THE KINGDOM OF GOD - Christmas Focus
ILLUSTRATION
A great European king was so enraged at the report of Muslim victories that he immediately joined the crusade to drive Islam out of Palestine. This great king took his army and spent many years fighting in a crusade to free Palestine from Islamic domination.
When he left for Palestine, the king clearly instructed all his subjects and tenant farmers to continue serving as if he were still residing in his castle. Some of the people respected the wishes of the king and diligently performed their duties, thus continuing to share their bounty with the king. Many of the people, however, began to lose interest in their work. They grew lazy and the longer the king was gone the more careless they grew in their attitude toward the king. Eventually they began to ignore the existence of a king and some even went so far as to claim that he had already been killed in battle. These people refused to support the king in his crusade.
When the king eventually did return, he found the castle and town in a state of disrepair, the tenant farms were in deplorable condition and his wife had moved in with his brother. Luckily for the king, he had not returned home alone but at the head of a powerful and battle seasoned army. Every person who had refused to support the king by properly caring for that which had been left in their charge had their property taken away and they were expelled from the kingdom. As for the king’s wife and his brother, they were both sentenced to the gallows.
Once the king had put his affairs in order he immediately held a great banquet. To this banquet the King invited all the tenant farmers, merchants and craftsman who had remained loyal to him. When everyone had eaten and drank their fill the king ordered the chief steward to bring forth all the treasures the king had brought back from his crusade. The people were in awe! The treasure was immense: almost beyond believing. The king then stood and raising his hands he motioned for silence. The king spoke: “this is the treasure I will share with the men who fought beside me in the Holy Land; and not to them only, but also with all my loyal subjects who remained steadfast to the standards of my kingdom, they to shall also be given a portion of this treasure.
KINGDOM OF GOD
This Christmas season we have been focusing on what the birth of Jesus meant to this world and all that inhabits it. We have examined who Jesus is; we sought to understand the reality of God incarnate and Jesus’ role as the Messiah; and we especially looked beyond the babe in the manager by looking to the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. Today we want to honor the birth of the Christ Child by examining His Kingdom.
This day we celebrate the birth of King Jesus: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are celebrating the birth of a King who reveals God’s love for us in His willingness to suffer and die in a sacrifice that provides us with eternal life. We celebrate the fact that the birth of Jesus made the Kingdom of God attainable for all who would bow to the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ.
1. Kingdom – In general we use the term ‘kingdom’ to denote the physical territory that falls under the sovereign authority of one man: the king. It is also possible to use the term ‘kingdom’ in reference to the extent of the king’s authority or the sphere of his influence.
2. Old Testament Kingdom – In the Old Testament God made a covenant with the Israelites and established His Kingdom plan with them. God setup a royal priesthood and had the people build a place for His presence: Tabernacle and then Temple. The intention was for God to be the ruler of the Hebrew nation and the Hebrew nation would bring the Kingdom of God to all mankind.
3. New Testament Kingdom – In the New Testament, the Greek word ‘basileia’ is generally translated as kingdom. It is often qualified with the addition of one of the following words: God, Heaven or Christ. The term ‘basileia’ is an abstract noun, which is used in the New Testament to denote sovereignty, a temporal reign and a permanent system of authority, especially as they relate to God’s relationship with mankind. In other words, in Jesus, God established a temporary system of His authority here on earth; and He will establish an eternal place and system of authority when Jesus returns.
GOD’S KINGDOM BEFORE JESUS
God chose the Hebrew people and established His plan for an earthly Kingdom with them. God told Moses: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6) God labored very hard to turn the Israelites into a holy nation; God went so far as to establish an earthly dwelling place among the Israelites. Yet, even with the temple of God being built in their presence the Israelites still refused to keep their covenant with God.
God will not, however, put up with rebellion. In His time, He will punish those who turn against Him and disobey His ordnances. That is why Jesus told the Priests and Pharisees: “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” (Matthew 21:43) Jesus also said: “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12) Jesus made it very clear that the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the Jews and that it would be given to a people who would produce Kingdom Fruit.
GOD’S KINGDOM RIGHT NOW
Jesus came to earth as a man child and when His time was fulfilled He established the Kingdom of God here on earth. Now, we know that the present earth has been given over to the influence of Satan, which is why so much of creation is in rebellion against the authority of God. Natural disasters, sickness, death and the wickedness of mankind are all the result of Satan’s influence; they are not acts of God. Thus, we cannot say that the earth itself is the Kingdom of God but we can say that the Kingdom of God is on the earth; the Kingdom of God exists on earth through the Body of Christ: the church.
1. The Kingdom of God was introduced to mankind with the preaching of John the Baptist; the ministry of Jesus revealed the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God, here on earth, came into full power at Pentecost.
• In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2)
• 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.” (Luke 17:20-21)
• When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2: 1-4)
• … To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6)
2. The Kingdom of God, here on earth, can only be seen and experienced through the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Kingdom of God is said to be a mystery to those who are lost. It is a mystery because it cannot be naturally experienced but is only spiritually discerned.
• To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
• And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, … (Mark 4:11)
• The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
• Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith — to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27)
3. The Kingdom of God, here on earth, is a spiritual kingdom and we can only enter this Kingdom through the Spirit.
• Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
• Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
• For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)
• From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12)
4. We do not enter the Kingdom of God just because someone tells us we have been saved. Entrance into the Kingdom of God is not controlled by the sinner’s prayer, church membership, baptism, speaking in tongues or any other ritual performed by man. We enter into the Kingdom of God because we have been born again, which is evident because we have died to self-interest and been reborn as a true servant of Jesus, who is both our savior and our Lord.
• As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)
• But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
• “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
• Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
GOD ’S KINGDOM IN THE FUTURE
The kingdom of God here on earth is temporal but when Jesus returns the Kingdom of God will be eternal. When the old universe is rolled up like an old garment and a new universe is unfolded the Kingdom of God will exist in perfection and full glory.
• Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5 11)
• When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:31 32)
• I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: … The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:1,18)
CONCLUSION
In the Garden of Eden, mankind rebelled against God; they lost eternal life and they also lost the right to have an intimate relationship with God. Because of His love for mankind, God established a covenant relationship with the Hebrew people and through this covenant brought a plan for a Kingdom to earth. The Hebrew peoples could not abide by their covenant relationship with God and thus God sent His son to earth, where He established a new temporal kingdom. Those who are truly born again, as demonstrated by their obedience to all that Jesus taught, are given the right to enter the temporal Kingdom of God. When this age is ended and the old universe is done away with God will create a new heaven and a new earth and establish an eternal kingdom of God. Those who have been given the right to live in the temporal Kingdom of God will inherit the right to live forever in the eternal Kingdom of God.
