In the Gospel of Mark, the first words Jesus speaks are about the kingdom:
“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come’ he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
The kingdom of God lay at the heart of Jesus’ message–a message that encompassed both restoration and revolution. No longer would the world labor under the weight of Satan’s fraudulent authority. Rulers would no longer suppress God’s own people. The true king had come, and setting up his new regime meant overthrowing and replacing everything that stood in its way.
And yet, the mystery of this kingdom that Jesus now revealed was a different sort of kingdom. Jesus didn’t seem interested in political power or bloody revolution. The kingdom he preached was a different sort of kingdom–a kingdom where the proud were lowered and the humble were exalted. A kingdom that belonged to the persecuted, the weak, and the poor. This kingdom spread like yeast through dough and grew like good seed in a field choked by weeds. It was a kingdom worth sacrificing for, a kingdom that those who sought it would give up all they had to possess. Yet it was also a kingdom that required repentance to enter. In the end, only those who did the will of the Father would find their way through the narrow doors of the kingdom gate.
Jesus preached this kingdom, but he also showed what it looked like. This kingdom Jesus proclaimed was a place where sinners were forgiven, the dead were raised, and the sick were healed. It was a place where storms were calmed and there was enough bread to go around. This kingdom was worthy of celebrating, and the poor, the lepers, the sinners, and the unclean were all invited to join in. The kingdom Jesus proclaimed was the kingdom where God truly reigned–a kingdom defined not by geographic boundaries but by the allegiance of our hearts.
This then, is the kingdom we now possess and the kingdom God has sent us to proclaim. Over the next few months I want to explore the theme of the kingdom in the gospels, looking particularly at the parables, symbols, miracles, and ethics Jesus used to explain the kingdom. It’s going to be an exciting journey, and I hope you’ll join me.
Q: What does the kingdom of God mean to you? How does it impact you to be a citizen of this kingdom?