John 18:33-37. Jesus is a great King (v. 37), but his kingdom is not of this world (v. 36, twice). Rather, it is from “above,” from God (cf. John 3:3, 5; 8:23). This means God is ultimately the one who establishes and extends the kingship of Christ (Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44; Mark 4:26-29). Remarkably, however,Continue reading “Growing the Kingdom of Christ”
Tag Archives: Kingdom
Empowering Subjects of the King to Change the World-7
Workers (part 2, Good News). We’ve been exploring what Jesus meant by “workers” in Matthew 9:35-38 and have considered one aspect of it, doing good deeds (see post). A second aspect of being a worker is “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God” (Matthew 4:23; 9:35). It is not surprising that pagans (ActsContinue reading “Empowering Subjects of the King to Change the World-7”
Empowering Subjects of the King to Change the World-4
Christ-centered. Clearly Christ is extremely important and central in Scripture. He is the apex of God’s plan for humankind. His coming is prophesied in the Old Testament and described in the New. The word occurs well over 400 times in the New Testament, and “Jesus” appears another 1300+. Christ is the One through whom GodContinue reading “Empowering Subjects of the King to Change the World-4”
Sowing and Reaping—3
The Seed. In this series (begins here) we have discussed literal farming in the ancient world, the basic principle of sowing and reaping, and a number of related lessons. Our focus in the series is the passages that use sowing and reaping figuratively to describe people coming to Christ. Today we will explore the seed.Continue reading “Sowing and Reaping—3”
Parables of the Kingdom 13
Banquet. When we speculate about what heaven will be like, we mention a variety of things we hope we will get to experience. Many questions may remain unanswered for now, but the Bible also gives us some definite information about what it will be like. For example, God prophesied through Isaiah that one day heContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 13”
Parables of the Kingdom 8
Unmerciful Servant. For a while there was a major emphasis in both society and church on not judging others. More recently, that emphasis seems to have diminished greatly. Today we hear accusations left and right. There is a pervasive judging of most anyone about any number of things. This judging is in contrast to oneContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 8”
Parables of the Kingdom 7
Minas and Talents. The parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) and the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) are similar and also different. One of the differences is the amount of money entrusted to the servants. The word for “talent” in Matthew’s parable does indeed refer to money (see v. 27), not skills or abilities.Continue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 7”
Parables of the Kingdom 6
Treasure and Pearl. The parables of the treasure in a field and the pearl of great value are unique to Matthew (13:44-46). Their meaning is clear enough. The kingdom of God is of unparalleled worth. As a result, everything must be sacrificed to obtain it. In ancient times people often hid money or other valuablesContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 6”
Parables of the Kingdom 4
Leaven. What is the right relationship between the kingdom of God and the world? We don’t often say this, and when we do it is not popular, but there are only two kingdoms. There is the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. If we ask someone which kingdom they belong to, they mayContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 4”
Parables of the Kingdom 3
The Mustard Seed. I have to confess that I often get discouraged about the health of the church. Though there are indeed many fine congregations and some are doing very well, it seems that the church as a whole often gets off track. Problems abound, and sometimes it seems there is very little difference betweenContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 3”
Empowering Subjects 