, particularly in His relationship with His people. In the Old Testament “kyrios” translates YHWH (Philippians 2:9-11 cites Isaiah 45: 23.) underscores Jesus as the divine Possessor whose lordship extends to all creation including His people in the present age.

POTENTATE – Reign established (KING OF KINGS)

1 Timothy 6:15. “which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,”.

Potentate is a word to describe Jesus Christ’s role in the future kingdom rule. It signifies a ruler with supreme power and authority, aligning with His depiction as the sovereign King in God’s kingdom, emphasising His ultimate dominion and leadership in the Messianic Kingdom. This term captures His role as the authoritative ruler who will govern with divine justice, righteousness, and power, as described in Revelation 19:16 and Isaiah 9:7.

Application:

• Believers belong to Him, not to themselves or the world, shaping their identity and purpose (Galatians 2:20).
• His ownership provides assurance of salvation, as no one can “snatch” His people from His hand (John 10:29).
• His possession calls for a response of faithfulness, as His people are set apart to reflect His character and mission. (1 Peter 2:9).
• We are being prepared for a greater purpose. “Be aware”, “Be faithful”, and “Endure to the end”.

To grasp the whole truth, one needs a 33 K view.¹ I chose 33,000 feet for it’s a term used to express the big picture. From a spiritual point, it is the kind of view, God has of the world and how He is working everything according to His plans and purposes. The sort of “grand scheme of things”. If I were to ask the question, what is it all about, or what is God’s grand plan ? What is He actually doing ? What would be your understanding or response ? Of course, the follow on question is how does it matter to me or do I really care? I pose this not only to the ones who don’t know the truth but also to one’s who know Him. It is paramount to both and has eternal but different outcomes. This may take more than one post, so bear with me and come on this journey to explore the grand plan. I did debate in my own mind whether to start this discourse straight from the top or to start small and build it up. I have chosen the former, as we often can get lost with the little things and miss out on the big picture. So will start with the big picture or the 33K view. Curious? In the next few episodes we will explore and examine this truth including the “small print”. Interestingly the 33K view is from Psalm 33!

1. Psalm 33: 13-14 ↩︎