CHAPTER II

THE KINGDOM AS SEEN IN CHRIST

WHEN

ON EARTH

The kingdom was present in the Person of Christ when here on earth. He introduced the gospel or good news of the kingdom (Matt 4: 23), and its moral principles were set forth both in His teaching, as in the Sermon on the Mount and the parables, and also in His life, for He was the living expression of that which He taught.

Meekness and lowliness or humility, mercy and truth, grace and righteousness, purity and

peace,

faith

and

dependence,

forgiveness, goodness, blessing and love are the elements forming the character approved for the kingdom, in the presence of opposition and hatred in a world-system characterised by lawlessness, self-assertion and exaltation, lust and pride. Evil, instead of being resisted by force, is to be overcome by good.

These moral qualities were seen in their perfection in Christ Himself; as for instance in the case of meekness and lowliness, the teaching of Matt 5: 5; 18: 4; 23: 12, is exemplified by the Lord (Matt 11) in the spirit in which He accepts the rejection of His testimony by the cities where most of His works of power had been seen. He can praise His Father whose good pleasure it was that 12

the things hidden from the wise and prudent in Israel should be revealed to babes such as His disciples, and He finds perfect rest in His knowledge of the Father and in submission to His will. Then follows the wonderful invitation to all who labour and are burdened, to come to Him (the only One who can reveal the Father) for the gift of rest, and to take His yoke of submission upon them and learn of Him who is meek and lowly in heart and thus find rest for their souls. The same spirit is seen in the Lord submitting to the refusal of the Samaritans to receive Him into their village, whilst rebuking the indignant zeal of His disciples, Luke 9: 51-56. Even in presenting Himself to His people as King He is characterised by meekness according to the prophetic word, Matt 21: 4-5. So also in the lowly service of feet-washing the Teacher is also the example, John 13: 14-17. In His pathway of suffering for righteousness, He has left us a model that we should follow in His steps, 1 Pet 2: 21. The importance of faith in God and continuance in prayer was not only taught to the disciples (Luke 11: 1), but was seen by them in the Lord Himself who is so often found in the gospels, praying as a dependent Man, Luke 9: 18; 11: 1; 22: 40-46.

In studying the Lord Jesus in His movements, His words and actions, His mind and spirit as seen in the gospel records, those who have come to know Him and have taken up the path of discipleship learn to sit at His feet as 13

the living Teacher, and become imbued with the principles and formed according to the moral character of the divine kingdom of which He is the living expression.

The Lord identified His disciples with Himself, giving them His own position as a Man on earth with God known in relationship as Father, Matt 6: 1; 7: 21; 17: 25-27; Luke 12: 30-32. God desires to be served by those in the liberty of sonship, as was said of Israel in Egypt, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”, Exod 4: 23. Christ Himself as the perfect Servant was saluted from heaven as the beloved Son before He commenced His service in the proclamation of the kingdom, Mark 1: 1, 11, 14-15. The disciples are to know God as Father in connection with their service and testimony, and in His government, and also in His care for them in all the circumstances of every-day life. They are to prove themselves the sons of God by coming out practically in His character, Matt 5: 9, 14-16, 44-45, 48; Luke 6: 35-36.

The power of the kingdom was demonstrated by the Lord’s miracles, wrought on behalf of men in healing diseases and casting out demons. As anointed of God He went about doing good, and healing all that were under the power of the devil, for God was with Him, Acts 10: 38. See Matt 12: 28; Luke 11: 20; 17: 20-21, where we should read, “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you”.

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In the Person of the Lord Jesus found thus amongst men, and in His activities in preaching, teaching, and healing throughout the land, there was clear demonstration that God had intervened on behalf of men in grace, in order to deliver them from sin and its consequences, and to set them right with Himself. This was the gospel or good news of the kingdom, Matt 4: 23; Luke 4: 16-22, 43.

Repentance was open to all, and forgiveness and salvation were livingly set forth in Christ for all who would receive Him. No attempt can be made to deal fully with the wonderful details of the Lord’s ministry recorded in the gospels for this, if there were ability for it, would fill volumes, but some further remarks will be found in chapter III as to the Lord’s life and parabolic teaching, and as to the meaning of His death on the cross and its relation to the kingdom, also with regard to the distinctive way in which He is set forth in each of the four gospels.

In the Lord Jesus the kingdom promised in the Old Testament was presented to Israel, after His coming had been announced by His forerunner John the baptist, who called the people to repentance, Matt 3: 1-12, John 1: 31. The change in the character of God’s dealings with His earthly people is clearly stated by the Lord in Luke 16: 16. “The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the glad tidings of the kingdom of God are announced”. That is, the kingdom had 15

arrived in the way of testimony and was first presented for Israel’s acceptance. The account given therefore in the gospel records necessarily has a Jewish setting, but the moral elements and principles of the kingdom are universal in their bearing and not at all limited to the Jew.

THE LORD REJECTED BY ISRAEL

A kingdom of this character, however, made no appeal to those in Israel who were seeking power, riches, pleasure, position or religious reputation in man’s world, any more than it appeals to the natural man to-day. His thoughts and desires and the moral world system in which he lives and glories are totally opposed to the righteousness of God’s kingdom. To arrive at the latter men had to press into it against the stream, to take it by force doing violence to natural thoughts and feelings, Matt 11: 12-19; Luke 14: 25-27; 16: 16.

A victorious king promising deliverance from the Roman yoke and the exaltation of Israel as a nation would have been acceptable to patriotic feeling and national pride, but a kingdom characterised by righteousness which brought in deliverance from sin that men might be recovered to God for His will, raised moral questions that they were not prepared to face. Under the influence of the determined opposition and enmity of their 16

religious leaders the nation rejected Christ, and in doing so lost everything for the time being (Matt 21: 42-43; 23: 37-39; John 19: 14-15; Luke 19: 14; Rom 11: 25-27), whilst the little remnant who were attached to Christ as His disciples and shared His rejection (Isa 8: 14-18), became the nucleus of the church and partakers of the heavenly calling (Heb 2: 11-13; 3: 1), instead of the earthly hopes of Israel.

The presentation of Christ in His life and teaching as recorded in the gospels cannot be properly understood unless it is seen, firstly, that He came as the promised Messiah the Son of David, God’s anointed King, as a final test to the nation of Israel, after their long probation under the law and the prophets; and secondly, that behind His rejection by Israel, was “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2: 23), for Christ’s sufferings and death were in view from the outset, as the basis for remission of sins and salvation, and the purposes of God in world-wide blessing, Matt 1: 21; Luke 2: 29-35; 24: 25-27, 44-47; John 1: 10-13, 29; 3: 14-17.

It may be mentioned here that after a transitional period of patience on the part of God following on the crucifixion, the nation was publicly set aside in judgment when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Roman armies (Luke 21, 24), and time does not count in scripture for them nationally 17

until the church period is over. This is a necessary key to the understanding of the Lord’s prophetic discourse at the end of His public ministry. The prophecy in Matthew 24

is mainly concerned with Israel, the disciples being addressed as a representative link with the Jewish remnant who will go through the great tribulation in the last days when God resumes His dealings with Israel before the Lord’s return to reign. A large part of the people will then be found still in unbelief, the same moral generation (Deut 32: 5, 20; Matt 24: 34-39) as that which rejected the Lord at His first coming. This also explains the difficulty many have felt as to the full prophetical bearing of Matt 10: 22-23. In the meantime the past history of the nation and their present condition (still a distinct people though disowned by God as His, without king, prince, priest or sacrifice (Hosea 1 and 3)), are a standing public witness to the truth of Scripture, which baffles the vain efforts of sceptical criticism to explain it away.

The privileged position of a people on earth in outward relations with God which had been occupied by Israel, is set forth in the figure of the good olive tree, Romans 11. Through persistent unbelief the mass of the nation has lost this position, and has become an example for the time being of the severity of God. The Gentiles have now taken the place of Israel dispensationally in provisional reconciliation during the present period, with 18

a warning as to the consequences if they also fail through unbelief to continue in God’s goodness. The chapter closes with the apostle’s exclamation as to the wonderful character of God’s ways and counsels in the eventual fulfilment of His promises to Israel, on the ground of sovereign mercy, after the fulness of the Gentiles has come in.

THE QUESTION OF POLITICAL

GOVERNMENT

So far as the then present political government of the world was concerned, the Lord did not interfere with it, but recognised it as in the hands of “Cæsar” for the time being, Matt 22: 21. This now continues in principle whatever the form of government may be, Rom 13: 1. Scripture recognises the authority of rule and government on earth as an institution ordained by God and committed into the hands of men for the restraint of evil, from the days of Noah onward (Gen 9: 6) and this is so, apart from the question of whether or not the rulers recognise the authority of the true God, Dan 2: 37-38; 5: 18-23. It was necessarily established on the principle of law and supported by penal sanctions and the power of the sword (Rom 13: 4), and the introduction of Christianity did not alter this.

The Lord in His teaching such as the Sermon on the Mount, etc., was not laying down principles as a basis on which political 19

government could be carried on.

Where however, a nation has adopted the Christian profession, and is thus outwardly in “the kingdom” in its present aspect (chapter

III),

both

legislation

and

administration are no doubt modified more or less in the spirit of beneficence and mercy in the measure in which the people, especially those with influence and authority, are affected by the light of Christianity.

When Christ returns He will take up publicly His rights as King of kings, Rev 19: 16. In the meantime the true relation of the Christian to the political government in any country is that of submission in all matters within its proper sphere, “the things that are Cæsar’s”

(Mark 12: 17 KJV), counting upon God to overrule the activities of the State authorities in the interests of His people and the furtherance of His testimony, 1 Tim 2: 1-7.

This divine providential overruling during the present period, should not be confounded with “the kingdom of God”, in the sense of His moral sway in the hearts of men.

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