Over the past several months, we have been going through the introduction and seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, one by one. I hope you have found this exploration of the Lord’s Prayer as meaningful in your faith life as I have in mine.

In many respects, I was once again carried back to those days when I was privileged to teach confirmation classes as a parish pastor. I always enjoyed going through this section of the Catechism with our young confirmands.

But our trip through the Lord’s Prayer is not yet over. We still have the conclusion to talk about. So today we progress still one step further, and find ourselves focusing in on these concluding words:". . . for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen."

I am certain that all of you, at one time or another, have heard the story about the King of England and the first time he heard Handel’s Messiah. It is reported that when the orchestra and choir finally reached that part of Messiah that we have come to know as the "Hallelujah Chorus," the King was so moved by this glorious piece of music that he rose from his seat and stood. As the audience noticed what was happening, they one-by-one also rose to their feet. Needless to say, this is why when Handel’s "Hallelujah Chorus" is sung yet today, you will usually find the audience rising to its feet.

Well, I need to tell you that these closing words to the Lord’s Prayer have always been for me the "Hallelujah Chorus" of the Lord’s Prayer. Now I recognize that Matthew, by the inspiration of God, includes these words in the Lord’s Prayer, and Luke, by the same Spirit of God, does not. Evidently, our Lord taught this prayer to His disciples and followers in both formats.

I am personally happy that these words are included in the Matthean version. For to me, these 14 concluding words are filled with great meaning when it comes to the Lord’s Prayer.

Let’s take just a moment to look at them.

First, there is the statement, "for Thine is the kingdom...." Without a doubt, our God is not just the one and only true God, He is also the Lord of lords and the King of kings. There is none greater than He. And in this Lord’s Prayer, as the King of kings, He has granted to us the unique privilege of coming and placing before Him the needs and concerns for ourselves and our loved ones in this most perfect of all prayers.

Second, it says, "for Thine is the power...." Whenever I hear this phrase, a whole raft of Scripture texts and events immediately begin to parade through my mind.

In the Old Testament, I think of such events as God’s creation of the universe, His parting of the Red Sea, and His protection of Daniel in the lion’s den. In the New Testament, I think of still one after another event in the life of Christ when He clearly showed forth His almighty power in healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, restoring the lame, and in giving sight to the blind.

I also think of such statements of our Lord as, "all power is given to me in heaven and on earth." To think it is this God who now has given me the privilege to come before Him with still one after another petition is very impressive.

And then the third phrase, "for Thine is the glory...." I suppose it is this phrase especially that, like the English king, would bring me to my feet.

"Thine is the glory." You can almost hear in those words the angelic choir beginning to sing forth the praises of God. You can almost see still one after another earthly choir of believers rising to their feet to join in this song of praise. From the east and from the west, from the north and from the south, this song of praise to our great and glorious God continues to grow to an almost deafening crescendo.

As all this happens, we find ourselves beginning to rise to our feet and join in this great declaration of praise. "For Thine is the glory."

With that, then, come the three words, "forever and ever." I really like the way the original Greek puts this. It is ... "into the age of the ages." A lot of things will come and go in this old world of ours, but one thing will never change. it is the fact that ours is a God who forever and ever will be King of all, the almighty saving God, the One to whom all glory forever belongs, forever and ever.

Often after a choir has finished singing the "Hallelujah Chorus," the people as they stand there listening will break forth in a long and extended applause. And as we come to these concluding words of the Lord’s Prayer, standing before our great and glorious God in honor and respect, our hearts also break forth in loud and extended applause. Truly, ours is a great and glorious God — forever and ever.

And we say, "Amen," meaning, "may it be so." Yes, may it be so, for truly ours is a great and glorious God — forever and ever. Amen.

God bless always!

Jude 24-25