The Kingdom of God

In Matthew 3, John the Baptist started his ministry with these words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is come near.” Jesus, after His temptation in the wilderness, repeated the very same words. “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” (Matt 4:17). What does this mean and how does it related to following God today?

Back in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Jews were looking for a physical kingdom, whereby God would establish an earthly physical kingdom. In Acts 1, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” This question is about the physical kingdom, which will come later. Yet Jesus said the kingdom of heaven has come near. Here, Jesus is not referring to the future physical kingdom, but to the current spiritual kingdom. Jesus’ earthly ministry ushered in the spiritual kingdom of God (on earth) two thousand years ago and this kingdom is still in effect today. All who call upon the name of Jesus are part of this spiritual kingdom. Sometimes this spiritual kingdom is described as an invisible kingdom in that there is not a visible king nor is there a geo-political boundary. However, this kingdom, though spiritual, has visible signs and its effects can definitely be felt by this world. Jesus used many parables to describe this spiritual kingdom. My two favorite are the mustard seed and yeast. The mustard seed is small, yet it grows into a large plant. Yeast is even smaller, almost microscopic, yet over time you see its effect as it permeates the entire batch of dough. The kingdom of heaven starts small with little, if any, fanfare; not unlike Jesus’ incarnation. Yet when the kingdom starts to germinate and grow, its effect is undeniable, its progress indomitable,  and its impact global.

As in any earthly kingdom, this kingdom of heaven starts with the King.  The difference here is that He is the King of kings, Lord of lords. He is the Creator of the universe, completely sovereign, with no beginning and no end. He has the authority to rule by virtue of Him being the Creator. The King can also rule without a physical kingdom. Though His kingdom for now is spiritual, its impact is felt in this physical world.

This kingdom also has subjects – those who call on Jesus and submit to His will. The subjects of the kingdom are first called by the King and as they respond to this call, become subjects of His Kingdom. One key difference is that subjects of this kingdom are not forced to submit, but submit on their own accord in response to the merciful and gracious call of the King. The submission is from internal motivation, not external pressure.

There is also a reign of the King. Because the kingdom is spiritual, the reign of the King is not defined by physical boundaries. His reign extends as far as where His subjects are. In other words, the reign of God’s kingdom is established wherever believers submit to the God’s will. Those who submit to God’s will live according to His desire and the values of His kingdom. Just as there are values in this world, there are also values in the kingdom of God. When Jesus says in Matthew 6, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” He’s saying that we should live according to the values of His kingdom. For example, we don’t have to store up worldly treasures, instead we store treasures in heaven by using worldly treasures for His glory. Instead of demanding or insisting on my rights, we die to self by embracing God’s will. It’s not what I want, but what God wants of me. Here are some comparisons of kingdom values versus earthly values.

Earthly Values	Kingdom (of God) Values
Materialism, consumerism	Give, serve
Acquire Riches	Master it for His kingdom, do not seek it
Independence	Dependence on God
Individualism, isolation	Community, one anothers,
Make it happen, take control	Wait on God
Freedom, my rights	Die to self, submission to God
Immediate gratification	Patience
Save my life	Lose my life
Pride, self promotion	Humility, put others first
It’s about me	It’s about God, His glory, others

As we live according to these kingdom principles, we extend the kingdom of God. The outworking of God’s reign in our hearts is a life lived according to these kingdom principles. As we seek His kingdom, where we are, His reign is. By seeking the King and His kingdom, we subvert the kingdom of this world, pushing back the domain of darkness. This subversion, as mentioned earlier, will typically be accompanied by little or no fanfare. But given time, the subversive effect will be obvious and its impact felt, as yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.

As those who have been “transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son”, we must seek first the King and His kingdom. We must embrace the values of His kingdom and allow the King to reign in our hearts.