What Did Jesus Mean by “The Kingdom of God”?
If you’ve spent any time reading the Gospels, you’ve probably noticed that Jesus talked about the “Kingdom of God” constantly. It wasn’t just a side topic—it was the central message of everything He did and said. But what exactly did He mean by it?
Jesus Was All In From Day One
From His childhood, Jesus understood His mission. Remember when His parents found Him in the temple after searching frantically? Even as a young boy, He told them He had to be about His Father’s business. This wasn’t rebellion—it was clarity about His purpose.
That purpose became crystal clear at His baptism. When the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, it was God’s public announcement: “This is my Son, the Messiah.” From that moment, Jesus demonstrated authority unlike anything people had seen before. He cast out demons, healed the sick, forgave sins (which only God could do), and even declared authority over the Sabbath itself.
Building a New Community
Jesus didn’t just preach about God’s Kingdom—He started building it. When He called those first disciples by the Sea of Galilee, they dropped everything and followed Him immediately. That’s the kind of authority He carried.
But here’s what’s fascinating: Jesus specifically chose twelve disciples. To our modern ears, that might seem random, but to first-century Jews, it was loaded with meaning. Israel had twelve tribes, and many Jews believed they were still spiritually in exile, waiting for God to restore their nation. By choosing twelve, Jesus was making a statement: God’s restoration was happening, but maybe not in the way people expected.
Breaking All the Rules (For Good Reason)
Jesus had a habit of eating with people the religious establishment considered “sinners.” This wasn’t just about being friendly—it was revolutionary. He was demonstrating that God’s Kingdom was open to everyone, not just the religiously elite.
Then He took it even further. Jesus extended God’s invitation beyond the Jewish community to Gentiles—outsiders who the religious leaders thought had no place in God’s Kingdom. He healed a Roman centurion’s servant and predicted that people from all nations would come to feast in God’s Kingdom. This was scandalous stuff.
The Cross: Victory That Looked Like Defeat
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, He was deliberately fulfilling an ancient prophecy about Israel’s coming king. But this king wasn’t coming to overthrow Rome—He was coming to die. Jesus knew it, even predicted it, though His disciples couldn’t wrap their heads around it.
At the Last Supper, surrounded by symbols of Passover and exodus, Jesus reframed everything. His death wasn’t a defeat—it was the sacrifice that would usher in God’s Kingdom.
The Resurrection Changes Everything
Here’s the bottom line: without the resurrection, none of this matters. But because God raised Jesus from the dead, everything He claimed was validated. His message was true. His mission was accomplished. The Kingdom He announced was real.
So What Is God’s Kingdom?
God’s Kingdom is simply this: God’s domain and God’s way of doing things. It exists in both the spiritual realm and the physical world. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The Kingdom isn’t just a future hope—it’s breaking into our world right now, wherever God’s will is being done. And here’s the amazing part: Jesus invites us to be part of it.
When we follow Jesus, heal the broken, extend grace to outsiders, and live under God’s authority, we’re participating in the same Kingdom work Jesus started two thousand years ago. The question isn’t whether God’s Kingdom is real—the resurrection settled that. The question is: will we live like it?
Want to explore more about what it means to live in God’s Kingdom today? Join us at Northeast Community Church where we’re learning together what it means to be part of God’s restored community.
