Jesus made several interesting statements regarding the Kingdom of God, and as we have studied previously, He even tells us to seek the Kingdom of God first, and all the other things would be added to us.
Yet if you ask the typical believer what the Kingdom of God is, many of them will struggle to give an answer. Simply put, most people aren’t sure what the Kingdom of God is. How can we seek for something if we don’t know what it is? How do we know when we’ve found it, if we don’t know what we are looking for?
Today we are going to answer these questions. We will begin by examining what Jesus said about the Kingdom of God; we will begin to form a picture of what the Kingdom looks like, and then we will see what it actually is, and we will see an amazing picture of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us, and what he has Given to us.
So today we are taking a look at the Kingdom of God, and as mentioned Jesus spoke about this subject in a variety of ways, all of which somehow demonstrate the love of God for us, His character, and His power (which we will later see has been granted to us, as the title of this study suggests).
The scripture which I quoted in the opening, is from Matthew 6:31-33, and in it Jesus tells us to seek the Kingdom of God first, and everything else will be added to us. Let’s first begin by reading these verses:
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”
These sayings of Jesus are familiar to many people, yet at the same time, many do not notice this subtle clue regarding the Kingdom of God in verse 33 – seek first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness. We’ve seen this before in some of our previous studies, but it is important to realize that it is His Righteousness (God’s Righteousness) that is the focus here. Jesus was not referring to the righteousness of man; indeed man has no righteousness of his own; but the righteousness of God, His Kingdom is what Jesus tells us to seek. Keep this fact in mind as we continue.
Now as has been mentioned, if we do not know exactly what the Kingdom of God is, or what it looks like, it becomes very difficult (or even impossible) to seek for it, and this has been the struggle for many who have been honestly trying to seek the Kingdom of God as Jesus instructed, but it is a search for the unknown, because they have no real idea of what they are looking for.
So let’s start focusing in on this issue, because Jesus gives us another clue about the Kingdom of God in Mark 1:14-15:
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the gospel.”
What we can see here is that after Jesus was done being tempted in the wilderness, He went to Galilee and was preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Now that is very interesting! And notice what He says in the following verse: Repent (change your thinking, change your mind) because the Kingdom of God is at hand.
To be “at hand” is to be near. And so Jesus is telling people, to change the way that they think, because things have changed, the Kingdom of God has now come near.
What did He mean by that? Well, let’s gather some more information by the interactions of Jesus with the Pharisees, as Jesus’ casts out a demon in Matthew 12:22-28:
“Then was brought to him one possessed with a devil, blind, and mute: and he healed him, so that the blind and mute both spoke and saw.
And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come to you.”
This account here, gives us some very useful information regarding the Kingdom of God. A man was brought to Jesus, who was blind and unable to speak (due to a demon in this case). Jesus cast out the demon and healed the man. This should be a cause for rejoicing, however the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub the prince of demons.
And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts (a truly divine act) explains to them that a Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand – a statement which has since gone around the world, you heard it here first by Jesus.
What we are really interested in here though is the final statement made by Jesus in verse 28:
But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come to you.
So what we can see here is that the Kingdom of God is both connected with power (the ability to cast out demons, and to heal), and also connected with the Spirit of God, which we already know is a Spirit of power (2nd Timothy 1:7).
Knowing this also gives us some insight into why Jesus said from our original scripture in Matthew chapter 6, that we should seek the Kingdom of God first, and everything else would be added to us – because the Kingdom of God is connected with power, as we have just seen.
The Pharisees, of-course did not receive that insight, and continued to reject and despise Jesus, and eventually we see this in Matthew 21:42-23:
“Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
Therefore say I to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
Here, Jesus cuts right to the heart of everything, and plainly says that by their continual rejection, the kingdom of God will be taken away from them, and given to a people that will bring forth its fruit.
This again gives us another vital piece of information regarding the Kingdom of God. We see that the Kingdom of God is connected directly to accepting Jesus!
So what have we learned about the Kingdom of God so far?
- It is of Supreme importance, if we seek it first, everything else will be added
- It carries power with it. The power to deliver, and the power to heal
- It came near when Jesus began His ministry, and He preached the Gospel (good news) of it
- It is directly connected to receiving Jesus
- Those who reject Jesus will lose it, and it will be given to others who will bear its fruit
Knowing all of this begins to bring the picture into focus of what the Kingdom of God actually is. When Jesus then sends the seventy out, and gives them this very interesting charge as His disciples, in Luke 10:8-12:
“And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them, The kingdom of God is come near to you.
But into whatever city you enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
Even the very dust of your city, which sticks on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be you sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come near to you.
But I say to you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.”
So again we see the Kingdom of God connected both with healing power, and with the message.
So what exactly is it?
For the answer, let’s now read Romans 14:17:
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
And there we have it, my friends! The Kingdom of God, is not found in rituals, observances, traditions, clean and unclean foods, or anything of the life – but the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit!
And now we can see how all of the scriptures we have read today, and all of the things Jesus said and did, all connect with the Kingdom of God, and the New Covenant which He Himself has ushered us into. Because it is His finished work, that has made us new creations, completely righteous, completely holy, and has given us divine peace and joy in Him.
It is His finished work which has given us His Holy Spirit, which is a Spirit of power, love and a sound mind, as we have seen today as well.
I encourage you today my friend, to step into this new identity, to fully embrace it and to take your rightful place in the Kingdom of God, as dearly beloved children and heirs according to the promise.
Jesus Christ has redeemed you fully, and given you back the place of honor that you were always meant to have. He has finished the work, and welcomed you home.
You need not wait for anything else to happen, it is done! All is accomplished!
Be blessed.