Seeing the Kingdom

I tell you the truth: there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

About eight days after these words, He took along Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men were talking with Him—Moses and Elijah. They appeared in glory and were speaking of His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.
(Luke 9:27-31 HCSB ©®)

These three men saw something of the Kingdom of God in the idea that Jesus was about to accomplish His death. Death was not about to take Him. Death was not going to overwhelm Him, so that He had to surrender to it. He was about to invade death and take its power and its authority (keys) to exercise that power. He was going to move by His Spirit on the leaders of the nation to create the situation in which He could offer Himself as the Lamb of God, and take away the sin of the world.

He purposefully left the side of His Father to be crucified at the side of a thief. He received what He left the throne to obtain. You.