Citizens of the Kingdom

The first four books of the New Testament are the gospels meaning good news. If I asked you to define the gospel, what would you say? You could state that Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and was resurrected. And, by believing in Him, we have eternal life. This message is great news! However, if we limit the good news to that message, we miss the bigger picture. The first four books describe more than personal salvation; they represent the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.[1] Jesus came to earth as the anointed king to free His people from oppression and to rule forever.

The Bible identifies Jesus as a prophet, priest, and king. To understand Jesus as king, we should briefly examine what led to His coronation. Of course, the story begins before the beginning of time, but I will start at a pivotal point in Israel’s history. Hundreds of years after Israel entered the promised land; they asked the prophet Samuel to choose a king for them like those of the surrounding nations. Up until this time, Israel had no king but God. Time after time, Israel rejected God and served the gods of the nations. And, time after time, God rescued the people through judges He appointed. Samuel was one of the judges.

Samuel protested the people’s request, but God told Samuel that Israel was not rejecting him, but God as their king. God also said to the people they would get what they wanted and perhaps things they wouldn’t like. The human king would reign over them, conscripting their sons and daughters for his purposes. He would take the best of their fields and flocks for himself. Nevertheless, the people didn’t listen.[2]

This story goes on throughout the Old Testament. King after king did just as God foretold. Some kings did good by worshipping God and serving Him, which brought blessings to the people. Some did evil by worshipping other gods and leading the people astray. But all had lorded over the people during their reigns. Even the man after God’s own heart, King David, with whom God made an everlasting covenant, let the people down through his selfish actions. Nevertheless, God said that one day He would again return as king through David’s lineage. He would finally and fully redeem His people. He would be their king forever.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s divine plan to return as king, restore His people, and set up His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. However, Israel did not recognize Jesus as king. He was not what they expected. He entered Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey. His coronation occurred during His execution, where He was robed in purple and crowned with thorns. Finally, His executioners nailed His proclamation as king to the cross with Him. Afterwards, He rose from the dead and ascended to His throne next to God the Father.

The gospel is about Jesus as king and His kingdom coming to earth. Yes, Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Yes, we are reconciled to God through His death and resurrection. We are born again. But our birth from above is only a part of the gospel. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”[3] God not only forgives our sins but also saves us from the power of sin and the god of this world. We are citizens of the kingdom with all the saints.[4] We read the apostles preaching about the kingdom of God throughout the New Testament.

Why is it essential that we view the gospel of the kingdom? Before we get to the specifics of that question, perhaps it may be helpful to review how Jesus described His kingdom. Jesus used parables or stories when teaching Israel. These stories obscured the truth for those who resisted His message. Each gospel account from Matthew, Mark, and Luke contains parables about the kingdom. While they repeat several of the parables, each gospel also contains some unique ones.

Nonetheless, to get a good picture of the gospel of the kingdom one can read through the gospel of Matthew. It would be time-consuming and repetitive to describe each parable in this article. So, I will point out some of the themes from the kingdom stories.

First, all the parables give us a rich picture of the kingdom. It is crucial to understand that these stories were, first and foremost, for Israel. Jesus is the king of all, but he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.[5] He fulfilled the promises written to Israel about God’s salvation. Some of the stories show how Israel consistently refused to honor God as king before the coming of Jesus. Some show that God’s people rejected His son and that He opened the kingdom to others. The stories demonstrate the heart of God toward people and how He blesses those who enter the kingdom and punishes those who remain outside.

Second, we see that the kingdom is here now. It is present by God’s Spirit in the saints. Jesus is king over all creation, but this world is currently under the power of the evil one. [6] Jesus told the story of a man sowing good wheat seed, and then an enemy sowed darnel or tares among the wheat. The thing about darnel is that it is indistinguishable from wheat until fully mature. When the man’s servants asked if they should pull out the darnel, he told them to wait till the harvest, then they will judge what is good and bad.

It is noteworthy that the wicked are not only intermixed with the saints in the world in general but also in church gatherings. This reality can be disconcerting. But it is clear that many who call Jesus Lord are not known by Him and will be sent away at the time of judgment.[7] The apostles’ letters to the churches often warn and guide how to deal with evil people infiltrating the church. Jesus didn’t ask the Father to take the apostles out of the world but to protect them from the evil one. The same goes for those who believe in Jesus through the apostles’ witness.[8]

Nevertheless, we also read in the stories that God is joyful when someone from the world turns toward Him. He and the angels of heaven celebrate when one person believes and receives Jesus. In another story, a father gently rebukes his faithful child, who resented the love and restoration the father had for the son’s wayward brother. The father also reminded the loyal son that everything the father had was his, but they had to celebrate the son who was dead, but now lives.

Third, we see that the kingdom is yet to come. Jesus told the story of a master who went away and left his servants with his possessions to use for his purposes and gain. The faithful multiplied the master’s possessions while the wicked failed to do so. When the master returned, he rewarded the faithful and punished the wicked.

We know that Jesus will return someday, a day we don’t expect, to consolidate His kingdom. Jesus is king over all creation now, and everyone in the world is accountable to Him. However, Jesus does not assert His authority over the world presently. In the biblical narrative, some people discounted that Jesus would return, saying everything continues just as it has from the beginning of creation. However, the apostle Peter counters their mockery, telling them what God has done and what will take place in the future.[9] He gives this reason for the delay in Jesus’ return, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”[10]

It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss why God allows evil to have power over the world. However, the verse above gives some indication. People are free to choose who to believe and receive, the god of this world or the one true God.[11] Without the presence of evil, there would be no choice. God created man to rule the earth with Him.[12] Sadly, we chose to abdicate our royal positions to serve other gods. Thankfully, God did not leave us in that condition, nor did He immediately annihilate humanity. Instead, He gives us every opportunity to turn to Him and rejoin His royal family.

I’m sorry I didn’t get to the practicalities of being citizens of the kingdom. I will attempt to do so in the next article. I thought it crucial for us to have a picture of how Jesus defined the gospel. Being a citizen is another aspect of our identity in Christ. Understanding our essential nature as new creations and our relational identity as children of God and citizens of His kingdom, will help us navigate our lives so much better. We can have a better picture of our place in the world both individually and corporately as the church.

[1] Matthew used the term “kingdom of heaven,” while the other gospel narratives typically refer to the “kingdom of God.” These two descriptions are equal and describe the same kingdom. Some scholars teach that Mathew refers to the kingdom of heaven because his audience was primarily Jews, and they were reluctant to use the name of God
[2] 1 Samuel 8
[3] Colossians 1:13, NASB1995. Jesus’ identity as Christ is equal to the Hebrew messiah. Both terms mean anointed one. Anointing in the Bible is used to set people and things apart for God’s service. It is often used for priests and kings.
[4] Ephesians 2:11–22
[5] Matthew 15:21–28
[6] 1 John 5:18–21
[7] Matthew 7
[8] John 17
[9] 2 Peter 3
[10] 2 Peter 3:9, NASB1995
[11] Some believe that people don’t have a choice and that God, in His sovereignty, has already decided who will enter the kingdom and who won’t. However, while it may be difficult for us to understand, as with many aspects of God, we see that His sovereignty and humanity’s free will coexist in the Bible.
[12] Genesis 1