Author: Jay Lehman

As we wait for the king to be revealed, let’s return to the gospels and discover some of the things Jesus had to say about His coming kingdom; the kingdom of which we are now its citizens.  We have already seen that it does not fit the mold of military might or political power usually attached to the word “kingdom.”  So what are some of its characteristics?

For one, in fitting with the secret king, it is going to be a secret kingdom.  “Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come’ “ (Mark 4:26-29).

Many of Jesus’ parables start with “The kingdom of God is …”  His stories and word pictures give us so many visuals of the kingdom of God.  In this passage, the kingdom of God is like a seed secretly growing in ways the farmer is unaware of.  It just does its thing.  And soon a harvest is produced.  The “seed sprouts and grows and the farmer knows not how” suggests the secret nature of this kingdom.

We also see that the seed – the kingdom of God – is growing by itself.  “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head” (Mark 4:28).  By itself is translated from the Greek word automatos; the Greek root of our English word, automatic.  We are all familiar with the word “automatic” used to describe things that seem to run “by itself”, like an automatic transmission or an automatic dishwasher.

I love this idea of automatic.  The point is that the kingdom of God is so unstoppable that it appears to be growing automatically.  And we know from the rest of Scripture that God is causing the growth that appears to be automatic.  As Jesus proclaimed, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).

Does “automatic” mean that there is nothing for us to do in the kingdom of God, no work for us to join in on?  No, there is plenty for us to do.  There is plenty of seed for us to plant and water.  Just look at Paul’s example, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (I Corinthians 3:6).  Again, there is work for us to do, but the growth is totally of God’s doing, often in ways that are powerful and unexpected.

Based on the testimony of the Old Testament prophets, the promised coming of the Messiah was to have a distinctive King aspect to it.  The Messiah was to destroy the world powers in an act of judgment, deliver Israel from her enemies, and restore her as a nation.  Just as Jesus appeared to set aside the judgment aspect of the expected Messiah’s rule, He downplayed His king identity as well.  If He was a king at all, He appeared to keep it a secret.  Jesus often instructed those He had healed to keep it under wraps as if He didn’t want His popularity to get too big.  An odd instruction from a would-be king.

As it was, Jesus’ fame did eventually reach king-like heights.  But when the people were ready to embrace Him as king, Jesus fled the scene.  Look at what happened just after the feeding of the five thousand.  “And so they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’  So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.” (John 6:13-15).  If Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of the prophesied Messiah King, why did Jesus refuse their coronation?

A similar story is recorded by John in the next chapter.  “Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Tabernacles, was at hand.  Jesus’ brothers therefore said to Him, ‘Depart from here [Galilee], and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may behold Your works which You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret, when he himself seeks to be known publicly.  If you do these things, show Yourself to the world.’  For not even His brothers were believing in Him.  Jesus therefore said to them, ‘My time is not yet at hand; but your time is always opportune.’ ” (John 7:2-6).

Jesus’ brothers were essentially saying, “You are doing all these miracles here in the backwater of Galilee.  If publicity is what you are after, go to the big city, Jerusalem, and put on a show there in front of the big crowds.”  Of course, publicity was not what Jesus was after and He initially passed on their suggestion for the same reason He did not accept the crowd’s attempt to make Him king; His time to be revealed was not yet at hand.  But His time is coming.

Jesus began His earthly ministry with this proclamation, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15).  That Jesus announced the kingdom of God has arrived should be of no surprise to us looking back since we believe that Jesus is indeed the Messiah King promised as the one to come by various Old Testament prophets.  However, in real time 30 AD, it soon became apparent that Jesus was not fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy as His contemporaries expected.

Their familiarity with kings and kingdoms involved political and military might, subjection of populations, and ruling with power.  Since Jesus avoided these power structures altogether, what kind of kingdom could He be proclaiming?  And what is its nature?  One of the more perplexing aspects of Jesus’ kingdom is its secret nature.

In the Old Testament, proclamation was made loud and clear that a Messiah is coming.  And this Messiah carries with Him a strong political significance.  Quoting the “Messiah” entry in The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, we read, “[The Messiah] is to destroy the world powers in an act of judgment, deliver Israel from her enemies, and restore her as a nation.  The Messiah is the King of this future kingdom to whose political and religious domination the other nations will yield.  His mission is the redemption of Israel and His dominion is universal.  This is the clear picture of the Messiah in practically all of the Old Testament passages which refer to Him.”

In essence, The Messiah was to come with power and bring deliverance, judgment, and restoration.  His future coming was called “the Day of the Lord,” and this proclamation, taking various forms and spokesmen, is a prominent theme throughout the Old Testament.  Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31, 3:14, Amos 5:18, Zephaniah 1:14-16, and Malachi 4:1,5 use this phrase – the Day of the Lord – with various adjectives such as great, awesome, and terrible.  The summary of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah King is that He would appear at the great and awesome Day of the Lord.

How could Jesus fulfill these prophesies but at the same time appear to be on a different mission?  Jesus’ first coming seems to be a highly muted version of a great and awesome Day of the Lord.  It is beginning to look a lot more like a secret kingdom.  Can this be true?  We will investigate next time.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus’ first public proclamation regarding His mission is recorded in chapter 4.  Having entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as was His custom, Jesus was given the scroll of Isaiah to read.  He read from Isaiah chapter 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel 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” (Luke 4:18).  Then Jesus quietly shocked His audience when He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and announced, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

I used to zip right over this passage not really sure who the poor, captive, blind, and oppressed were referring to.  I assumed they were very specific groups of poor, oppressed, and blind folks.  As I gained a better understanding of Jesus’ mission in this world, a new revelation jumped off the page for me!  This was us!  This was me!  I am the one who was poor, captive, blind, and oppressed.  Jesus came for me!

And what Jesus brought for me was FREEDOM.  I was spiritually poor with absolutely no moral capital to save myself.  I was a captive, held by sin’s power.  I was blind, stumbling in the darkness of a world system led by the enemy of God.  And I was oppressed, held in the grip of the evil one (I John 5:19)

What Jesus brought was not condemnation of us because of our sin.  He brought freedom from our sin!  John 3:17 so clearly lays this out, “For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world should be saved through Him.”?  Condemnation for our sin was not part of Jesus’ first advent.  Judgment will be part of the equation at Christ’s second coming; and only for those who have not believed in Jesus.

But Jesus’ first coming that we celebrate this Advent season is all about love, acceptance, forgiveness, and freedom.  You are included in the promise of Luke 4:18.  Jesus came to set you free.  His freedom proclamation is for you and me.  The King, with His freedom-wielding scepter, has come to rescue you!

“And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood’ “ (Luke 22:20).  When Jesus arrived on the scene, He announced the arrival of the kingdom of God.  This kingdom found its embodiment in Jesus Himself; Jesus the Christ, Jesus the King.  And this kingdom was governed by a new covenant, a new arrangement between God and man.  This new covenant was put into effect by the shed blood of Jesus.

What exactly is this new covenant?  This new covenant, this new arrangement has two parts.

Part 1)  Christ’s shed blood on the cross set us free from the penalty of sin.  When we agree to God’s new arrangement by acknowledging our guilt, accepting the free gift of Christ’s death in our place, and embracing what Jesus says as true, we are set free from the wages of sin is death; set free to eternal life.

Part 2)  Christ’s shed blood on the cross set us free from the power of sin to live a new life in the freedom and the power of the Spirit and the new nature God has given us.  And we have been set free from shame, guilt, and condemnation of the old covenant.

How do we enter into this covenant?  By believing in the One whom God has sent, by believing in Jesus.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).  “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent’ “ (John 6:29).

To summarize the new covenant – a covenant whose promise and provision come to us the moment we believe – Jesus did something FOR US.  He died in our place and declared us righteous on the basis of our belief in His sacrifice.  Jesus also did something TO US.  He made us a new creation with a new heart, a new nature, a new self, a new freedom, a new Spirit inside, a new power, and so much more for us to discover.