GOD’S WORD FOR NOVEMBER 21 ~ ~ John 6:51 ~ ~ “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
From the book, “How to Read the Bible” by Dr. Michael Youssef. Chapter entitled, One King, One Kingdom. Subsection: What is the Kingdom of God?
Let’s see what the Bible teaches about the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is nothing less than the central theme of the Bible, the message that you and I are to proclaim to the world. The story of the Kingdom of God begins with Abraham. Hebrews tells us, “By faith Abraham……was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8 and 10; See also Genesis 12). And the New Testament closes with the fulfillment of Abraham’s hope in John’s vision of “the Holy City of new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” (Revelation 21:2)
We cannot fully grasp the gospel of salvation without understanding the Kingdom of God. In our study of individual books of the Bible, it’s easy to miss the central theme that is woven throughout every book, from Genesis to Revelation. That central theme is the Kingdom of God.
Mark’s gospel opens with the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. There we find these significant words:
Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15)
The good news that Jesus preached was that the Kingdom of God had come. Wherever He preached, the Kingdom was on His lips. It was central to His teaching.
Many of the parables of Jesus were focused on the kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom like? It is like a sower, Jesus said, who goes forth to sow seed. It is like a pearl of great price. It is like a mustard seed. How do you enter the Kingdom? You sell all that you have and give to the poor. You become like a little child.
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God again and again, yet He never paused to define it. Nor did any of His listeners interrupt Him to ask, “Master, what do You mean by the ‘Kingdom of God’? Would You please define what this term means?” No, Jesus never defined this term. He assumed that all of His hearers knew what He meant – because they did. The Kingdom of God was a major part of the Jewish vocabulary. It was something they longed for deeply, even though their conception of the Kingdom was different from the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed.
Today, many – if not most – Christians would be unable to define what the Kingdom of God is. They have heard the term before, but they would be hard-pressed to explain what it means.
The term, “Kingdom of God” refers to God’s rule over His people, and especially the fulfillment of His rule over all things at the conclusion of history. It will mean the end of all wars, all oppression, all enslavement, all racism, all crime, all sorrows, all tears. This is the Kingdom of God the Jews eagerly awaited.
The Jewish people were especially looking for a redeemer called Messiah (“anointed one”) who would establish the Kingdom of God in victory. When the new Testament declares that Jesus is the Messiah who has come to establish His Kingdom, we must look to the Old Testament in order to understand the messianic hope of Israel.
Let’s trace the story of the Kingdom of God back to its origins in the Old Testament and the nation of Israel.
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Psalm 94:18-19 When I said, My foot slips; thy mercy, O Lord held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me Your comforts delight my soul.
Psalm 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
Psalm 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.
Psalm 37:18 The Lord knows the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psalm 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever.