www.peacebuilderscommunity.org
When Jesus was
physically here
on earth,
what was
the main subject
of his preaching?
The
Kingdom
of God
The
Cross
Main Idea:
Do we know how God rules?
God became a human being
in the person of
Jesus Christ—
who showed all humanity
how God reigns,
not through the love of power,
but through the power of love,
at the Cross of Calvary.
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Kingdom of God
The heart of Jesus' teachings centers around
the theme of the kingdom of God.
This expression is found in 61 separate sayings in the Synoptic
Gospels. Counting parallels to these passages, the expression
occurs over 85 times. It also occurs twice in John (3:3, 5).
It is found in such key places as - the preaching of John the Baptist, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near" (Matt 3:2 );
 Jesus’ earliest announcement, "The time has come… The kingdom of God
is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15 ; cf. Matt
4:17; Luke 4:42-43);
 the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, "your kingdom come" (Matt 6:10);
 in the Beatitudes, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew
5:3 Matthew 5:10);
 at the Last Supper, "I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God" (Mark 14:25); and,
 in many of Jesus' parables (Matthew 13:24 Matthew 13:44 Matthew
13:45 Matthew 13:47; Mark 4:26 Mark 4:30; Luke19:11).
MATTHEW 6:9-15
The Lord’s Prayer
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
9
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
10
Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
11
For if you forgive other people when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if
you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins.
14
MATTHEW 6:16-24
Fasting
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they
disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on
your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others
that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
16
Treasures in Heaven
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and
vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not
destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole
body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole
body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness,
how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love
19
the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
cannot serve both God and money.
You
MATTHEW 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more
valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single
hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that
is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe
you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we
eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the
pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows
25
that you need them.33 But
seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own.
O.T. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring
good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your
God reigns!”
SHALOM AS A WAY TO UNDERSTAND ‘THE KINGDOM’
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
CHARACTERIZED BY THE MESSIANIC PEACE (ISA. 9:6)
JESUS IS KING
In our Spiritual Transformation
JESUS IS KING
In our Psycho-Social Transformation
JESUS IS KING
In our Social-Political Transformation
JESUS IS KING
In our Economic-Ecological
Transformation
KINGDOMBUILDING=SHALOMLIVING
“. . . when we turn
to Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John we
discover that they
at least think it’s
important to retell
the history of Israel
and to show that
the story of Jesus is
the story in which
that long history,
warts and all,
reaches its Godordained climax.”
JOHN 19:28-30
The Death of Jesus
Later, knowing that everything had now
been finished, and so that Scripture would
be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”29 A jar
of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a
sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the
hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When
28
he had received the drink, Jesus said,
“It is
finished.” With that, he bowed his head and
gave up his spirit.
The Cross
“If the cross is to be interpreted
as the coming of the kingdom
on earth as in heaven, centering
on some kind of messianic victory,
with some kind of substitution at
its heart, making sense through
some kind of representation, then
the four gospels leave us with the
primary application of the cross
not in abstract preaching about
“how to have your sins forgiven”
or “how to go to heaven,” but in
an agenda in which the forgiven
people are put to work,
addressing the evils of the world
in the light of the victory at
Calvary. Those who are put right
with God through the cross are to
be putting-right people for the
world.” (p. 244)
THE MESSIANIC VICTORY INAUGURATES
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
AS PROPHESIED IN THE O.T. (ISA 9:6; 52:7)
JESUS IS KING
In our Spiritual Transformation
JESUS IS KING
In our Psycho-Social Transformation
JESUS IS KING
In our Social-Political Transformation
JESUS IS KING
In our Economic-Ecological
Transformation
KINGDOMBUILDING=SHALOMLIVING
Summary
Yes, we know how God rules!
God became a human being
in the person of
Jesus Christ—
who showed all humanity
how God reigns,
not through the love of power,
but through the power of love,
at the Cross of Calvary.
HOW SHOULD WE THEN PUT THESE
KINGDOM PRINCIPLES INTO ACTION?
Enjoy
your spiritual intimacy with
the King—day by day.
Submit
your being to the rule of
the King—moment by moment.
Love
the Other with the love of the King.
Take good care
of the physical properties of the King.
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