Why is it so significant? Where is the Kingdom of God, and how do we enter it?
The significance of the Kingdom of God
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Why is the kingdom of God important?
The Kingdom of God was so central to the preaching of Jesus Christ that the “Kingdom of God” you could say is like the catchphrase in Jesus’ preaching.
Jesus was always talking about the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Heaven and the Gospel of the kingdom. In particular, the synoptic gospels are filled with texts about the kingdom of God. In the New Testament the phrase ‘the Kingdom of God’ occurs 66 times in 65 verses. The phrase ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ occurs in 32 times in 31 verses (in Matthew only).
Mark1:14 The thrust of the word for kingdom means the reign of a king, or that which the king reigns over.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. This was a new day a new beginning for mankind, a new opportunity to enter the KoG.
The Kingdom of God vs The Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Compare this to
Luke 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Most bible scholars think the phrases kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are interchangeable although there is a difference in the Greek phrases. The reason scholars think they are the same are,
1. Only Matthew uses Kingdom of heaven and that he was trying to avoid upsetting his Jewish readers by constantly mentioning the name 'God'.
2. Matthew`s usage parallels that of the other Gospel writers i.e. it is used to say the same things (as above example in Matthew 13:33 vs Luke 13:20).
The Kingdom of Heaven is a kingdom from heaven, not heaven itself, not a kingdom in heaven. God reigns supreme in heaven. Heaven is the locus of His authority, the point from which he rules the universe. The words “of heaven” then are referring to the origin of this Kingdom. It is the place from which the Kingdom is coming, not a destination to which we are going.
Where is the Kingdom of God?
Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Thus, it is a fundamental truth for each born again believer that the kingdom of God means the rule of Jesus Christ is within you.
v20+21 Jesus’ answer was that the kingdom of God was not coming in the manner the Pharisees were expecting. The kingdom would not be inaugurated with spectacle or splendour; there would be no great and magnificent messiah leader (on his white horse) who routed the Romans; rather, the kingdom would come silently and unseen, much as leaven works in a batch of dough (see Matthew 13:33). In fact, Jesus says, the kingdom had already begun, right under the Pharisees’ noses. God was already ruling in the hearts of a few people, and the King Himself was standing among them, although the Pharisees were oblivious to that fact.
V21 This means his kingly rule should be in each and every part of our lives, spirit, soul and body on the throne of our hearts.
There are three common interpretations of Jesus' words in Luke 17:21 regarding the kingdom of God being 'within you (or among you)': 1) the kingdom of God is fundamentally internal, residing in a person's heart; 2) the kingdom is accessible if you make the correct decisions; and 3) the kingdom of God is present among you through Jesus' person and presence. It appears to me that the most compelling interpretation is the first, suggesting that Jesus was initiating the kingdom by transforming individuals' hearts one by one.
Amen
Personal Prayer
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