Jesus connects His resurrection and the Kingdom. Acts 1: 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. [1]
Jesus’ resurrection is foundational for our faith. By His death, He paid the blood price for our sins. His resurrection demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, and we can receive forgiveness for our sins. Jesus was the first of the resurrected, but as we believe in Him, we also have the promise of resurrection.
Paul provides us with insight into the significance of Jesus’ resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15: 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead… 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.[2]
What is the Kingdom of God?
We can understand what an earthly kingdom is. There is a king or leader, a geographic place, and subjects under the king’s rule. God’s Kingdom is similar. We have a King who is God, often pictured as King Jesus. The subjects of this Kingdom are believers who submit to the rule and reign of Jesus. But God’s Kingdom has a very different geographical area. It resides in the hearts of the believers. Thus, believers take the Kingdom of God wherever they go.
Jesus had been preaching about the Kingdom of God since the beginning of His ministry. Matthew 4: 17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[3] He had brought a piece of the Kingdom of Heaven with Him to earth. Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to send His Kingdom to earth. Matthew 6:10Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. [4]
Misunderstanding of the Kingdom
Jewish scholars thought that Messiah would only come once. This is understandable since the prophecies of Jesus’ first and second coming are often intertwined. Thus, the disciples were anticipating a political rule and reign. They even argued over who would have special privileges to help rule alongside Jesus on earth (Mark 10:35-39).
The Jewish people hated Roman rule and wanted to have their own nation. They wanted Messiah to be king over an earthly kingdom. They didn’t realize that Messiah needed to come to free them from their sin. These hopes disappeared when Jesus died, but now that He was alive, their hopes were renewed. Acts 1:6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” [5]
Jesus will bring the fullness of the Kingdom when He returns. But He doesn’t want us to speculate about it now. He has a purpose for us, and that is to share the message of His spiritual Kingdom now. To learn more about the resurrection and the Kingdom, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/discipled-to-make-disciples
[1-3,5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 1:3). Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 6:10). (2016). Crossway Bibles.