The Gospel of the Kingdom
Matt 4:23
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people
Ben Hur, Gladiators – epic Hollywood blockbusters depicting the glory and grandeur of the Roman Empire. But not only the glory and the grandeur – also the excesses and evil that resided under this government.
The Roman Empire, captured in the classic 6 Volume historical tome by Gibbons, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, is synonymous with might, power and cruelty. Described in biblical prophecy as the kingdom represented by legs of iron in the image of Daniel 2 and by iron teeth in the beast of Daniel 7.
And certainly, the Roman Empire lived up to this reputation. Sweeping across England, Europe, Asia Minor and the Middle East, it consolidated its territory, eliminating all opposition with a ruthlessness that was unparalleled in any nation before it – surpassing the might, glory and cruelty of the Babylonian, Persian and Grecian empire that had preceded it.
And into one of the remote provinces of this empire, ruled by corrupt governors and ambitious collaborators, comes a rabble-rousing, hairy, camel-skin-wearing, fearless preacher declaring – “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Mt 3:1).
And to the gates of the courts of the king and the governor, his message resounded. Up to the temple where his message shook the colossal pillars. Down to the humblest mud-plastered, flat-roofed dwellings in the rural towns where hard-pressed subjects of the Roman government – taxed into poverty by corrupt tax-collectors who doubled their burdens by fleecing the citizens of Israel through the taking of a generous portion for themselves; becoming rich, opulent and despised – all the way to these pitiful peasants, his message was heard:
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”: an alternate kingdom that would, in their minds, overthrow the Roman Empire – to be replaced by the Kingdom of God.
The Roman oppressors were used to periodic uprisings – zealots and freedom fighters that were determined to throw off the yolk of Roman oppression. But with every uprising, the Roman soldiers would respond ruthlessly, ensuring that the threat was quickly, violently and effectively quelled. Blood would flow and the crosses outside Jerusalem would be raised to display the trophies of war –serving as a stark reminder of the fate of those who stood up to the Roman occupying forces as they suffered an excruciating and lingering death.
But this was a different rebellion: the Roman and Jewish spies warily observed as its leader proclaimed the imminent setting up of a new kingdom: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
Its leader was standing waist-deep in the waters of the Jordan river, inviting the citizens to come to be baptized; its leader was denouncing the sins of the religious leaders, calling them a “Brood of vipers . . .!” Mt 2:7; its leader was equally fearless in denouncing the excesses and corruption of the court of King Herod; its leader was proclaiming that he was but the forerunner of Someone whose sandals he was not worthy to carry – a revolutionary leader proclaiming the coming of a greater Leader; One who would be even more revolutionary than him; One who would usher in this new Kingdom – the kingdom of heaven.
And one day, John the Baptist – the rabble-rousing, bearded preacher; the voice crying in the wilderness – sees the Leader coming in his direction; the One whom the Jews had been waiting for; the One whom the prophets had written about; the One whom they, for centuries, had sat around campfires talking about in hushed tones; the Messiah that they had been praying for; the One who would deliver them from the Roman yolk of oppression; the One who would re-establish the throne of David that would exceed the glory days of Solomon; the One who would usher in a reign of peace and prosperity. The One whom they called The Christ; the One whom the angels declared would be called Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins.”
And so John calls out in words that resounded over the hills of Judea; that echoed through the halls of the palace of Herod; that rumbled through the temple in Jerusalem; that chillingly reached the ears of the governor and was passed on to Caesar; words that shook the very foundations of the gates of hades and caused Satan and his minions to tremble; “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
And thus began the ushering in of a new Kingdom – the Kingdom of God. The ushering in of a new regime lead by a fearless freedom fighter. And as with other freedom fighters, he was not afraid to stand up to the leaders of the day – radical, unconventional, controversial.
Standing up in the synagogue of His hometown, He bravely and controversially read from the scrolls of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are oppressed: . . .” and then declared: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Lk 4:18-21.
His hearers – His homeboys; His fellow townsmen; possibly even His relatives – were so incensed, that they tried to kill Him.
Radical, unconventional and controversial – see Him striding into the temple (not once, but twice), plaiting a whip from some rope and overturning the tables of the merchants in the temple courts, driving them out as money, animals and birds scattered in all directions.
Radical, unconventional and controversial – see Him facing the religious leaders of His day, denouncing them as white washed tombstones – looking good on the outside, but filled with dead bones.
Radical, unconventional and controversial – see Him commanding a lame man to get up, take up his bed and walk – and that on the Sabbath day; instructing the man with the withered arm to hold it out, and before the astonished spectators, to proceed to restore the arm to perfect normality – again on the Sabbath; calling the blind Bartemaeus over and then telling him to as his sight is restored; standing before the tomb of a friend who had been dead for four days and telling the bystanders to open the grave – and then to raise him from the dead!
See Him bending down to scribble in the sand, exposing the sins of the leaders of the day; see Him rising and declaring to the prostitute - neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.
See Him reclining at dinner with a woman of ill repute sobbing over His feet, drying them with her hair, pouring perfume over His head.
Radical, unconventional and controversial – see Him entering Jerusalem on a young donkey, with His followers surrounding Him with palm branches, knowing full well that this alluded to being crowned as king and ascending to the throne of David.
But even more radical, unconventional and controversial – listen to Him as He traverses the mountains of Judea and the hills of Galilee; as He sails on the sea of Galilee and walks amongst the olive trees on the mount overlooking Jerusalem; as He sits in the temple declaring that the Kingdom of God is at hand:
His radical, unconventional and controversial statements ring down through the eons of time to our day:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth . . .” Matt 5:5
“Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Vs.11,12
“Love your enemies, . . . do good to those that hate you . . . pray for those who . . . persecute you. “ vs 44.
“Return evil for good; turn the other cheek; when your coat is demanded from you, give your overcoat as well; when you are falsely accused, keep quiet.”
This is the radical, unconventional, controversial message of the Kingdom of God.
A radical message proclaimed by a radical Messenger – radical, because it went against the conventional wisdom of the day; radical, because it provided hope to the hopeless; courage for those in despair; and salvation for the undeserving.
And today that message is still radical. The message of the Kingdom of God cuts across every natural instinct of society; it breaks down cultural norms and counters the philosophies that shape our thinking.
It proclaims that every person has worth because they have been created in the image of God;
It proclaims that God is a God of love and rules His Kingdom with justice, fairness and mercy;
It declares that God created each one of us to enjoy eternal fellowship with Him;
It reveals that, even though Satan, as a parenthesis in history, has appeared to gain dominion over this world, it is only a temporary situation – before long, normal service will resume, with all of the universe living in harmony with God in a perfect environment, free of pain, free of sorrow, free of death, free of heartache, free of tears, free of sin, for the former things – the things of the kingdom of this world – would have passed away to be replaced by the Kingdom of Heaven.
It demonstrates that, even though we have rebelled against God because of our sinful nature and choices, He was willing to die on the cross of Calvary; to take the punishment of our sins. And this He did in order to give us the opportunity to repent of our sins, to be forgiven and to receive the mercy and grace of God.
This is the gospel of the Kingdom; the good news proclaimed by Jesus Christ as He walked on this earth declaring – the Kingdom of God is at hand. A radical, controversial and unconventional message!
This is the good news that He declares, “will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matt 24:14
It is this gospel – this good news – that is being declared today to each one of us: the news of Jesus Christ who came to this earth, died for us, was resurrected and ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God where He makes intercession for our sins; the news that soon, and very soon, He is coming back to this earth to fetch those who have accepted the gift of eternal life that He offers to all: it is this gospel of the Kingdom – the good news of salvation – that Jesus came to proclaim when He was on this earth and it is this same good news that is being offered to each one of us today
