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CH A P T E R 7

The Kingdom

and the

Ministry of Jesus

he kingdom of God was the central theme of Jesus’ ministry. As
was noted in the last chapter, the first verse of the New Testament
Tcalls Jesus “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).
By referring to Jesus in this way, Matthew was reminding his readers that
the life and ministry of Jesus was a fulfillment of the Abrahamic and the
Davidic covenants.

The Abrahamic Covenant promised the blessing of all nations
(Genesis 12:3), and the Davidic Covenant promised an eternal kingdom
(2 Samuel 7:14–16). Jesus will fulfill both covenants. He is the promised
Seed who will bless all nations, and He is the King who will reign on the
throne of David. According to John V. York, “Understanding this is a key
to reading the Gospels as disclosures of the mission of God” (York, 66).
In reading the Gospels, it helps to understand that these two concepts
are the key themes Gospel writers are addressing.

In this chapter, we will look more closely at the kingdom of God in the
ministry and teaching of Jesus by examining three key topics:

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