Jesus bestowed a kingdom on those who continued with Him. Specifically, He was dealing with the disciples here. This will lead us to a burning question: Is the kingdom in question present or futuristic? There are two clues that will suggest that the kingdom is not obtainable at the moment. Firstly, when Jesus was about to depart, He left no paraphernalia of an earthly kingdom behind for the disciples. There was no army or judicial system. There was neither a money vault nor a landed estate. When they asked Him if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel then, He told them that it was not their duty to know when the Father had reserved for that. The second clue that this kingdom was not present then (and even till now) is that the modern day Israel is diffused, and the tribes are not being judged individually.

Loyalty is cardinal in our walk with God…Anyone who will take their place in God’s eternal kingdom must do so through steady allegiance – both in the easy times and the hard ones.

A crucial point of our meditation is to consider the basis for appointing a kingdom for them. It was because of their loyalty. Loyalty is defined as unswerving allegiance. The result of loyalty, as our text points out, is the bestowment of a kingdom. Loyalty is cardinal in our walk with God. Israel was accused of adultery on many occasions because they shifted their affection to the gods of the heathens. The disciples provide us with the template of steadfastness. They did not have a full understanding of the Master, His teaching or way of life, yet they stuck to Him. Anyone who will take their place in God’s eternal kingdom must do so through steady allegiance – both in the easy times and the hard ones.