When Jesus came onto the scene, He began with the proclamation, “Repent, for the Kingdom has come near.”

When he sent out the 70 disciples for a brief mission, he told them to say, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

Much of His teaching involved telling parables describing what life was like in the Kingdom. (The Kingdom of Heaven is like…)

But what is this Kingdom?

It is important to note the expectations that the Jews had concerning their long awaited Messiah. Look at Isaiah 9:6-7 for example. Many of the Jews were expecting a Messiah that would overthrow the government and restore the people of Israel to a place of power. Even the disciples thought this (Acts 1:6).

But, Jesus came to establish a different kind of kingdom. “My Kingdom is not of this world.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

• A wedding banquet – many are called, few are chosen
• A man who sowed good seed (Mt. 13:24)
• Yeast
• Hidden treasure
• A merchant looking for fine pearls – worth seeking
• A net that caught all kinds of fish – diverse / separate good from bad (Mt. 13:47)
• King who had pity on his slave - merciful
• A landowner who gave equal pay to the workers – equality (Mt. 20:1)
• 10 virgins with lamps – readiness (Mt. 25:1)
• A seed that grows – slow, mysterious (Mk. 4:26)
• A mustard seed – small but powerful (Mt. 13:31, Mk. 4:30)

The Kingdom of Heaven…

• Is near
• Belongs to the poor in spirit, the persecuted, humble, poor
• Is hard for the rich to enter (Mt. 19:23-24)
• Turns status upside down (Mt. 18:1)
• Will be given to those that produce its fruit (Mt. 21:43)
• Is good news
• Is to be received
• Is not a matter of eating & drinking but of righteousness, peace, & joy (Romans 14:17)
• Is a matter of power, not talk
• Is an inheritance

Those who will enter?

• The righteous
• The poor in spirit, persecuted, humble, poor
• Tax collectors & prostitutes (before the Pharisees) (Mt. 21:32)
• Those that become like a child (Mt. 18:3-4, 19:14)
• Those born again
• Those born of water & Spirit
• Those that endure hardships

We, as followers of Jesus, are citizens of this Kingdom and part of our mission is to help it grow by living it out; living under the rule of the Kingdom; making it a reality. “Your Kingdom come…”

His Kingdom has come, but it is not yet fully here. We currently live “in between the times.”

So, what does it mean that the Kingdom has come near or is at hand?

Next Week: Kingdom Values

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