Page 74 - TH130 Kingdom of God A4 Final

The Kingdom of God

• Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom of God.
• Jesus’ teaching concerning the kingdom of God.
• Jesus’ ministry as a demonstration of kingdom power.

Jesus’ Announcement of the Kingdom

John the Baptist announced that the kingdom of God was near
(Matthew 3:2). He called on the people to “prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him” (Mark 1:3). He also said that the one coming
after him would “baptize [people] with the Holy Spirit” (v. 8; compare
John 1:32–33).

Jesus’ announcement of His own ministry echoed that of John’s. He
declared, “The time has come.… The kingdom of God is near. Repent
and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). The time had arrived for the
fulfillment of the Jewish messianic prophecies. Jesus’ announcement
summed up His teaching concerning the kingdom of God. It contained
two emphases:

1. God has acted in history: “The kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15).
God invaded human history in the person of Jesus Christ and in
the power of the Spirit.
2. People must respond to what God has done: “Repent and believe the
good news” (v. 15). Every demonstration of the Kingdom demands
a response. The required response to the gospel is twofold. People
must “repent” and “believe the good news.” Repentance is directed
toward God, and faith is directed toward Christ, the subject of the
gospel (Acts 20:21).

Jesus’ Teaching Concerning the Kingdom

Jesus had much to say about the kingdom of God. He taught about
the purpose of the Kingdom and about the “secrets of the kingdom
of heaven” (Matthew 13:11). He often taught about the kingdom of
God in parables. He further taught about the Kingdom as being an
upside-down Kingdom and about a great reversal that will occur in
the future. Let’s look at these five areas of Jesus’ teaching concerning
the Kingdom:

::: 66 :::