“I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”— Luke 4:43 NKJV …Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”— Mark 1:14-15 NKJV
In the history of the world, there’s been many kingdoms or empires great and small such as the kingdoms of Egypt, Persia, Greece, Babylon and Rome. These kingdoms, some lasting for a few years to several hundreds of years, were established and driven by human, economic and political ambition and sometimes the display of excessive power. The kings of these kingdoms were often known for opulence lifestyle, excessive hunger for power, dominance and sometimes open defiance of the true living God.
A quick google search reveals there are 43 sovereign states in the world today with a king as the head of state including United Kingdom.
I have been thinking about what Jesus meant by “the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven” as sometimes referred to in the gospel of Matthew. I marked in my Bible everywhere the phrase “the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven” appeared and have been gradually studying these scriptures with interesting revelations.
While thinking about these phrases, several questions have been playing on my mind. For example, talking about a kingdom means there must be a king. Assuming God is the King of this kingdom Jesus talked about, where is the kingdom located? How can one identify the kingdom of God? Is it a literal physical kingdom or of spiritual nature? Is the kingdom here right now or futuristic? What exactly is the kingdom of God like? What are the practical realities or characteristics of the kingdom? Who are the citizens of the kingdom and what are the entry requirements into the kingdom?
The Israelites knew about prophesies about a coming kingdom to be established by God. One of those prophesies was by Daniel – “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.” Daniel 2:44 (ESV)
During Jesus’ time on earth, the pharisees, religious leaders and many Jews were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the kingdom of God. One of those people was Joseph of Arimathea – “Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” Mark 15:43 (NKJV)
Jesus preached the coming of a new era of God’s eternal rule which is marked by the closeness of the kingdom of God to the people. In fact, the very physical presence of Jesus Christ brought the kingdom of God near to the people and to us!
We will discuss more about Jesus’ ministry in the next blog.
Stay blessed and Happy Easter,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 