Let us Pray…
The Key
*Is there a single theme that is the key to the entire Bible? Of course, Jesus Christ is an acceptable answer but another over-arching theme and key to both the Old and New Testaments is the theme of the Kingdom of God. A “key” to understanding the Kingdom of God is how one understands the concept of “kingdom”.
Key cont.
*Our modern day, Western culture understanding of the word “kingdom” is that of a land that is controlled by a King.
Kingdom reality
*That was not necessarily so for the Biblical or Eastern mind- in that context, Kingdom is more accurately described as the power of the King. When we think of the Kingdom of God in a territorial sense we are limiting the power and influence of the Lord God.
Bible Speaks of the "Kingdom"
*I Chronicles 29:10-13- “Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” (ESV)
The Bible Speaks in Psalm
*Psalm 145:10-13- “All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” (ESV)
Man Speaks
*Daniel 4:34-35- “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” (ESV)
Matthew 4:12-17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:16-44
*All three of these passages describe the same event. Matthew and Mark offer just a brief overview whereas in Luke it is more comprehensive. All three passages speak about how Jesus has passed his temptation test in the wilderness and has now begun his ministry. In the Luke passage Jesus is reading Scripture in the Synagogue. The Scripture Jesus is quoting comes from Isaiah 61:1-2.
Isaiah 61:1-2 ESV
*The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
(and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn)
(and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn)
The Arrival
*Jesus left off the final line from his reading for a reason: Jesus had come to declare the year of the Lord’s favor but not to usher in the day of vengeance. Jesus was declaring that the Kingdom of God had arrived on earth. The day of wrath is to come later so Jesus intentionally left that out; he wanted to show the Jews that he brought the Kingdom, not the wrath.