Understanding the Kingdom of GodPrøve

## The Gospel of the Kingdom All of us cherish good news. Receiving good news is especially powerful when we are in a season of suffering. This is what the Gospel of the Kingdom is all about. After the Exile in Babylon, God brought a remnant of His people back to the Promised Land to rebuild the Temple and the nation. The prophets of old all prophesied that there would come a day when God would return to His people as King. When He returns, said the prophets, He would establish His Kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace in their midst. However, there was only one problem: The Jews were under Roman oppression in their own land. For God to do what He promised, He had to deal with foreign nations. During this time, the Jews awaited a Messiah (an anointed king sent by God) who would drive out the Romans with the sword and re-establish the kingdom of David in Jerusalem. This is where we get to the story of Jesus. In and through Jesus, God returned to His people as King to establish His Kingdom here on earth. How did He accomplish this? The four Gospels tell us how. Jesus announced that God’s Kingdom had come to earth and demonstrated this glorious truth by healing people from their sicknesses and delivering them from demons. Instead of seeking status and honor from those in power, He lifted the lowly. Instead of driving out the Romans, He taught that true victory lies in loving our enemies. Instead of fighting the pagan nations, Jesus exposed the true enemy – sin, evil, death, and the forces of darkness. These forces were behind the Romans’ cruel tyranny, and Jesus came to expose them. However, these same powers were behind the Jews’ desire to exact revenge against the Romans. As you can see, all humanity is under the curse of sin, and the only way out was for the King to die a self-sacrificial death of love and forgiveness. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated the powers of evil so that all who are in Him can receive the forgiveness of sins (Jew and Roman). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus not only became King of the Jews but Lord of the universe. In summary, this is the Gospel of the Kingdom: The King reigns supremely, not by the sword, but by love, forgiveness, and resurrection power. That King is Jesus, roaring like a lion, calling all to come and follow in His footsteps of building His glorious Kingdom here on earth. Spend a few minutes in prayer where you worship Jesus as King.