The Kingdom of God: an Introduction

Introduction

What is the Kingdom of God? I must confess that for many years as I heard passages read from Scripture about the “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of Heaven,” I often had a nagging feeling that there was a lot more to those passages than what there seemed to be on a surface level. I often read passages like the one we will read tonight and scratched my head, aware that I was missing something, but not quite sure of what that was!

It wasn’t until one of my seminary professors led us through the book of Matthew that my eyes were opened to one of the biggest, most pervasive themes in all of scripture. I would argue that this topic of the Kingdom may well be the single biggest analogy that scripture uses to describe our relationship to God, salvation, and the history and future of God’s dealings with us and his creation. It’s huge. It runs throughout every single book of the Bible from cover to cover.

My New Testament professor at SBTS, Dr. Jonathan Pennington, puts it this way:

Alongside Christology, another key theme in each of the Gospels is the proclamation of the kingdom of God. Matthew is no exception and indeed, may be said to have the greatest emphasis on the theme of kingdom of any NT book. βασιλεία occurs fifty-five times in Matthew in a wide variety of phrases, including kingdom of heaven (32x), kingdom of God (4x), and several other references such as “his” or “your” kingdom.[1] Moreover, many scholars understand the central emphasis of the First Gospel to be found in Matthew’s unique phrase, “the gospel of the kingdom” which occurs at important structural seams (4:23; 9:35; 24:14).[2] The kingdom is what heads the preaching ministry of John the Baptist (3:2) and Jesus (4:17), and is what Jesus commissions his followers to say in turn (10:7). Matthew’s Jesus gives an important series of teachings explicating the ways of this kingdom (esp. chapter 13), and the disciples are taught to pray for its coming (6:10). Of course, Matthew’s emphasis on kingdom overlaps with several other key themes he develops including Christology, OT fulfillment, and eschatology. Indeed, Kingsbury understands the kingdom to be “the single most comprehensive concept” in Matthew, touching on “every major facet of the Gospel, whether it be theological, Christological, or ecclesiological in nature.”[3]

Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew, Pennington, Jonathan (Leiden: Brill, 2007)

[1] Cp. Mark (20x); Luke (46x); John (5x); rest of the NT combined (36x).

[2] See especially Jack Dean Kingsbury, Matthew: Structure, Christology, and Kingdom, 128-131. Cf. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, li ff.

[3] Kingsbury, Matthew: Structure, Christology, and Kingdom, 128.

Yet, as modern readers living in a democracy, hundreds of years and thousands of miles removed from a Kingdom, I think it’s perhaps one of the most difficult topics for us to wrap our minds around. It’s completely foreign to us and, if we’re honest, I think most of us would also admit to thinking it a bit antiquated.

So today, I want to take a very introductory look into this topic. There’s no way that we can even begin to exhaust the topic or cover it fully. My hope is to simply scratch the surface enough today that it leaves you wanting to know more! My hope is that you will begin to see this theme in scripture and that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to one of the greatest truths in his Word.

I want you to now where I’m going with this sermon since this is such a broad topic. So, we’re going to start with a very familiar passage that I think highlights very well the importance of this topic and then use that as a springboard to do a brief survey of Kingdom theology throughout Scripture. My aim today is to answer a couple questions:

What is the Kingdom of God?

What are some of the practical daily life implications and applications of living with an awareness of the Kingdom?

Seeking the Kingdom first is the key to a right perspective and relationship with God.

Matthew 6:19–34 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6 is best understood in the larger context of his book.

It’s no coincidence that Matthew begins his book with a statement that immediately gets us thinking about Kings and Kingdoms.

Matthew 1:1 ESV

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus is referred to repeatedly by his relationship to King David. Then, we’re explicitly told that Jesus is the long awaited King in

Matthew 2:1–6 ESV

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

This passage, of course, sets up the conflict that runs throughout the rest of the book—the Kingdoms of this earth vs. the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then, in chapter 3, John the Baptist comes. And what is his message?

Matthew 3:2 ESV

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Immediately, he is faced with conflict from the Pharisees and Sadducees who Matthew wants us to understand are part of the Kingdoms of Earth that are waging war against the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then Jesus is baptized and tempted in the wilderness, much as Israel and even King David were tempted in the wilderness, and then he begins his ministry. And what is the message of his ministry?

Matthew 4:17 ESV

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

When he teaches the crowds, what does he teach about?

Matthew 5:3 ESV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10 ESV

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus makes many more mentions of the Kingdom that we don’t have time to discuss, but it’s worth noting how he teaches his disciples to pray:

Matthew 6:9–10 ESV

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6 is not about worrying or money.

So if Matthew’s primary theme is the Gospel of the Kingdom, has he just completely switched topics in chapter 6? Nope! While Matthew 6 certainly does address the topics of money and worry, it does so in the context of the Kingdom of God.

After a lengthy discourse on why we shouldn’t worry about money, clothes, and anything else, Jesus concludes with a surprising remedy for worry:

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

This is huge! Jesus says that the antidote for worry is a focus on the Kingdom of God! This also explains verses 22-23, which puzzled me for years. When Jesus says “eye” and “lamp” he’s talking metaphorically about our perspective. When we have a Kingdom-centered perspective, our lives will be full of light. But when our perspective is set on earthly things our lives will be full of darkness. You can’t serve the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of earth at the same time!

The Kingdom of God is a theme that runs throughout Scripture (not just Matthew’s Gospel).

In Genesis

You might be surprised to find that the earliest implication of the Kingdom of God actually occurs back in the Creation narrative in Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The first mention of this Kingdom motif occurs in v. 26, where God makes mankind “in his image.” Entire books have been written on what the “image of God” is, but I’m just going to tell you what I think is going on here. The word here that is translated “image” is frequently used throughout scripture, often to refer to idols or “graven images.” These idols were hand-crafted by artisans, of course, but they were believed to be indwelled by the gods they represented. They were a representation of the real thing. This was also common practice amongst ancient kings and rulers—to erect images of themselves throughout their kingdom as a means of establishing and solidifying their rule and kingdom.

That makes a lot of sense in the context of Genesis 1:26 because in the very next breath God says,

“...let them have dominion over the fish of the sea...”

When God creates mankind, he’s establishing his Kingdom here on earth by sending out little representatives of himself. We were created, therefore, to “image” or represent God and spread his dominion over all the earth.

Of course, it didn’t take long for rebellion to arise in God’s Kingdom. The very first couple listens to the lies of the enemy—who had apparently already rebelled against God, at least in his heart—and they commit the first sin. On the surface, it looks innocent enough—eating a piece of fruit. But, couched in the context of their created purpose as God’s image bearers and Kingdom representatives, it’s treason. God’s created people have essentially thumbed their noses at God, rejected his rightful rule, and attempted to usurp the authority that belongs only to him. And that is the essence of sin—it is a rejection of God’s rightful rule and an attempt to establish ourselves as Kings over our own lives. That’s why sin carries the death penalty—because it’s high treason against our Creator and King.

This rebellion continues throughout the book of Genesis as people congregate together in Babel, attempting to reach heaven in their own efforts instead of spreading God’s rightful dominion throughout the earth as they were commanded.

In the Old Testament

Much more could be said in Genesis, but we simply don’t have time for an in-depth look at every occurence of the theme of God’s Kingdom throughout all of scripture.

Jumping forward to the Exodus, we see the Kingdoms of the earth—in this case Egypt—attempting to stand against God’s Kingdom yet again. It’s long been noted by Bible scholars that some of the plagues that God brings against Egypt seem to be direct judgements on Egypt’s gods.

Exodus 12:12 ESV

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.

Ra, the Egyptian sun god, is proven powerless against Yahweh when the sun is darkened for three days in the ninth plague and Pharoah himself, believed to be a god by his people, is powerless to stop the death of his own firstborn. God leads his people as a victorious King into freedom in the Exodus. But it isn’t long until the rebellion stirs again.

If we fast-forward a bit to Samuel, we see this rebellion continue in the hearts of God’s people.

1 Samuel 8:4–9 ESV

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

Of course, their first king, Saul, did exactly as God said he would. But, while the Israelites had rejected God as their King and set up a terrible substitute, God redeemed the situation by setting up David as Saul’s successor. David is a man after God’s own heart and executes justice and rules well.

So it’s a bit ironic, then, that out of Israel’s rebellion comes one of the best examples we have in scripture of what the Kingdom of God is like through the reign of King David.

So what is the Kingdom of God?

Defining abstract concepts like “Kingdom” is always challenging, so it helps to use analogies.

The Kingdom of God by analogy to an earthly Kingdom

How would you explain to a child what a “business” is? Is it a storefront? Is it a bank account, a profit-loss statement? Is it a group of people who work together? Is it the exchange of goods and/or services for money? Of course, the answer is that it’s a combination of all the above!

The same is true of a Kingdom. We could talk all day about what constitutes a Kingdom, but in any definition of “Kingdom” we’d have to have at least the following:

A King—a kingdom is unique against other forms of government in that it has a singular, authoritarian ruler. It is not a democracy, republic, or tribal council.

All legitimate earthly kingdoms have a geographic area that falls under the King’s rulership. This area may be contested, fought over, and may change, but a King without any geographic area of rulership is not much of a King.

A Kingdom must have people within it that serve the King, do his bidding, and accept his authority.

A kingdom is a means of governance. It provides organization, protection, justice, and other services to its people. These services require organizations within the kingdom such as a military, courts, and other such governmental agencies as well.

Living with a Kingdom Perspective. (What does it mean to “seek first the Kingdom of God”?)

Earlier I said pointed out from Matthew 6:33 that seeking God’s Kingdom above all else is the key to right living in relationship with God. But what exactly does that mean?

Putting God on his throne and getting ourselves off of it!

Much of the things that characterize an earthly Kingdom also apply to the Kingdom of God.

Obviously, the Kingdom of God is ruled by none other than God himself. That would seem redundant, except that we so often forget this truth! The essence of sin is rebellion. We cause ourselves so much grief by forgetting this simple truth—God is King.

As the King’s creation we, of course, exist to do his bidding. When God

A Kingdom-first perspective recognizes that God is in control

Rejecting anyone or anything that attempts to usurp our allegiance to God.

As humans with sin-natures, we are naturally drawn to things that would displace God’s rightful place in our lives.

Family—sometimes we listen to our loved ones and heed their advice and counsel at the cost of following God. Adam made that same mistake, and it continues to plague many families. Ironically, our relationships with our families will never be right until we prioritize God over our families.

Our nation—patriotism isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely can become idolatry. There’s a tendency in many American Christians to equate service to one’s nation to the same level of honor as service to God. When our allegiance to the wellfare of our nation supersedes our allegiance to God, we’ve crossed a dangerous line. Just because something seems to be good foreign or domestic policy doesn’t mean it’s good Kingdom policy. Time and time again, the Jews expressed an expectation that Jesus was going to claim his rightful place as King of Israel, raise up an army, and displace the Roman invaders. Time and time again, Jesus tried to explain that his Kingdom was not of this world, but time and time again everyone—including his disciples—misunderstood him. And here is where we often fail to miss the difference between earthly kingdoms and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of God is not advanced by passing legislation and conquering “evil” nations with military might. It’s advanced in the hearts and souls of its people, not the halls of Congress, as God’s people conduct spiritual warfare through prayer, evangelism, and discipleship.

Jobs and Money—Jesus makes it very clear that the solution to worry is a Kingdom perspective. A good King makes sure that his people are well provided for. Jesus is a great King. He cares not just for the wealthy and important but also the poor and lowly. So many people reject God’s calling to ministry or missions because they worry about how it will affect their family or their financial stability. If God cares for the sparrow, he’ll take care of you, too.