What does Jesus talk about more than anything else? Try asking your friends (religious, spiritual, both or neither) and see what answers you get. Some (I hope) might say “love.” Others (I fear) might say “sin.” Once, I asked random patrons at a bar and someone guessed, “Carpentry?”
The statistical answer: “the kingdom of God.” There are 52 references to the kingdom in Matthew, 18 in Mark and, 41 in Luke and two in John. Jesus has a great deal to say about the kingdom of God: where it is found, when it will come, how it draws near, to whom it belongs.
In many Scripture passages, Jesus starts out talking about love, sin, prayer, money, marriage or children or something else. But before he is done, he makes some sort of reference to the kingdom of God. There’s a lot to learn about the kingdom. Hint: it doesn’t just refer to a place we hope to go to when we die. Still, there is one simple truth: What Jesus and others teach us about the kingdom of God is good news!
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “The kingdom of God: Beautiful feet” by Mark Allan Powell in the January/February 2022 Gather magazine.
If you enjoy this resource, Donate Now.