Healing and Jesus as it relates to the kingdom
The Scriptures make it clear that Jesus came to do and express the Father’s will. Therefore it is early in Jesus’ teachings that the phrases “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” begin to appear.
I believe that He deliberately and intentionally spoke of this “kingdom” for several reasons. And, the Lord being my helper, I wanted to link these phrases to not only Jesus’ healing ministry, but to the entire ministry that Jesus displayed.
The listeners understood what “kingdom” meant
The first reason Jesus used this phrase is because the entire culture of the Middle East understood what a “kingdom” was.
Whether the kingdom was large or small, a “kingdom” referred to a people who were ruled by a king, but also a geographical area where the influence and power of the “king” extended or ruled. (The term “empire” would be another word that would soon appear in history, and the most notable one would of course be the Roman Empire. And in that context the “king” would have the title “emperor.”)
Examples of “kingdom” in the Old Testament
To give just a brief glimpse of how the word “kingdom” is used, let's just quote two verses from the Old Testament.
The first one is from Ezra, where King Cyrus confesses his divine appointment to build the temple of God.
Ezra 1:2: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.'”
And the other scripture is from Daniel 6:26: “'I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end.'”
I chose these two verses because they are both great examples of what is called “sovereignty.”
God's kingdom is sovereign
The quote from Ezra displays the sovereignty of King Cyrus, and also implies God’s sovereignty in that only God can give a ruler authentic rule or dominion. The quote from Daniel essentially expresses the same concept.
Why am I taking the time to focus on this phrase “the kingdom of God”? Because the second reason Jesus used this phrase is to help us understand that Jesus came not only to be our Redeemer/Savior, but also to demonstrate that God’s kingdom (rule) is intended to touch everything and everyone.
Did not Jesus exhibit this in everything He did? Did not the wind and the waves obey Him? Did not the colt He sat upon and rode triumphantly into Jerusalem totally submit to His control? Did not the fish that gave Peter and the disciples a net-breaking, boat-swamping catch obey? And, praise His holy name, did not sickness, disease, and every other kind of infirmity, yield to His Royal Presence? And were not the demons and even death itself no match for His sovereignty?
I ask you to follow me in a few more posts where I will share some more insightful things about this “kingdom of God.”
Blessings and prayers,
Pastor Gene
I believe that He deliberately and intentionally spoke of this “kingdom” for several reasons. And, the Lord being my helper, I wanted to link these phrases to not only Jesus’ healing ministry, but to the entire ministry that Jesus displayed.
The listeners understood what “kingdom” meant
The first reason Jesus used this phrase is because the entire culture of the Middle East understood what a “kingdom” was.
Whether the kingdom was large or small, a “kingdom” referred to a people who were ruled by a king, but also a geographical area where the influence and power of the “king” extended or ruled. (The term “empire” would be another word that would soon appear in history, and the most notable one would of course be the Roman Empire. And in that context the “king” would have the title “emperor.”)
Examples of “kingdom” in the Old Testament
To give just a brief glimpse of how the word “kingdom” is used, let's just quote two verses from the Old Testament.
The first one is from Ezra, where King Cyrus confesses his divine appointment to build the temple of God.
Ezra 1:2: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.'”
And the other scripture is from Daniel 6:26: “'I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end.'”
I chose these two verses because they are both great examples of what is called “sovereignty.”
God's kingdom is sovereign
The quote from Ezra displays the sovereignty of King Cyrus, and also implies God’s sovereignty in that only God can give a ruler authentic rule or dominion. The quote from Daniel essentially expresses the same concept.
Why am I taking the time to focus on this phrase “the kingdom of God”? Because the second reason Jesus used this phrase is to help us understand that Jesus came not only to be our Redeemer/Savior, but also to demonstrate that God’s kingdom (rule) is intended to touch everything and everyone.
Did not Jesus exhibit this in everything He did? Did not the wind and the waves obey Him? Did not the colt He sat upon and rode triumphantly into Jerusalem totally submit to His control? Did not the fish that gave Peter and the disciples a net-breaking, boat-swamping catch obey? And, praise His holy name, did not sickness, disease, and every other kind of infirmity, yield to His Royal Presence? And were not the demons and even death itself no match for His sovereignty?
I ask you to follow me in a few more posts where I will share some more insightful things about this “kingdom of God.”
Blessings and prayers,
Pastor Gene
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