John the Baptist announces, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15)!   The coming of God’s kingdom means that a completely new era has arrived.  John’s announcement is a call not only to repent but to “believe in the gospel”.  To believe in the gospel of God means to decide to accept the message as true, to welcome it with joy, to allow it to transform you into a new creation.  In contrast, not to believe in the gospel can mean to put up active resistance to the message – to close your eyes, stop up your ears, harden your heart, plant your feet firmly in this world.  

Many Christians believe this kingdom of God is what we will enjoy when we die.   Jewish people believe God will come down and restore the Kingdom of Israel – that will be the new kingdom.   Jesus was offering something different: a new vision of what it meant to be God’s people in this new kingdom.

Jesus’ ministry took place in Capernaum which laid on a major trade road from Egypt to Mesopotamia (the Via Maris).  This is an area where Jesus would have encountered a lot of people – people passing through, paying taxes, travelers, fishermen, all kinds of people.  

He announced the arrival of the kingdom through his parables and his power to free people from demons, heal the sick, give sight to the blind – all to draw people into his new kingdom.  In contrast with our sinful world, Jesus’ kingdom liberates the people from the slavery to sin and death.  

This is why Jesus says we are in the world but not of the world (John 18:36).   We live by the new law handed down by Jesus - one of mercy, love, meekness, peace, and justice.  He reached out to the marginalized of society; he responded to violence with love; he responded to repentance with mercy; he faced death and brought about life.  Those of us part of this kingdom live by this law of love.  Those who belong to this world follow the law of hate, vengeance, pride, violence, grudges, and injustice.   Jesus gives us a choice - we can serve God or yourself - you can’t serve both.

As we have already discussed, the expectation of the Messiah was prevalent at this time and was assumed that God’s power would be a military confrontation.  But this is not how Jesus brought about the kingdom of God.  His kingdom was not what they expected.  He was blessing the merciful, the persecuted, the peacemaker, the poor…in complete contrast to the preference of vengeance and fighting the Romans.  The way of the kingdom was the way of peace gathering all peoples, even the Jewish oppressors (Rome).  Romans were not enemies to be conquered but brethren to be gathered into God’s family.  Many people did not like this message.

It was evident Jesus performed mighty deeds, but it was taking place in little backwater towns and the beneficiaries were outcasts: Roman centurions, tax collectors, the poor, and the sick.  This angered the Jewish elite as they saw these people as unredeemable.  Jesus was going beyond just healing people, he was restoring people socially and religiously to Israel.    Jesus also forgave sins – this “repentance” was announcing the dawn of the New Covenant – the new kingdom.  

I’m sure you're thinking - if God brought this wonderful kingdom, why are things still so bad?  The presence of the kingdom is not either/or it is both/and.  The liberation has begun and is yet to come.  It is in phases.  Jesus ushered in the kingdom, but now our job is to live out Jesus’ commands in our own lives and continue the mission of bringing people into the kingdom until Jesus comes again and the kingdom reaches its fullness.  For those who have accepted the new regime, the final coming of the kingdom will be a time of reward and rejoicing.  For those who have resisted or neglected it, time will eventually run out.  

Peter was given the keys to the kingdom and was the rock by which the Church was built.  The Church has a pivotal role in the kingdom of God, serving it, spreading the Gospel, and nurturing Her people, however, the kingdom of God actually resides in the heart of man.   The kingdom of God means, then, the ruling of God in our hearts; it means those virtues which separate us from the kingdom of this world; it means the infusion of grace; it means the Church as that Divine institution where we may receive the spirit of Christ.

Have a great week!

Joyfully, Christina