Lesson 16 Explore 1: God’s Kingdom—What It Means to Jesus
During his earthly ministry, Jesus spoke about many subjects. For example, he taught his followers how to pray, how to please God, and how to find true happiness.
(Matthew 6.5-13: “Also, when you pray, do not act like the hypocrites, for they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. When praying, do not say the same things over and over again as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him. “You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. Give us today our bread for this day; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.’)
(Mark 12.17: Jesus then said: “Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” And they were amazed at him.)
(Luke 11.28: But he said: “No, rather, happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!”)
But the subject that Jesus spoke about more than any other-the subject closest to his heart-was God’s Kingdom.-
(Luke 6.45: A good man brings good out of the good treasure of his heart, but a wicked man brings what is wicked out of his wicked treasure; for out of the heart’s abundance his mouth speaks.)
As noted in the preceding article, Jesus centered his life on “preaching and declaring the good news of the Kingdom.”
(Luke 8.1: Shortly afterward he traveled from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the Kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him,)
He exerted himself, walking hundreds of miles throughout the land of Israel in order to teach people about God’s Kingdom. Jesus’ ministry was recorded in the four Gospels, which contain over 100 references to the Kingdom. Most of those references are found in the words of Jesus, and yet they must represent just a fraction of all that he said about God’s Kingdom!-
(John 21.25: There are also, in fact, many other things that Jesus did, which if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.)
Why did the Kingdom mean so much to Jesus when he was on the earth? For one thing, Jesus knew that God had selected him to be its Ruler.
(Isaiah 9.6: For a child has been born to us, A son has been given to us; And the rulership will rest on his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.)
(Luke 22.28-30: “However, you are the ones who have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the 12 tribes of Israel.)
But Jesus was not focused on achieving power or glory for himself.
(Matthew 11.29: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves.)
(Mark 10.17, 18: As he was going on his way, a man ran up and fell on his knees before him and put the question to him: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?” Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.)
He promoted the Kingdom for reasons far beyond his own interests. Primarily, Jesus was and is interested in God’s Kingdom because of what it will do for those whom he loves-his heavenly Father and his faithful followers.
WHAT THE KINGDOM WILL DO FOR JESUS’ FATHER
Jesus has deep affection for his heavenly Father.
(Proverbs 8.30: Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time;)
(John 14.31: But for the world to know that I love the Father, I am doing just as the Father has commanded me to do. Get up, let us go from here.)
He admires his Father’s endearing qualities, such as His love, His compassion, and His justice.
(Deuteronomy 32.4: The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; Righteous and upright is he.)
(Isaiah 49.15: Can a woman forget her nursing child Or have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I would never forget you.)
(1 John 4.8: Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.)
Surely, then, Jesus must hate to hear the lies that are spread about his Father-lies such as that God is indifferent to human suffering and that God wants us to suffer. This is one reason why Jesus was eager to declare “the good news of the Kingdom”-he knew that in time the Kingdom would clear his Father’s reputation.
(Matthew 4.23: Then he went throughout the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the Kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity among the people.)
(Matthew 6.9, 10: “You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth.)
How will it do so?
Through the Kingdom, Jehovah will take drastic, positive action in behalf of the human family. “He will wipe out every tear” from the eyes of faithful humans. Jehovah will eliminate the causes of those tears, seeing to it that “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”
(Revelation 21.3, 4: With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”)
By means of the Kingdom, God will eliminate all human suffering.
Little wonder that Jesus was eager to tell people about the Kingdom! He knew that it would reveal just how powerful and compassionate his Father really is.
(James 5.11: Look! We consider happy those who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful.)
Jesus also knew that the Kingdom would benefit others whom he loves-faithful humans.
WHAT THE KINGDOM WILL DO FOR FAITHFUL HUMANS
Long before he came to earth, Jesus lived in heaven with his Father. The Father used the Son to bring everything into existence-from the mind-boggling heavens with their countless stars and galaxies to our beautiful planet and the wildlife that inhabits it.
(Colossians 1.15, 16: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him.)
Out of it all, though, Jesus became “especially fond of” humankind.-
(Proverbs 8.31: I rejoiced over his habitable earth, And I was especially fond of the sons of men.)
Love for humans characterized Jesus’ ministry. From the very start, he made it clear that he had come to earth to “declare good news” to those in need.
(Luke 4.18: “Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send the crushed ones away free,)
But Jesus did more than talk about helping people. Time and again, he demonstrated his love for humans. For example, when a large crowd gathered to hear him speak, Jesus “felt pity for them, and he cured their sick ones.”
(Matthew 14.14: When he came ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he felt pity for them, and he cured their sick ones.)
When a man with a grievous disease expressed faith that Jesus could heal him if he really wanted to, Jesus was moved by love. He healed the man, compassionately telling him: “I want to! Be made clean.”
(Luke 5.12, 13: On another occasion while he was in one of the cities, look! there was a man full of leprosy! When he caught sight of Jesus, he fell facedown and begged him: “Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean.” So stretching out his hand, he touched him, saying: “I want to! Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy vanished from him.)
When Jesus saw his friend Mary mourning the death of her brother, Lazarus, Jesus “groaned within himself,” “became troubled,” and “gave way to tears.”
(John 11.32-36: When Mary arrived where Jesus was and caught sight of him, she fell at his feet and said to him: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he groaned within himself and became troubled. He said: “Where have you laid him?” They said to him: “Lord, come and see.” Jesus gave way to tears. At that the Jews began to say: “See, what affection he had for him!”)
Then he did the unimaginable-Jesus brought Lazarus back to life although Lazarus had been dead for four days!-
(John 11.38-44: Then Jesus, after groaning again within himself, came to the tomb. It was, in fact, a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said: “Take the stone away.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him: “Lord, by now he must smell, for it has been four days.” Jesus said to her: “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took the stone away. Then Jesus raised his eyes heavenward and said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. True, I knew that you always hear me; but I spoke on account of the crowd standing around, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come out!” The man who had been dead came out with his feet and hands bound with wrappings, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them: “Free him and let him go.”)
Jesus, of course, knew that the relief he offered then was only temporary. He realized that sooner or later, all whom he healed would get sick again and all whom he resurrected would die again. However, Jesus also knew that God’s Kingdom would bring a permanent end to such problems. That is why Jesus did not just perform miracles; he also zealously declared “the good news of the Kingdom.”
(Matthew 9.35: And Jesus set out on a tour of all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the Kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity.)
His miracles demonstrated on a small scale what God’s Kingdom will soon do earth wide. Consider what the Bible promises regarding that time.
• No more health problems. “At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. At that time the lame will leap like the deer, and the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy.” Additionally, “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”-
(Isaiah 33.24: And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error.)
(Isaiah 35.5, 6: At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain.)
• No more death. “The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.”-
(Psalm 37.29: The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it.)
“He will swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces.”-
(Isaiah 25.8: He will swallow up death forever, And the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces. The reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, For Jehovah himself has spoken it.)
• Those who have died will return to life. “All those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.”-
(John 5.28, 29: Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.)
“There is going to be a resurrection.”-
(Acts 24.15: And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.)
• No more homelessness or unemployment. “They will build houses and live in them, and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build for someone else to inhabit, nor will they plant for others to eat.... The work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full.”-
(Isaiah 65.21, 22: They will build houses and live in them, And they will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build for someone else to inhabit, Nor will they plant for others to eat. For the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, And the work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full.)
• No more war. “He is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth.”-
(Psalm 46.9: He is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the military wagons with fire.)
“Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.”-
(Isaiah 2.4: He will render judgment among the nations And set matters straight respecting many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, Nor will they learn war anymore.)
• No more food shortages. “The earth will give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.”-
(Psalm 67.6: The earth will give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.)
“There will be an abundance of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains it will overflow.”-
(Psalm 72.16: There will be an abundance of grain on the earth; On the top of the mountains it will overflow. His fruit will flourish as in Lebanon, And in the cities people will blossom like the vegetation of the earth.)
• No more poverty. “The poor will not always be forgotten.”-
(Psalm 9.18: But the poor will not always be forgotten; Nor will the hope of the meek ever perish.)
“He will rescue the poor who cry for help, also the lowly one and whoever has no helper. He will have pity on the lowly and the poor, and the lives of the poor he will save.”-
(Psalm 72.12, 13: For he will rescue the poor who cry for help, Also the lowly one and whoever has no helper. He will have pity on the lowly and the poor, And the lives of the poor he will save.)
When you consider those promises regarding God’s Kingdom, can you see why the Kingdom means so much to Jesus? While on earth, he was eager to talk about God’s Kingdom to anyone who would listen, for he knew that the Kingdom would bring an end to all the distressing problems we see today.
Do the Bible’s promises regarding the Kingdom appeal to you? If so, how can you learn more about that Kingdom? And what can you do to make sure that you will benefit from its blessings? The final article in this series will answer those questions.
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