What does the kingdom of God look like? (Week 4:3)

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 4:17; Luke 17:20-21

If this kingdom of God is so important, what does it look like? If Jesus talked about it more than anything else, then our ears should perk up.

What does it look like? In a word, Jesus. Jesus, the Incarnation of God among humanity, embodies and incarnates the kingdom of God. At the beginning of his public ministry, he announces, “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.” (Matthew 4:17, The Message) It is here and he embodies it.

“It is here! God’s kingdom is already here! It is here among you!” Look at Jesus, and all that he taught and preached about the kingdom, and we will get handles on what this kingdom looks like.

Followers of Jesus are kingdom people. The kingdom: the rule and reign and realm of God. The reign and rule and intentions of God: this is what Jesus comes announcing, and then incarnates in his person. And, we are invited to live in this way of Jesus.

It is already here…and it is not yet here fully. That is why we also pray “Thy kingdom come” since it is not completely here. We seek to live as kingdom people, to be signs of and point to what it will be in fullness some day in the new heavens and new earth.

What does the kingdom look like? Jesus. We take our cues from him, God’s final and definitive revelation. We look at his life and death. We listen to his stories and parables, his teaching and preaching. And, we open up our inner being to his rule and kingdom- and to his very person to come live and rule within.

We keep looking to Jesus, the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), “the first and last” (Revelation 22:13). This is, literally, the journey for the rest of our lives- to continually learn and grow and be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. What we see in Jesus is the very kingdom of God- that rule and reign and life that is from God, and…which is “upside-down” from the kingdom of the world. More later…

Question: What do I see in the nature of the kingdom of God as I look at Jesus?

Prayer: “O God, keep my eyes intently fixed on Jesus. I submit to your rule and reign, your kingdom; keep me focused on Jesus and what this life looks like that you so desire for me and the rest of the world. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”