Luminous Mystery Research Paper

We covered many covenants in this semester and after learning about each of these covenants we learned about the luminous mysteries. I think that there is a really good connection between the Covenant with David, and the luminous mystery of the Proclamation of the Kingdom. In the covenant with David God promised him a son, Solomon, and that his son would also be God’s son. God said that they would have a special relationship, his son would build him a temple, and God would establish his kingdom forever. He also promised that he would never turn away from him and if he should ever sin, God would discipline him but never turn away from him. This is shown in 2 Sam 7 12-17"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your
seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him…” This quote connects a lot to the proclamation of the Kingdom because although it speaks of Solomon these promises are all later fulfilled by Jesus. Jesus became man and was the son of God, he established the kingdom of God here on earth that will last forever, and God’s mercy will never leave Jesus. However God needed Jesus to proclaim the Kingdom of God to help us understand that is within us, this is shown when Jesus says,"Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand."My kingdom is not of this world.”, "Unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.", "Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter into it.", "I have come to call sinners, not the just.", "Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.", "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.", "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.", "Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." What Jesus said here shows us that the Kingdom of God isn't waiting for us, it isn't coming, it is already here, it is within us, it is anywhere that God’s will is done. When Jesus showed us this he established his eternal kingdom within us, he built God’s temple, the church, he fulfilled the promises God made with David. This is why Jesus is also known as the Son of David, he will rule over us and at the right hand of the father his kingdom will have no end. We learned that Jesus predicted his crucifixion long before it ever came up, he wanted us to know what God was doing for us, he wanted us to be ready for life everlasting with the Father, this is why God predicted the proclamation of his kingdom long before Jesus’ birth. God needed to send his son here to help us understand that we shouldn't be looking for the Kingdom of God, but instead seeking God and doing his will because the Kingdom of God is in our neighbor, it is in the poor, in the hungry, we should help one another so that we may carry out living in the Kingdom of God and have eternal life with God, even after death. This is shown in John 3 5-8 “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c]must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” In sum The proclamation of the Kingdom and the covenant with David are very connected because in the covenant with David, God predicted the coming of his son and his eternal kingdom. God predicted the proclamation of the Kingdom, he wanted us to know that as long as we carry out his will we will live with him eternally.