The Kingdom of God – Part 1

By Phil Wood

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." – Matthew 4:17

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. – Matthew 4:23

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

"...I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." – Luke 4:43

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. – Luke 9:1-2

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go..."When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'" – Luke 10:1, 8-9

"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...'"  – Matthew 6:9-13

Many of the great minds of Christianity throughout the ages, including modern sages like Dallas Willard, have observed that when Jesus walked the earth, perhaps more than anything else, he came as the kingdom bringer. After all, Jesus himself said, "that is why I was sent."

Whether that is a revelation to you, or something you've thought about many times before, I believe this has relevance for our world and things that are going on right now. Let me explain.

A simple definition I've heard for the word "kingdom" is: a place where the will of the king is done. By extension, then, the kingdom of God is a place where God's will is done.

Jesus modeled what it looks like to live in a kingdom where the will of God is always done. Always.

In the Sermon on the Mount he described the kind of people who dwell in the kingdom: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted because of righteousness. (Matthew 5:3-10)

Also included: people who are the salt of the earth (the ones who keep their saltiness, anyway); and people who let their light shine before others, that they may see their good deeds and glorify their Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

He also gave us some pretty good insights into the kind of people who will not enter the kingdom.

"...Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

...He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." – Mark 10:14-15

Jesus went to a lot of trouble to explain what the kingdom is like. It's like a mustard seed. It's like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour. It's like a treasure hidden in a field, like a pearl of great value. Each of these descriptions is worth a whole devotional in and of itself. And if this COVID thing goes on much longer, maybe I'll write one for each.

In fact, there is a whole lot about the kingdom of God that I feel compelled to share. But for today, my points are these, as illustrated by the Scriptures above.

            1.  Jesus is all about the kingdom, and the kingdom is all about Jesus.

            2.  We are called to demonstrate the kingdom of God in the world.

            3.  The kingdom of God is vastly different from the kingdoms of the world.

In Streams of Living Water, Richard Foster calls it "an alternative social vision – a vision of an all-inclusive people, gathered in the power of God, filled with the love of God, and empowered to do the works of God." 

It strikes me that he's saying the kingdom of heaven is social, not political. It's a way of living within whatever the political system may be. It will only be accomplished by Jesus Christ working through the hearts of people like you and me. 

In the kingdom, Jesus says we are to "bless those who curse you," "love your enemies," "lend, expecting nothing in return," "do not judge," "do not condemn," "forgive," "give." (Luke 6:27-38)

I don't see a lot of this in the news these days. But that's just the bad news. The Good News is the kingdom of God is near.

More to come.