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Running head: THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE…

The Kingdom Of God Is Like…

Marcus Dyson

Grand Canyon University

BIB 123 New Testament History

September 19, 2009

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The Kingdom Of God Is Like…

Many people are unable to explain what the Kingdom of God is or what Jesus’ came to

Earth for. Most people in today’s society can’t relate to some terms used in the bible like a

strong tower and as Tame puts it (2005), “we can guess that it's an image of security, but if we

want to say that our relationship with God makes us feel safe, we would probably put it another

way.” In reference to Jesus coming to earth, author and teacher Brian McLaren notes that he

typically gets answers to this question from his students like, “Jesus came to seek and save the

lost, reveal God to us, provide us with a model for being fully human, and defeat the demonic

spirits of this world” (McLaren, 2006). A better understanding of this concept of the Kingdom of

God and the Messiah may be obtained through one’s own personal experiences and further

research.

Luke 1:31-33 mirrors what was predicted in Isaiah 9:6-7 concerning the Messiah’s true

purpose for coming here to earth. His main purpose was to establish his kingdom as the scripture

Luke 1:33 points out, “And he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom

will never end.” When I was coming up my understanding of the Kingdom of God was that it

meant the heaven we are going to when we die or when he returns. Through study, I understand

now as it is told through Jesus’ teachings. When Jesus described the kingdom, he did not

describe the world after his return. No, he described the world in this age, the age in which we

hear the gospel, choose to respond, and choose to be faithful (Morrison, 2000). Much of his

teaching was devoted to setting forth the nature of the kingdom which He came to establish

(Hodge, 1982).

In Jesus’ teachings he taught about the Kingdom in terms other than referring to heaven.

Jesus taught about the importance of “loving your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19) and

other lessons like allowing little children to come to him, “for such is the kingdom of heaven”
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(Matthew 19:14). Jesus’ teachings were about a way of life that expresses or establishes the

Kingdom of God here on earth. Jesus never condoned a political kingdom, though he did teach

that in the final days, God would rule over everything (Niswonger, 1992). God’s Kingdom is a

new society that Jesus wants to create in this world-within human history, not after the Second

Coming or a future apocalypse or anything else (McLaren, 2006).

In reading Tame’s article, two metaphors about the kingdom stand out to me. The first

one that stands out is the music teacher who teaches children to work together to present a final

harmonious performance. You get many different children from all walks of life and

backgrounds to come together and learn to sing as one. This is no easy task. It takes plenty of

sacrifice, discipline, and hard work. The end result however is one that is so rewarding. The

other metaphor that stands out to me is the midwife who explained how a kitchen table is a place

of nurturing a growing family. The family comes to this table to be fed and what is put before

them determines their physical, mental and emotional state of being.

Even though Jesus’ teachings through parables may be profound and powerful, there still

may be a need to better explain the Kingdom of God. Contemporary metaphors can coincide

with those parables for a better understanding of this concept. Still and all, for me, metaphors

only can’t completely give one an understanding. It will take some study and personal life

experience to truly understand what the true meaning of the Kingdom of God is all about.
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References

Niswonger, Richard L. 1992. New Testament History. Zondervan: Grand Rapids.

Tame, Kim. 2005. “And finally…The Kingdom of God is like this…” The Expository

Times, Vol. 116, No. 7, 252. Sage Publications: London, Thousand Oaks, CA,

and New Dehli.

The NIV Study Bible. 1985. Zondervan: Grand Rapids.

Morrison, Michael. 2000. Parables of the Kingdom: a study of Matthew 13.

www.wcg.org/lit/bible/gospels/matt13.htm

Hodge, Charles. 1982. Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand

Rapids, Michigan.

McLaren, Brian. 2006. Adventures in Missing the Point. Zondervan: Grand Rapids.