Gospel of the Kingdom

What is the gospel of the kingdom?

When I began writing these articles last year, I published one titled, "Make Way for the King!" In it, I briefly talked about re-envisioning the way that we present the gospel. At the time that I wrote it, God was just beginning to teach me something that has become one of the most ministry-defining lessons I have learned to date - the importance of the whole gospel of the kingdom.

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:14

After months and months of reading and studying scripture, popular doctrine, praying, and engaging in conversation with other believers and leaders from different backgrounds I have come to an unsettling truth: the gospel commonly preached and taught in the west is a partial gospel. Though my sense of urgency pushes me to expound on the implications of this truth, I feel that I must qualify such a strong statement first by explaining my meaning.

I recently asked a theologically trained college classroom to share with me what the gospel is. Every student that answered my question answered, "The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ." This is an answer they have been religiously and academically conditioned to respond with. The news that Jesus was born, lived, died for our sins, and resurrected defeating sin and death is certainly good news, but it is only the climax of this gospel of the kingdom that Jesus and His disciples were preaching (Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 24:14, Matthew 4:23, Matthew 9:35, Matthew 10:7). The good news about the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ is a very long story that begins at the the very beginning of creation. The story of Jesus's birth, death, resurrection, and our justification is just the icing on the cake that is the gospel of the kingdom. There is more preceding, more after, and more to come still.

Here is a condensed version (for scriptural reference, read Acts 7):

The story begins when God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. Man and woman dwelled in the garden with Him and there was peace. But then man was deceived by the snake (Satan) and sinned. They ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil - the very thing God had forbidden them to do. They did not trust their Father and chose to bear a burden they were not meant to bear. Because of this, sin and death entered the world and creation was infected and began to die. Man and woman were witness to the spilling of innocent blood for the first time in history, so that clothes could be made to cover their nakedness. Death of was the cost of their sin. Furthermore, creation was cursed and Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and separated from their Father and their home.

Generations later God called a man named Abraham out of his homeland in Mesopotamia to father the nation of Israel that would be God's chosen people. Abraham obeyed God and God made a promise to Abraham that He would bless his offspring and that through Abraham's lineage He would bless all the nations of the earth. All the while, the ritual spilling innocent blood and sacrifice was still required to atone for the sins man.

Generations later, God called Moses to rescue His people and lead them out of bondage in Egypt. After this, God's people wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years continuing to disobey Him in their lack of faith in Him. Nevertheless, God remained faithful to them and eventually lead their descendants into the promised land of Canaan.

In time the Israelites rebelled yet again. This time, they begged God for a king so that they could match the other kingdoms of the earth in their own perspective of power and strength. Though God warned against this request, He granted it. Some of their kings were great, others lead the people astray again and again. In this time of rebellion and self-seeking God sent prophets - men who were chosen and lived in step with the Spirit as God's messengers - to warn the people and redirect them back to their Father. All of these kings and prophets however were unsuccessful in saving the people from their separation from God, the price of their own faithlessness and sin. However, there was a prophecy that God would send One who would save His people. He would suffer, but be victorious and rescue God's people from eternal destruction.

With the death of the last prophet came 400 years of radio silence between God and His people. Until Jesus.

John the Baptist (a new prophet) heralded the coming of this "messiah" (savior) named Jesus. He was born to a virgin; conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus grew up and like others before Him became a great prophet and teacher, but He was different than those who had come before Him. Jesus was no mere man. God Himself had resolved to take on flesh like us (as Jesus) and live among us. In man's sinful anger and indignation they seized Jesus and murdered Him on a cross. Jesus gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice required to atone for all of man's sin - under the condition that one would accept Him as their offering, Lord, and King. On the third day after His sacrifice, Jesus rose from the grave alive, defeating sin and death. In sacrificing Himself and rising again, He was able to atone for all of the sins of those before, and yet to come who's faith in Him could be credited to them as righteousness.

This is where we usually stop - but this is not the end of the gospel.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He gave His disciples specific instructions. He told them that He would be returning to heaven soon, but He would send His Spirit to unite them and give them power to use to recruit for and begin building His kingdom. He told them to go out into all other nations and make disciples, and that one day He would return to earth to gather them to Himself.

So Jesus ascended to heaven, and the disciples returned to Jerusalem and waited. They waited and prayed together until the Spirit God had promised them came! It appeared like "tongues of flame" over their heads and they began to prophecy and speak in all other sorts of languages - and with this the promise of salvation was sealed in them and they were equipped to go out as missionaries to the nations. Through the power of the Holy Spirit they were able to perform signs and wonders, imparting this power of the Holy Spirit onto other believers through prayer and laying their hands on them.

This is STILL not the end of the gospel.

The gospel of the kingdom, or "good news" that these men preached was that Jesus was going to return, permanently defeat Satan, sin, and death, and rule over a new creation for all of eternity (read Revelation). Not only was this the good news of the kingdom, but the kingdom was already growing because of Jesus's sacrifice. Jesus's sacrifice made it possible for us to be a part of His coming kingdom and be reunited with Him for eternity - to come home to the garden with Him where we were created to be.

This was not just a cool stunt to save humanity because God loved us - it was the redemption plan for ALL of God's creation. It was the new option for us to escape the inevitable destruction of all things infected with sin that is going to take place when Jesus comes back to rule as a king. It is the good news that there is a kingdom coming, and a way for us to become a part of that eternal kingdom. This is the good news of the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ.

So what?

The story of Jesus's sacrifice is amazing news, but the story of the gospel is the story of Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit woven throughout all of history itself, beginning in a perfect garden that was desecrated, and ending in a new creation. If we really care about building the kingdom we should not be condensing this story into one simple idea but taking the time and care for detail that we need to to tell the entire story. We should be both motivated by Jesus's actions, Yahweh's love, the Spirit's power, and the promise of the redemption of this broken world we live in. The gospel sees its completion in a new creation after this earth and all its physical facilities have passed away and been remade by the Creator. This is a place akin to the garden in the beginning; a place where sin and death will no longer cause pain and suffering and we will live forever with our Father.

Over the past few decades that the "gospel" has lost its meaning for many having been wrapped and re-wrapped and strategized for easier consumption. The reason that I wrote this blog post is to remind you of the good news: that we are going to be redeemed with creation instead of discarded with everything that has been rotted out by sin. The good news that we do not have to identify with these broken earthly kingdoms, pain, and sin that we are surrounded by; but we are citizens of an eternal kingdom that will one day become a physical city and a new home for us. I want to remind you that when you "share the gospel" with someone you don't have to just tell them a short story and hope they believe it. When you share the gospel with someone you should be telling them about the coming age and kingdom that you are conscripting for. Seek out those who are ready to pledge their allegiance not to a president, king, or earthly leader, but an everlasting God-King who is waiting to redeem those who give themselves to Him in repentance and love for eternity.