Mission of Jesus

The Kingdom of God as central message of Jesus’ mission


The central theme of Jesus’ ministry was the “kingdom of God”. Under this program can be gathered a large percentage of his individual sayings, his most eloquent parables, and the purpose of the healing and teaching ministry he undertook. Mark and Matthew explicitly state that Jesus’ inaugural preaching announced the coming of the “kingdom” or “rule” of God.

The kingdom of God was not an invention of Jesus or the gospels. The theme had deep roots in Israel’s religious history. In the Old Testament, the Israelites held unto that hope that God would eventually vindicate Israel and bestow on the people the blessings of peace, prosperity, and fullness of life. The students may be led to a review of their Old Testament lessons to facilitate discussion.

• From the act of creation to the promise of land to Abraham and even until the Exodus from Egypt, Israel has been reminded of the reality that God is their ruler. More importantly, the covenant at Sinai signified God’s active rule in their lives: You shall be my people and I will be your God.
• When the Israelites were settling in the Promised Land, they lived according to their respective tribes, i.e. 12 tribes of Israel. Back then, they were led by Judges who served as “tribal leaders” to remind them of their covenant with God in Sinai. God alone could be acclaimed as king over Israel, and no other human would dare usurp this role.
• But the need for a tighter social organization asserted itself and as Israel saw the appeal and threats of the surrounding cultures, it too turned toward a monarchy. However, they were reminded that despite the existence of earthly rulers (Saul, David, Solomon, etc.), God remains as their sovereign king and ruler, as these kings were his representatives to Israel.
• Israel’s experience of monarchy, however, was not satisfying. David and Solomon were flashes of brilliance in the long line of often mediocre and sometimes corrupt rulers. Solomon’s mishandling of priorities eventually led to the division of the kingdom, and soon after, the invasion of conquerors from Assyria and Babylon, then the Persians, Greeks, and the Romans during the time of Jesus.
• The expectations of the kingdom intensified with the message of the prophets, as the Israelites expected a messiah who will free them from a history of oppression and slavery.
  

However, the kingdom, it was believed, would appear once more, but this time not as a symbol of human ambition. God would come to establish a kingdom, not only to Israel but over all the earth – not as some heavenly “Camelot” but as God’s reigning in power so that all could know and experience His might.


What exactly is the Kingdom of God?
What exactly is this “Kingdom of God” that Jesus preached at the beginning of his public ministry? In order for us to understand the important facets of this message, it is important for us to return to Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

“The Time is fulfilled”

• Throughout its history as a nation, Israel was intensely and intently expecting for a redeemer who will come to their aid. Through the person of Jesus, this period of waiting is over, for their long awaited messiah is in their midst (see Luke 4:16-22).
• “Time” here is understood not in terms of a succession of events that come one after another (chronos), but a special moment that, if not responded to accordingly, would be missed forever (kairos). The coming of the kingdom is a privileged moment that demands an action for those who are part of it.
  

“The Kingdom of God is at hand”

• The kingdom referred to by Jesus should neither be understood in a spatial sense nor as a state of bliss constructed by human means. Rather, it refers to God’s active reign or rule (basilea) where God would draw near to us through divine mercy and justice – in a situation where hostility and infidelity would cease (Isaiah 11:6-9). Hence, this kingdom is not static location (a place), but a dynamic present, and living reality (a reign or rule).
• However, some of the parables and sayings of Jesus refer to the kingdom as a future event whose full impact must be preceded by slow and patient growth (see parables of mustard seed and leaven in Matthew 13:31-33). Even in the Lord’s prayer, Jesus evokes this by saying “your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10). Nonetheless, this kingdom is a work in progress – it is already, but not yet. It means that God is now manifesting his reign, his salvific activity in the lives of his people through the person of His son, Jesus. The fullness of the kingdom, the complete expression of God’s rule over Israel and all nations, awaits the future. But such does not mean that we are stranded in an uncertain future. Now is the time when we either open our lives to the kingdom through a concrete life response. The kingdom may be future-looking, but the choice is now.
  

“Repent and believe in the Gospel”

• Jesus’ preaching of the reign of God is that he calls for an immediate response – “repent, and believe in the Gospel.” The English word “repent” has the connotation of being sorry for one’s sins. But its original Greek term, metanoia, suggests much more: to think again, to change one’s heart, one’s mind, one’s way of life, to assume a new standpoint. The impact of such term implies a complete reform, a radical change in priorities that comes from seeing the world as God sees it.
• How will such metanoia be possible? One needs to look no further than the person of Jesus, who fully reveals the kingdom of God in his own person. Jesus’ way of life, as we will see in our next few sessions, was a response to the very kingdom that he was preaching.