And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Luke 4:43 KJV
The Kingdom of God is a concept that seems simple, but it is one of the most misunderstood concepts. Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom to the Jews for three years, but they could not understand it. This was because they needed to repent. John the Baptist came as a voice crying in the wilderness with the message “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”, Matthew 3:1-3. Repentance here involved having a change of heart so they could understand how the Kingdom actually comes. Many missed the coming of the Kingdom to earth, except a few like Anna and Simeon who had been praying for the salvation of Israel, Luke 2:25-39.
In Acts 1:1-8, after three years and forty days, His disciples still didn’t understand the message of the Kingdom. According to Acts 1:6-8, When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? [7] And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. [8] But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The way they would learn about the Kingdom was when they had been endued with power from the Holy Spirit.
The two individuals who understood this mystery during Jesus’ ministry ironically were strangers. One was a centurion who understood what it meant to be a man under authority, being a man under the authority of Rome, Matthew 8:5-13. The other was the thief on the cross. While Jesus’ disciples were all scattered and the supposed King was hanging on the cross and being mocked by religious leaders. Yet this man got insight into the mystery of the Kingdom and by faith secured his spot in it, Luke 23:41-43.
What is the Kingdom? It is the dominion of God. In Genesis 1:26-28, God gave all the dominion on earth to man, but man lost it to the devil. Satan, while tempting Jesus in Luke 4:5 offered him the Kingdoms of the world. These weren’t high buildings and sky scrapers. Satan showed Him man. The kingdom of this world are men or that which is supposed to be expressed in man. Satan was offering Jesus the dominion over man to regain that which Adam lost to the devil because he chose the ability to define good and evil over the tree of life. Genesis 3:22 shows how the enemy came through the back door and lied to man, offering him immortality in a death sentence. Yet Jesus came to restore the dominion and eternal life to man.
In subsequent meditations, we will understand in more details what the Kingdom is and how enter it. The Kingdoms of this world will by necessity become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ, Revelations 11:15. It is of necessity that we repent (have a change of heart) in order to appreciate the coming Kingdom and secure our lot in it.
Prayer for today: High King of Heaven thank You for coming down to us to pave the way for the coming Kingdom and to make the path clear for us to partake of this Kingdom. Father, I pray that the eyes of my understanding may be open to comprehend and appreciate the good news of the coming Kingdom and also be a partaker of it in Jesus name. Amen
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