Download the kingdom of God

Jesus Christ: Focal Point of Our
Christian Faith
 Explain the future and present reality of the kingdom of God
using the Mk. 1: 14 and Mt. 13:31-32.
 What is the significance of the Isaiah 11: 2 passage in Jesus
being recognized as the Christ i.e. the anointed one?
 Explain the Jewish understanding that God alone is King of
Israel and that Israel was anticipating a new King. Did the
Jewish experience of kingship prepare them for Jesus’
kingdom proclamation? Why?
 What is unique about Jesus understanding about discipleship?
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of
God
Mar 1:14-15
(14) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God,
(15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mar 1:14-15
(14) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God,
(15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
What is the kingdom of God? How was
it understood?
 Old Testament theme (Jesus did not invent this)
 God alone was King of Israel
 Israel was waiting for a King
God alone was King of Israel
 Psa 47:6-9
Psa 47:6-9
(6) Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
(7) For God is the king of all the
earth; sing praises with a psalm!
(8) God reigns over the nations; God
sits on his holy throne.
(9) The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to
God; he is highly exalted!
Israel was waiting for a King
 Isa 11:1-5
Isa 11:1-5
(1) There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
(2) And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD.
(3) And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He
shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what
his ears hear;
(4) but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and
decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he
shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
(5) Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and
faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
Isa 11:1-5
(1) There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
(2) And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD.
(3) And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He
shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what
his ears hear;
(4) but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and
decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he
shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
(5) Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and
faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
Understanding the meaning of
Christ
 “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him”=
 Kings in biblical times were anointed because they were
expected to have the “spirit of God” or to act like God.
 They were expecting the “Anointed one” or the
Messiah.
 Explain the future and present reality of the kingdom of God
using the Mk. 1: 14 and Mt. 13:31-32.
 What is the significance of the Isaiah 11: 2 passage in Jesus
being recognized as the Christ i.e. the anointed one?
 Explain the Jewish understanding that God alone is King of
Israel and that Israel was anticipating a new King. Did the
Jewish experience of kingship prepare them for Jesus’
kingdom proclamation? Why?
 What is unique about Jesus understanding about discipleship?
Isa 11:1-5
(1) There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
(2) And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD.
(3) And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He
shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what
his ears hear;
(4) but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and
decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he
shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
(5) Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and
faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
Mar 1:14-15
(14) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God,
(15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mar 1:14-15
(14) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God,
(15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
… “is at hand..”
 ..approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.
Mar 1:14-15
(14) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God,
(15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
… “repent, and believe..”
 Repent= to think differently or afterwards, that is,
reconsider (morally to feel compunction): - repent.
 Believe= to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a
person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust
Mar 1:14-15
(14) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God,
(15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
… “the gospel."
 Urgent(much awaited)
 Familiar
 Good News (people wanted to hear it)
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
of God
 The Present and Future Reality of the Kingdom
 Mk. 1:14-Present
 Mt. 13:31-32--Future
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Mar 1:14-15 Now after
John was arrested, Jesus
came into Galilee,
proclaiming the gospel of
God, (15) and saying,
"The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at
hand; repent and believe in
the gospel."
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Mat 13:31-32 He put another
parable before them, saying, "The
kingdom of heaven is like a grain
of mustard seed that a man took
and sowed in his field. (32) It is
the smallest of all seeds, but when
it has grown it is larger than all
the garden plants and becomes a
tree, so that the birds of the air
come and make nests in its
branches."
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Mat 13:31-32 He put another
parable before them, saying, "The
kingdom of heaven is like a grain
of mustard seed that a man took
and sowed in his field. (32) It is
the smallest of all seeds, but
when it has grown it is larger than
all the garden plants and becomes
a tree, so that the birds of the air
come and make nests in its
branches."
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Mat 13:31-32 He put another
parable before them, saying, "The
kingdom of heaven is like a grain
of mustard seed that a man took
and sowed in his field. (32) It is
the smallest of all seeds, but when
it has grown it is larger than all
the garden plants and becomes a
tree, so that the birds of the air
come and make nests in its
branches."
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Mat 13:31-32 He put another
parable before them, saying, "The
kingdom of heaven is like a grain
of mustard seed that a man took
and sowed in his field. (32) It is
the smallest of all seeds, but when
it has grown it is larger than all
the garden plants and becomes a
tree, so that the birds of the air
come and make nests in its
branches."
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Explain the future and present reality of the kingdom of God
using the Mk. 1: 14 and Mt. 13:31-32.
 What is the significance of the Isaiah 11: 2 passage in Jesus
being recognized as the Christ i.e. the anointed one?
 Explain the Jewish understanding that God alone is King of
Israel and that Israel was anticipating a new King. Did the
Jewish experience of kingship prepare them for Jesus’
kingdom proclamation? Why?
 What is unique about Jesus understanding about discipleship?
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
 Video—Insignificant beginnings
 What did you learn about God and human life in the parable
and in the video?
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of
God
 For Jesus the kingdom was the work of
God… His acts of healing and compassion,
his words and wisdom, were all directed
toward creating the kind of life that would
characterize the kingdom over which God
alone would be master. (Donald Senior)
The End
Discipleship
 Digression: Three Stages of Gospel Development
 Mk. 8: 34-38
 Discipleship for Jesus
 A Call
 Unchanging Relationship
 A sharing in his life and mission
 A letter of a communist
 What is happiness?
 Discussion
Three Stages of the Gospel Development
To Faith
Mar 8:34-38
(34) And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them,
"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me.
(35) For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life
for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
(36) For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his
life?
(37) For what can a man give in return for his life?
(38) For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and
sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he
comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
(Phi 3:8)
Indeed I count
everything
as loss
(John
3:30)
because of the surpassing worth of
knowing
Christ
Jesus my
For
He must
increase,
butLord.
I must
his sake I have
suffered the loss of all
decrease."
things, and count them as refuse, in
order that I may gain Christ
Discipleship
 Mk. 8: 34-38
 Discipleship for Jesus
 A Call
 Unchanging Relationship
 A sharing in his life and mission
 A letter of a communist
 What is happiness?
 Discussion
Discipleship for Jesus
Discipleship: Costly
Mar 8:34-38
(34) And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If
any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me.
(35) For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my
sake and the gospel's will save it.
(36) For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
(37) For what can a man give in return for his life?
(38) For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels."
A Call
Mar 1:16-22
(16)
And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of
Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.
(17) And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."
(18) And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
(19) And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother,
who were in their boat mending the nets.
(20) And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with
the hired servants, and followed him.
(21) And they went into Caper'na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he entered the
synagogue and taught.
(22) And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority,
and not as the scribes.
A Call
Unchanging Relationship
Mat 23:8-12
(8) But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all
brethren.
(9) And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in
heaven.
(10) Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.
(11) He who is greatest among you shall be your servant;
(12) whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will
be exalted.
Unchanging Relationship
A sharing in his life and mission
Mar 16:15-19
(15) And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
(16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
(17) And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they
will speak in new tongues;
(18) they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay
their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
(19) So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at
the right hand of God.
A sharing in his life and mission
Mat 28:17-20
(17) And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some
doubted.
(18) And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me.
(19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
(20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
A letter of a communist
We Communists have a philosophy of life which no amount of money could buy.
We have a cause to fight for, a definitive purpose in life. We subordinate our
petty, personal selves into a great movement of humanity, and if our personal
lives seem hard, or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the party
then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us in his
small way is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind.
There is one thing in which I am in dead earnest and that is the Communist
cause.
 It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife and
mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at
night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens as time goes on. Therefore I cannot
carry on a friend-ship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating
it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people,
books, ideas and actions according to how they affect the Communist cause
and by their attitude toward it. I've already been in jail because of my
ideas and if necessary, I'm ready to go before a firing squad.”
The Greatest Deception
The greatest deception, and the deepest
Source of unhappiness, is the illusion of finding
life by excluding God, of finding freedom by
excluding moral truths and personal
responsibility.
John Paul II, WYD 2003
What is happiness?
Discussion
 Do you know of people as dedicated as this communist?
What are/were they living for?
 What are you living for personally? Do you agree with John
Paul’s definition of happiness?