And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭23‬
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

When thinking about the kingdom of God coming with power, many people have different ideas as to what that looks like. Some look mainly to the 2nd coming of Jesus, at the end of this age. Others, like the Jews in Jesus’ time, saw this coming of the Messiah as mainly an earthly power, to free them from their conquerors.

Jesus was clearly referring to some other type of kingdom, with a different kind of power here. Paul talks about this power and kingdom in Ephesians in our parallel verses. In order to access this power the eyes of our heart must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Along with and intensifying this power, we gain incredible hope and a galactical inheritance that is beyond any earthly riches.

So what level of power do I gain by following Jesus? It is the same power that: 1) raised him from the dead after he was crucified, dead and buried for three days, and 2) elevated Jesus to commander of all things, in every way, for all of time.

What a great power! Even if it is different than many imagined, it is infinitely greater. And here is the important point of Mark 9:1 — this kingdom began after Jesus’ resurrection. Otherwise, some of those standing with him would not have seen it. We do not have to wait until his 2nd coming to be actively engaged in his kingdom and filled with his power. We can and do have access to it today!

Lord, thank you that I am a child of the King today, by accepting your free gift of salvation. I want to follow you with my whole heart. Open the eyes of my heart wider, I pray. Then I will see, participate in, and taste the power of your kingdom in bigger and better ways!