The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is one of the main themes throughout the Bible - God's rule, reign, power, and authority are made evident throughout Scripture.

When God made humans in His image, some of that authority was entrusted to man. He gave humans the responsibility to to rule over the Earth (Gen 1:28). In John 20:21, Jesus says, "The same way the Father sent me, now I send you."

God always intended for a "kingdom of priests" to point the nations back to God - in the Old Testament, we see that in Israel (Ex. 19:6), and in the New Testament, we see that in the Church (1 Pe 2:9). However, throughout Scripture, humans have taken the power and authority that God gave them to bless and serve others and instead chose to live for self. The Biblical narrative culminates in Jesus coming to fulfill prophecies about a coming kingdom that would be comprised of people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation... an eternal kingdom (Dan 7:13,14).

Jesus' primary message throughout His life was "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Mt. 4:17). He preached the Kingdom of God through parables and sermons as well as demonstrated the Kingdom of God through miracles, power, and showing His love for the "least of these".

Jesus sent His 12 and 70 disciples in groups of two to proclaim and live out the Kingdom of God as well (Mt 10:6; Lk 10:9). At the end of his life, Christ told his disciples that all authority on Heaven and earth had been given to Him and then commissioned them to go out and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19,20). He mentioned that once the Gospel of the Kingdom had been proclaimed among all the nations, then the end would come (Mt 24:14)!

So, if God's Kingdom is centered on Him restoring all of Creation back to Himself through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, what does that mean for us today? How do we better understand the Kingdom of Heaven and explain it to others if that is what we were commanded to do? What does it mean practically to not only have Jesus as our Savior, but also as Lord and King?

Take a few minutes to get a better understanding of the Kingdom of God and how to share it with others by watching this whiteboard video!