The kingdom of God

Read Matthew 4:17

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“From that time on” Jesus began to proclaim that God’s kingdom was near. John the Baptist had prepared the way for him by announcing the same message (Mt.3:2). The kingdom of God is at the heart of Jesus’s teaching. Matthew prefers the phrase kingdom of heaven but the meaning is identical to kingdom of God.

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The literal meaning is God’s kingship or reign i.e. it's not a political kingdom of the type that the Jews were hoping the Messiah would establish. So to enter God’s kingdom means to accept God as king, living in obedience to his commands (cf. “your kingdom come, your will be done” Mt.6:10; Mt.7:21).

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God’s kingdom, therefore, has a broader meaning than the church, for wherever God’s will is done on earth he is reigning there. But Christians have a particular call to live under God’s rule – seeking first his kingdom (Mt.6:33) – and to share the good news of the kingdom with others (Mt.10:7; Col.1:13-14).

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In Jesus, God’s kingdom has come, and by his Spirit he continues to come to people who own him as king. There is a future aspect too, for when Jesus returns openly in glory, then the kingdom of God will be fully seen and recognised. “Therefore keep watch” (Mt.25:1-13).