“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom”.Matthew 4:23. Jesus’ first coming was to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God and pay the penalty for mankind’s sins. When sharing the good news of the gospel a lot of people leave out the topic of God’s Kingdom. In this article, we look at why God’s Kingdom is good news for humanity and more specifically, what Jesus said about God’s Kingdom.
Why is God’s Kingdom good news?
The world that we live in seems to have so much potential for beauty and goodness in its very design, yet in reality, it falls so far short. All we have to do is turn on the TV to hear of wars, starving children, high school shootings, floods, earthquakes, famines, terrorists etc. When faced with this reality, we are left wondering what hope there really is for our world. This is why the promise God gives us of the return of Christ and the establishment of his Kingdom on earth is such good news! Jesus is coming back again, and with him he will bring peace, and evil will be completely wiped away. No more wars, starving children, high school shootings, floods, earthquakes, famines, terrorists etc.
When will God’s Kingdom come?
In a sense it is already here; in another sense it is still coming! Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught his disciples that the coming of the Kingdom would happen in two stages:
First Stage
Luke 17:20–21, is a clear statement that Christ’s own coming is the coming of the kingdom.
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
When we accept Jesus the King of Kings to come and live in our hearts, (Ephesians 3:17) he brings his Kingdom with him. In the light of that truth, we have to be intentional about letting Jesus shine through us, whenever we are interacting with people from all walks of life so that they get a taste of the King and his Kingdom. Matthew 5:16
The more we let Jesus shine through, the more people will want to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour and the more his Kingdom will expand throughout the earth.
Second stage:
The Kingdom is here, but not fully. Jesus still needs to come back, a second time, to fully establish his Kingdom on earth. The Bible says that Jesus will come again a second time (although nobody knows when – Mark 13:32). The Bible advises us to be spiritually prepared for his coming and to put our trust in God that He will make everything right in the end.
Who can be part of God’s Kingdom?
Paul writes in Romans 10:9 that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When we put our faith in Christ and declare him Lord, God rescues us from the “domain of darkness” and considers us to be part of “the Kingdom of his beloved Son”. Colossians 1:13
The Kingdom of God is open to all peoples.
Although the Old Testament is all about God’s relationship with the Jews, the Kingdom is for all people, not just ethnic Israel. Matthew 24:24, Galatians 3:27-29
What is the purpose for God’s Kingdom?
Why did Jesus teach us to pray “Your Kingdom come”? Matthew 6:10
To destroy evil. The destruction of Satan’s stronghold has already been guaranteed through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection from the dead. (1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14-15, Colossians 2:15) Satan hasn’t been completely destroyed, Paul calls him the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4); but at the right time, Satan, as well as his demons, will be thrown into hell forever (Revelation 20:10). Satan’s influence, his deception, and his evil works will be eliminated and destroyed.
To bring peace on earth: Finally, all creation will experience God’s peace when Christ returns to set up his everlasting Kingdom. As Isaiah says,
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 9:6,7
What does it mean for us?
Jesus pinpointed this central message in the heart of his most famous sermon—the Sermon on the Mount. He made a statement about what should be the highest priority for his followers:But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, emphasis added)“
Our first priority is to put God’s Kingdom first in our lives. Also, since we know of such a great King and Kingdom, we must declare this news to all the nations because the Lord is King over all the nations. Everyone needs to hear this news because it applies to them. It is about them. It is for them.
One response
Thank you John for encouraging us to live fully according to the Word of God and to share the gospel of God’s kingdom to all we meet, those who backslide, the unchurched and continue to remind our family of this!