The most casual reader of the synoptic Gospels (the synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke, so designated because they tell the story of Jesus’ life and teaching from the same point of view) cannot help but notice the prevalence of references to the Kingdom of God and/or the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet, references to the Kingdom of God from American pulpits and Christian media are few. Even in liturgical churches, where there is a Gospel lesson read every Sunday, teaching on the Kingdom is very limited.
Why is there this disassociation, why do Christians read about the gospel of the Kingdom and never talk, teach or preach about it? Myles Munroe in his book Rediscovering the Kingdom writes, “Unfortunately, much of the Christian Church has lost sight of the message of the Kingdom and preaches alternative religious themes.”(p. 121) Jesus had no alternative religious themes; he centered his message on the Kingdom of God.
References to the Kingdom Fill the Synoptic Gospels
The designations "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of Heaven" appear in the synoptic gospels more than any other theme. In Matthew, "the Kingdom of Heaven" appears 51 times. In Mark, "the Kingdom of God" occurs 18 times, and in Luke, 39 times. Combined these phrases occur in the text of the synoptic gospels 108 times in 68 chapters.
Both phrases — "the Kingdom of God" and "the Kingdom of Heaven" — mean the same thing. The use of the word "heaven" in place of "God" is nothing other than the Jewish reverential way of avoiding saying the name of the deity. The Gospels never use the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" to mean anything different from its counterpart, "the Kingdom of God". The prevalence of these phrases in the synoptic Gospels makes it clear that "the Kingdom of God" was on Jesus’ mind a lot.
Jesus Message Centered on the Kingdom
From his earliest public statements, recorded in the gospels, Jesus took up John the Baptist’s message of the coming Kingdom. Mark 1:14-15 says; "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come, he said. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” From this start in Galilee, Jesus begins to teach the crowds that followed him that God’s Kingdom was near (Matt. 4:17).”This was the message he brought to his hometown (Luke 4:14-30) of Nazareth. He told his hometown crowd that he was continuing the message of the prophets of the Old Testament. God was moving now, and he was God’s prophet sent to call out the message, the good news, that the people had been looking for so long. The reign of God was near. That was what Isaiah was talking about (Isaiah 61), and that was what Jesus was saying his mission was, to bring in the long awaited Kingdom of God.
Jesus used his healing ministry as proof that the Kingdom had arrived. “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11:20) To make certain that his followers understood that the Kingdom was a reality in their lifetime, Jesus said in Mark 9: 1, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come in power.”
The Consequences of the Kingdom Message
Jesus understood that his message of the Kingdom was going to bring him trouble (Luke 18:31-32), yet he spoke of it constantly. In parables, in plain speech, and in explaining his actions, Jesus based his entire message on the coming of God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom message brought about Jesus’ execution.
Roman law called allegiance to any other kingdom treasonous, and the Jewish religious leaders found it threatening to the status quo, and the Temple in Jerusalem. However, according to the synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ death could not stop the coming Kingdom. His resurrection proved its presence and validated its power.
In his post-resurrection appearances, Jesus placed God’s Kingdom in the hands of his disciples (Acts 1:1-8) and charged them to take it to the ends of the earth. That was just under 2000 years ago, and a lot has changed. Christianity has spread around the globe; nations around the world read the synoptic gospels. Yet, there still is no strong movement or message about the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom Message Today
The gospel of salvation, the prosperity gospel, the social gospel, the full gospel, or the gospel of the/a Church have all replaced the gospel of the Kingdom in modern Christianity. The Church over the millenniums has changed, ignored, or relegated to the end of time Jesus’ gospel of the Kingdom.
Many teach that the importance of personal salvation supersedes the message of the Kingdom. Creeds are more important than actions, and Jesus’ teaching that humanities primary duty is to love God and love his fellow human beings (Matt. 22:36-49) is for an age yet to come. The Church as changed Jesus’ message and made the synoptic Gospels into a storybook, full of action and exciting stories but devoid of meaning.
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