The proclamation of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 4:43), and Himself as its King (John 18:36-37), was central to Jesus’ mission and ministry on earth. His teaching was designed to show men and women that they were outside of this Kingdom, living in opposition to it and thus under God’s judgment (John 16:8-11). His miracles were intended to prove that the Kingdom of God and its King had supernaturally broken into this present world as in them He displayed His sovereign rule over nature, over the devil and his demons, over sickness and disease and over life itself (Luke 7:20-23). His parables illustrated truths regarding the Kingdom, most importantly the ultimate and eternal value of the Kingdom such that one would be willing to give up all they value in this world to enter into it (Matthew 13:44-46).
Jesus calls men, women and children to enter His Kingdom; not through law keeping, nor through participation in religious rituals and activities, nor through good works, (Luke 18:9-14), but through repenting of and turning from their sinful rebellion, and believing the Gospel, the good news of what Jesus would/has accomplished on their behalf through His sinless life, sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection to make it possible for them to be part of His Kingdom, reconciled to God and restored to the glorious relationship with God for which we were created (Mark 1:14-15).
He taught that for those whom His Kingdom (and Him as their King) was the preeminent pursuit in their lives, God would assure the provision of all they needed to fulfill His purposes for their life in this world, freeing them from the fears and anxieties (Matthew 6:25-34), that are common to man in a sinful world, most importantly the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15) (John 5:24).
He proclaimed that it would be near impossible for those who had great material wealth to enter into the Kingdom as their hearts would be prone to love and depend on their riches rather than on God for their happiness and wellbeing (Mark 10:23-27).
He identified those whom would be heirs of the Kingdom to include those who felt most unworthy of it (Matthew 5:1-3), and those who were willing to be persecuted for their commitment to its standards of righteousness (Matthew 5:10).
Jesus revealed that His Kingdom was not presently a physical or material realm, but would be seen/experienced in a transformation that would take place in a man’s heart – in their inner man, (Luke 17:20-21), wherein that transformed person would willingly and gladly submit to His rule over their lives. In doing so they would come to know, while in this world, the joy of being at peace with God and of living in right relationship to God (Romans 14:17), as well as the assurance that they are destined for Heaven (Philippians 3:20-21).
Jesus revealed that this inner transformation would take place only by a person being “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3-8). It would be the result of a sovereign, supernatural work of God the Holy Spirit in their heart, restoring them to spiritual life so they can see and desire and forever experience the greatness, the goodness and the glory of God’s Kingdom of grace.
The necessity for a man or women to be born again, or born of God (John 1:12-13), to desire and be welcomed into the Kingdom of God, stems from the Bible’s revelation that men and women are born into this world spiritually dead, cut off from the life with God for which we were created (Ephesians 2:1-3), with a sin corrupted heart (Mark 7:21-23) and a rebellious nature and character (Luke 19:11-14).
Thus, apart from being born again, mankind has no desire, no ability and no right to enter God’s eternal Kingdom. When we are born again, we are restored to spiritual life, receiving a new nature that begins to image God’s, and a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), producing in us new desires and longings to know, love and be loved by God, to do His will, and to be part of His eternal Heavenly Kingdom, as we are now able to see by faith the beauty and glory of God as it is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).
When we put our faith in Jesus, we are adopted by God as His beloved children (Galatians 3:26) and can now call on Him as our Father, rather than fear him as our judge. Jesus, in speaking to His disciples in Matthew 6:8-14, gives them an outline of how they are to pray as God’s beloved children.
In Matthew 6:10, He encourages them to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This is a petition for God the Father to put an end to man’s sin and opposition to His sovereign rule that has brought such chaos and madness, frustration and futility, misery and suffering into His world, and to graciously grant us and others humble and submissive hearts, hearts that love Him above all else, hearts that trust in His love and thus believe that all He commands is ultimately for our present and eternal good.
It is a request for our heavenly Father to put down, to defeat and destroy once and for all eternity the devil and His rebel armies made up of rebellious men and angels, and for God alone to rule and reign, to exercise His divine authority and infinite power to restore us and all of the creation back to the beauty and perfection in which He originally created us for His glory.
Ultimately, it is a request for the second coming of Jesus; when He will return in all of His glory (Matthew 25:31-46) to put an end to all rebellion and opposition of men and angels and establish His eternal Kingdom, a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21), welcoming into it all who entrusted their life to His rule while in this world (Matthew 25:34). All who reside in His eternal Kingdom will live in willing and joyful obedience to the person and purposes of God, experiencing only fulness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).
Thus, let those of us who have submitted our hearts and lives to the sovereign rule of Jesus Christ as our King, join with the Apostle John in his closing prayer in the Bible, Amen, Come (soon) Lord Jesus!
Grace and Peace ×
Maranatha