March 29, 2024

  • The Kingdom of God

    The Kingdom of God

    According to the gospel, Jesus began His ministry with His baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17); (Mark 1:9-11); (Luke 3:21-22); (John 1:29-34); (Acts 1:22, 10:37). However, it was until after Herod put John in prison that Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God against the social system imposed by the Roman Empire  supported by the religious leaders of Israel. As Jesus was preaching the gospel, His message was:.... the good news about the kingdom of God, saying, “the time is fulfilled, and the "kingdom of God is at hand." Repent, and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:4-5). All His people will repent of their every sin and turn their hearts to God, ever having believed that they could do anything to satisfy God’s justice and be obedient enough to merit God’s favor (2 Timothy 2:25).

    The phrases “fulfilled” and "at hand" have connotations of both the present and the future. The phrase is “fulfilled” means “this is the time.” Because when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21), in your heart indeed. And the phrase the kingdom of God is “at hand” means drawing near announcing the time in which “the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15). Jesus proclaimed “The time is fulfilled,” a new order has been established in which God governs His people righteously and mercifully. For Jesus, the coming of the kingdom was imminent; the process leading to the establishment of God's kingdom on earth had already begun.

    The synoptic gospels show that the proclamation is the good news of what God is doing and will continue doing for mankind and our salvation through Jesus Christ. It was told before it was written down. Although dominant, the kingdom motif is significant in all the Bible. The kingdom of God aims to Christianize the entire world system. Not only must the individual give allegiance to Creator God in Jesus Christ, but the customs, mores, and laws which have been contorted by the influence of Satan must also be Christianized. Ethics and morality thus become part of the proclamation of the kingdom of God. Jesus’ living in the kingdom teachings included living a distinctive kind of life. Jesus said, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

    In Jesus Christ, God has broken into the world to initiate a rule that will never be destroyed. With the coming of Jesus Christ the word "kingdom" began to designate God's distinctive reign in His Son. In Jesus Christ, God established a sovereign rule which would never be destroyed. Jesus was born during a time of great Messianic expectation. Some Jews believed that God was about to fulfill the messianic prophecies by sending the Messiah to sweep away the wicked kingdoms of human sovereignty and fill the earth with righteousness. But Jesus did not come to destroy the wicked kingdoms of this world but the kingdom of Satan. Although the coming kingdom could not fulfill earthly Jewish expectations because Jesus Christ's kingdom was not "of this world" (John 18:36), messianic anticipations served to draw thousands to hear John the Baptist and Jesus proclaim the imminence of the kingdom. These expectations were part of God's timing in preparing the world to receive his message.

    The kingdom of God is seeing in the Ministry of Jesus Christ. As Jesus taught, warned and called to the doctrine of God the Father (John 7:14-18). Originally, His teachings and warning were to correct the political doctrine of the different religious divisions of the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees (Matthew 16:11-12) and the Samaritans, the foreign people residing in Israelite land and later to all the nations of the world (John 4:9). He preached concerning the Sabbath (Mark 2:13 – 3:6), murder (Matthew 5:21-26), adultery (Matthew 5:27-30), marriage (Matthew 5:31-32; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18), vows (Matthew 5:33-37), retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42), love (Matthew 5:43-48), and piety (Matthew 6:1-18), etc. Jesus’ teaching "pervades the entire proclamation of the kingdom of God" recorded in the gospels and appears to have determined the course of His ministry." The kingdom of heaven message is the single most comprehensive concept in the synoptic gospels. It touches on every major facet of the Gospel.

     

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