The Kingdom of God in a Non-Rejection Context Kingdom of God as Present.

The Kingdom of God in a Non-Rejection Context

Kingdom of God as Present

“Robinson’s Arch”

“Robinson’s Arch”

Jewish Ossuaries in Tomb

Organization of Jesus’ Teaching on the Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God in the Synoptic Gospels in a Non-Rejection Context

The Kingdom of God as Present

The Kingdom of God as Future

The Kingdom of God in the Synoptic Gospels in a Rejection Context

Healings, Exorcisms and Forgiveness

Matt 11:4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, good news is preached to the poor.” (= Luke 7:22-23)

Matt 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of Heaven has drawn near.” 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Matt 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. (= Luke 11:20)Luke 19:9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the son of man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Kingdom of God as Synonym for God or God’s Reign

Ps 103:19: Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

Pre-Understanding of “Kingdom of God”

Ps 145:11-13: They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power; to make known to the sons of men your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.



Kingdom of God as Synonym for God or God’s Reign

1 Chron 28:5: He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel.

1 Enoch 84:2 Your authority and kingdom abide forever and ever and your dominion throughout all the generations of generations

Targum Onkelos translates Exod 15:18 "Yahweh reigns forever" as "The Kingdom of God stands fast" and Isa 24:23 "Yahweh of hosts reigns" as "Manifest is the Kingdom of God"




Ps. Sol. 17:3: And the kingdom of our God is forever over the nations in judgment.

Kingdom of God as Describing Israel's Eschatological Salvation

Obadiah 21 “And the kingdom will be Yahweh's”

4Q521 (4QMessianic Apocalypse): “The Lord.... will glorify the pious ones upon the throne of his kingdom forever.”

Targum Jonathan on Zech 14:9 translates Zech 14:9 “Yahweh will be king” as “Manifest will be the Kingdom of God.”




Kingdom of God as Describing Israel's Eschatological Salvation

1QM 4.4: "The Kingship shall belong to the God of Israel” (after the eschatological war between “sons of light” and “sons of darkness”)

Testament of Moses: “Then his [God's] Kingdom will appear throughout his whole creation.”

Sibylline Oracles: “Then indeed the most great Kingdom of the immortal king will become manifest over men” (3.47-48) / “And then, indeed, he will raise up a kingdom for all ages among men, he who once gave the Law to the pious” (3.767-69).




“The Kingdom of God Has Drawn Near (Mark 1:14-15 = Matt 4:17)

Mark 1:14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has been fulfilled,” he said. "The Kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe the good news!"

What are the two indicative statements and the two imperative statements contained in the summary of Jesus’ message? What did Jesus say about the Kingdom of God?

The Time is Fulfilled




Blessed Eyes and Ears (Matt 13:17; Luke 10:24)



Matt 13:17: For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Why are the disciples privileged? What is implied about the salvation-historical time?

Luke 10:24: For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."


Sermon at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30)



16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and as was his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. And he opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Isa 61:1-2). 20 And he rolled up the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." How does Jesus interpret Isa 61:1-2? What does this imply about his salvation-historical self-understanding?


John and the Kingdom of God (Matt 11:11 = Luke 7:28)


The Kingdom of God in Salvation-Historical Context

Matt 11:11: Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. Luke 7:28: I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.

Why is John the greatest human being? Why is the least in the Kingdom greater than John? What is implied about the nature of the Kingdom of God?


The Law and the Prophets (Luke 16:16; Matt 11:12-13)



Luke 16:16: The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time, the good news of the Kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Matthew 11:12: From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. What does Jesus say about John the Baptist in relation to the Kingdom of God? Why does the Kingdom advance “forcefully”? What does to force one’s way into the Kingdom and that “forceful” men take hold of it?


Parable of New and Old Treasures (Matt 13:52)



And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

In what sense is the scribe who accepts the message of the Kingdom of God like a man who adds a new treasure to an old treasure? What do the old treasure and the new treasure symbolize?


Incompatibility of Old and New (Mark 2:21-22)



21 No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins. What Is Jesus’ point in using the examples of unshrunken cloth to mend a tear in an old garment and new wine in old skins?


Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)


Kingdom of God as Historical Process

Mark 4:26: He also said, "This is what the Kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." In what sense is the Kingdom of God like a seed growing by itself with no assistance from human beings? What does the harvest represent in the parable?


Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32; Matt 13:31-33 = Luke 13:18-19)



Mark 4:30: Again he said, "What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." In what sense is the kingdom of God like a mustard seed planted in the ground? What does the contrast between the small seed and large plant symbolize?


Parable of the Leaven (Matt 13:33 = Luke 13:20-21)



Matt 13:33: He spoke another parable to them, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks [sata] of flour until it was all leavened.”

In what sense is the kingdom of God like a woman adding yeast to dough?

Potsherd from Masada

Synagogue at Gamla

Organization of Jesus’ Teaching on the Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God in the Synoptic Gospels in a Non-Rejection Context

The Kingdom of God as Present

The Kingdom of God as Future

The Kingdom of God in the Synoptic Gospels in a Rejection Context


The Kingdom of God in Your Midst (Luke 17:20-21)


Kingdom of God as Inseparable from Jesus

Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, "The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you."

What is the Pharisees’ view of the how the Kingdom of God will appear in history? What does Jesus say about the Kingdom of God in this passage? How does his view differ from that of the Pharisees to whom he was speaking?


Possibility of Exclusion of Law-Keepers from Kingdom (Matt 21:28-31)


Kingdom of God as Inseparable from Jesus

28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, “Son, go work today in the vineyard.” 29 And he answered, “I will not”; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, “I will, sir”; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.”What is Jesus’ warning in this passage and to whom is it addressed?


Not to Gentiles or a City of the Samaritans (Matt 10:5-7)

Kingdom of God as PresentKingdom of God for Jews Alone

5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”

To whom does Jesus restrict the proclamation of the Kingdom of God? Who is excluded? Why would Jesus exclude these others?


Bread to Dogs (Mark 7:24-30; Matt 15:21-28)

Kingdom of God as PresentKingdom of God for Jews Alone

Mark 7:24 Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, he wanted no one to know of it; yet he could not escape notice. 25 But after hearing of him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered and said to him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." 29 And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter." 30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. Why is Jesus reluctant to help the woman? What does he call her?


Repentance and Becoming like a Child (Matt 18:3)

Kingdom of God as PresentAppropriating the Kingdom of God

And He called a child to himself and set him before them, 3and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you repent and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven What is the condition that Jesus sets for entering the Kingdom of God? In what sense is a person to become like a child?


Receiving the Kingdom as a Child (Mark 10:15 = Luke 18:17)


Mark 10:15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

How does a person enter the Kingdom of God? What does it mean to receive it as a child?


Parables of the Hidden Treasure and Valuable Pearl (Matt 13:44; Matt 13:45-46)


Matt 13:44: The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.Matt 13:45: Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. In what sense is the Kingdom of Heaven like acquiring a field with a hidden treasure or buying a valuable pearl? What does this parable teaching about the condition of being a participant in the Kingdom of Heaven?


Seeking First the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:22-32 = Matt 6:25-34)


Luke 12:30 For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom

What does seeking the Kingdom of God and its righteousness mean?

Matt 6:32: For the gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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The Kingdom of God in a Non-Rejection Context Kingdom of God as Present.

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