Kingdom Disciples

Jesus declared that the “end” will not come until this gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed to all nations .  When the future return of Jesus is discussed, the question naturally arises - What “signs” will precede it? Will wars, earthquakes, and other catastrophes mark the nearness of that day? Fortunately, Jesus provided a definitive answer to this question - The completion of the church’s mission to testify to the whole earth   - [ Preaching the Gospel - Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash ].

The mission of the church between now and the return of Jesus is to announce the Good News of his Kingdom to all men   –   Matthew 24:14 .  Jesus tasked his church with announcing his gospel to all nations. The New Testament summarizes his message as the “ good news of the Kingdom of God .” In him, God’s rule over the earth is being established, though often in unexpected and paradoxical ways. By the time Christ returns, he will have established total sovereignty over the nations and subjugated all His “ enemies ,” especially the “ last enemy ,” death - [ World in Hand photo by  Jake Weirick  on Unsplash ].

The political order inaugurated by Jesus is the “Kingdom of God,” and it bears little resemblance to the political systems of this world .  When Jesus first appeared in Galilee, he began to proclaim the “ Kingdom of God ” – “ Repent, for the kingdom is at hand .” In his ministry, the reign of God began to invade the earth. However, his realm was of an entirely different nature than the political systems of the present age, and on more than one occasion, Christ refused that kind of political power, especially when it was offered by Satan - [ Colosseum - Photo by Hank Paul on Unsplash ].

Jesus is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel, the one with absolute authority from Yahweh over the earth .  After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began to proclaim the “ good news ” of the kingdom – “ The season is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel .” The term “ Kingdom of God ” was a summary statement that meant different things to different people, but he identified his mission most closely with the “ Son of Man ” from the book of Daniel - [ Earth Photo by NASA on Unsplash ].