At the beginning of our studies of the Kingdom of God, we recognised the significance of the fact that Jesus began His ministry with the words ‘Repent for the Kingdom of God is near’ (Mark 1:14,15) and went about ‘preaching the good news  [Gospel] of the Kingdom’ (Matt.4:23). We can also note that Jesus ‘spoke about the kingdom’ to the Apostles just before His Ascension (Acts 1:3), and the Apostles, in their turn, preached the kingdom (Philip in Acts 8:12; Paul in 19:8 and 28:23).

·     By his teaching Jesus Christ was preparing the people for the right kind of King and the right kind of Kingdom. Mark 10:45  

So what is the Kingdom? Where is it? What is it like? Is it just for the future when Christ returns? Who are members of it? How does anyone enter it? We will answer these questions from the New Testament. (Matthew says Kingdom of ‘heaven’ so as not to offend Jews, who would not use the word ‘God’)  

Let’s examine some key statements:  

1.  Jesus the Christ is the King of the Kingdom. In the Jewish context Jesus announced himself as the realization of all Israel’s hope (see Luke 4:16-21); the fulfilment of the covenant promises made to the patriarchs of the Old Testament; and that the new and final order has arrived in Him.

He accepted the adoration of the people when the right time came (John 12:12-16, 20-23). In vs.20-23 what is Jesus’ point?

In the OT it was ‘thus says the Lord’ - in the NT it is ‘But I say unto you’. Matt.5:21,22,27,28. (Jesus like a new Moses) .

Jesus fulfils all the OT kingdom images, promises and foreshadowings, not necessarily literally, but in a new and different reality.

2.  The Kingdom is not a new (earth-bound) social order, a Utopia; it is primarily………….. .......(at least for now, see later point). Consider the conversation between Jesus and Pilate in John 18:33-37. But the Kingdom is both spiritual and  ………………………. John 3:3 and 16. 

  3. Jesus is the personification of the Kingdom – Luke 17:20,21 (‘among you’). Jesus is the Kingdom. ESV= GNB=NASB= ‘in your midst’,  

·        Following the pattern we have used to specify the Kingdom of God in the OT, we can now see that the title GOD’S PEOPLE becomes focussed into GOD’S PERSON.

          Jesus is the true Adam: the (only) human being who lived perfectly. Rom.5:18-21.   

          Jesus is the true seed of Abraham through whom and by whom ‘all the peoples on the earth will be blessed’ Gen.12:3, Gal.3:16.

          Jesus is the true (new) Israel. Matt.4:1-10. In his temptation, Jesus resisted satan by quoting scriptures from the early chapters of Deuteronomy in which old Israel was tempted and failed. But where the old Israel failed, Jesus was victorious. Jesus kept the OT Law perfectly.

          Jesus is THE Son of David. In 2 Samuel 7:14 God said of the new King who was to come ‘I will be his Father and he shall be my son.’ Jesus claimed ‘I and the Father are one.’ (John 10:30)(Rom.1:1-4).

           Jesus taught with remarkable authority eg Mark 1:22          

·     These identities of Jesus establish him as the Head of this new race of people who are united to him by faith. So whoever is ‘in Christ’ is ‘a new creation’ (2 Cor. 5:17) ie belongs to the new order of which Christ is Head¹. We enter the Kingdom by being incorporated into Christ, Rom 8:1 ‘in Christ’.  

·     In like vein, in the OT pattern we spoke of GOD’S PLACE. Jesus fulfils all the OT ideas of Eden (perfect fellowship with God), the Promised Land  (rest for his people), the new temple (where God’s presence is with us) (John 2:13-22).  

·    Jesus announces that the inauguration of the Kingdom (the opening of its door to those who believe) is imminent with power (the resurrection) (Mark 9:1). Christ opened the Kingdom by his sacrificial death (‘the curtain in the temple was torn in two’ Luke 23:44-46), resurrection to life (conquering the grave) and ascension to God’s right hand. In him the great future has become ‘the present time’. The kingdom has come and yet is still to come in its fulness……. In Jesus the future has started.  

4. The Kingdom is a ............................... reality:

Note the past, completed tense in Col.1:13,14.

In essence, the phrase Jesus used ‘the kingdom of God is near’ meant  ‘Now I’m here’!

Jesus tells his disciples that they are looking at it and hearing it! Matt.13:11,16,17. It is already here, to be seen in what Jesus can do Matt.12:28.

Jesus’s miracles are signs of ‘another reality’ from the one we experience on earth.

Jesus’s presence has brought the sovereign rule of God to earth.

In Jesus the Kingdom of God has broken into the realm of satan (Matt.4:10, Luke 10:17,18).

The Kingdom is relational 1 John 1:3. It is to do with creating a new relationship between God and man and the creation.

5. And the Kingdom is a .................................reality:  

·     The coming of the kingdom in its fullness will be a great gathering of believers from every nation, age and generation Luke 13:29, and will be accompanied by judgement; read Matt.25:31-33. 1 Cor.15:22-28.

·     The final complete coming of the Kingdom – called the Day of the Lord – will be a cataclysmic event 2 Peter 3:10-13 – finally fulfilling the prophecy of Is.65:17.

·     The New Testament regards the 1^st and 2^nd Comings of Christ as ONE salvation event. We liove ion the time in-between. See 1 Cor.10:11b. Christ need do no more towards our salvation - it is already all done. ('it is finished') The believer already has by faith now what he/she will experience by sight then. 1 Pet.3-5  The Christian feels the tension of ‘the now and the not yet’.

6.  How to enter the Kingdom:  

·     To ‘enter the kingdom’ is the same as ‘being saved’, and ‘inheriting eternal life’. Luke 18:18,25,26… or as we say ‘becoming a Christian’.

·     No-one is a member of the Kingdom by virtue of any aspect of his/her humanity. We are not included because of our birth or our heritage; not by our religious observance (not even by our baptism – Eph.2:8,9) nor church affiliation, not by our lifestyle nor goodness. Phil.3:4b-9….

·     ….but by a conscious, deliberate and personal act of repentance for sin (Acts 17:30) and submission to Christ as Saviour and Lord (Acts 2:38; 16:30,31; 20:21).

·     To ‘enter the Kingdom’ is to put our faith and trust in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, on our behalf, for our forgiveness and reconciliation to God and to abandon any other means by which we may be trying to obtain or add to God’s acceptance, even our own attempts at goodness (Is.64:6). 

·     To enter the Kingdom of God demands a commitment to live for Christ - Matt.11:28,29, - or die for Christ Mark 8:34-38?

·     The door to the Kingdom is narrow (Matt.7:13). Only Christ is the way in (John 14:6). There is no other way – no philosophy or religion.

·     Our entrance into the Kingdom demands a change in our legal status before God. Before submission to Christ we stand condemned (John 3:18) for our rebellion against God’s rule, but after submission to him  we are acquitted – Rom.8:1,2. [The doctrine governing these matters is ‘Justification by Faith Alone’ and is considered elsewhere].  

7. The Characteristics and the Lifestyle of the Kingdom  

·     In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5-7) Jesus describes, not how to behave to qualify for the kingdom (as some think), but how to live when you are already in it. (The Ten Commandments were not given in order for Israel to be accepted by God. He had already adopted them Ex.19:5,6)  

·     Jesus explains some vital characteristics of the kingdom through parables in Matthew and Mark. (The table below answers the challenge set in the article 'KYBB -parables of the kingdom'. Click here to go to it.

·     8. The characteristic lifestyle of the Kingdom is holiness Look up the following verse: Lev.19:1,2; Rom.12:1; 1 Cor.1:2; Eph.1:4; 1 Thess.3:13, 4:7; 2 Tim.1:9; Heb.10:13,12:14 and assemble a summary of what they say.

·     Holiness is purity of life, in line with God’s own moral perfection.

·     The achievement of holiness in the life of the believer is a life-long process. It is called ‘sanctification’. 2 Thess.4:3a,7,8.

·     The sanctification of the believer is achieved by active co-operation with the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1:2, Rom. 12:1,2.

·     The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to the believer when he/she becomes a Christian – Acts 2:38.

In summary: the Kingdom of God in the life of a believer is the spiritual sovereignty or rule of God brought to bear by the Spirit of God using the written Word of God.

1.    With thankful acknowledgements to a very good book  'Gospel and Kingdom by Graeme Goldsworthy p.93, Paternoster Press, Exeter.' 

** ** To find the Article 'Union with Christ' which helps to understand what it means to be 'in Christ',  go to http://matthiasmedia.com/briefing/2011/06/union-with-christ/

  Your notes

Mark 10:45 =the mainspring of the Kingdom

 Now the Gentiles are looking for him!

Spiritual and Redemptive

He was referring to Himself

Hosea 11:1

 Matt.2:13-15

The concept of being 'jn Christ' is very important indeed. Paul frequently uses it to describe the status of the Christian. Go the this article ** to understand more, see below.

present

1 John1:3 is a very important verse. Try to appreciate what it is actually saying - the believer is drawn into fellowship with the Godhead!

Future

Notice the use of 3 expressions by Jesus and the disciples, all meaning the same thing.

Even if we cannot point to a time or event when we first put our trust in Christ for our salvation, we must ask ourselves now 'is that what I am doing now?'