The Gospel of the Kingdom (2)

[the kingdom] now had a name and a face–the name and face of the man from Nazareth” (The Open Secret, 44). God was initiating his great work of salvation on earth once and for all in the final word from heaven, the word who was his Son Jesus.

The signs and wonders of Jesus all point to the arrival of the kingdom. The preaching of Jesus was consistently about the kingdom. Jesus told his disciples to not worry about life’s pressing, daily needs but rather to “seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. . . for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:22-32).

What Jesus did for the next three years was live kingdom life in the fulness of the Holy Spirit and preach the kingdom gospel, the reign of God among those who humbly enter it by faith. He used parables, beatitudes, object lessons and miracles to reveal the nature and presence of the kingdom. Jesus sent his disciples out on itinerant missions telling them  to “preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:2) and Luke tells us that they followed his instructions perfectly. “So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere” (Luke 9:6). Luke clearly equates preaching the kingdom with the essence of the gospel. A simple, but incredibly profound, conclusion is warranted–preaching the kingdom and preaching the gospel are the same thing!

Jesus commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel to all nations and thus to make disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). This oft quoted, and easily misunderstood, Great Commission text clearly says that Jesus has authority over Caesar and all other rulers. Caesar is not lord, Jesus is! Authority has been given to Jesus Christ and he rules over all on behalf of the Father. In the light of this reality he commissioned his disciples to go to the nations and to announce to them that Caesar, and all other lords, are now under Christ’s authority thus they must “switch” their allegiance through repentance and faith in Christ. This entire missionary effort was treasonous. This explains why the early church was persecuted by Roman emperors and why the gospel had such great power amidst amazing political and social upheaval. It also explains, at least to my mind, why our “private” preaching of a personal gospel of internal forgiveness (alone) is so weak and powerless in our time.

Alan Streett rightly concludes, “Without a doubt, the good news of the kingdom is the central theme of all first-century evangelistic preaching” (Heaven on Earth, 19). If we consider how much time these early Christians spent teaching and preaching the kingdom why do we hear so little about the kingdom from our modern preachers and evangelists? “Where is the gospel of the kingdom being preached today” (Heaven on Earth, 20)? Indeed, where? “If Jesus and the apostles walked on the earth today, would they even recognize the gospel message heralded from most pulpits” (Heaven on Earth, 20)? I think the answer is obvious. This answer reveals just how far we have fallen from actually preaching the good news. The problem is pretty clear–most Christians see no problem at all.

Tomorrow: What are the benefits and blessings of the kingdom and how do we tap into these resources to live and teach the good news today? As I unpack what Professor Alan Streett writes in his wonderful book, Heaven on Earth, I hope that you will hunger for his kingdom and his righteousness in a whole new way. Meanwhile, get a copy of the book and dig in. You will be glad you did.