Post 1: The Kingdom is Near And Now

 

He proclaimed the Kingdom near and now, not Heaven later.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

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The church propaganda.

Jesus is the good news and if you believe in him the way we tell you to and perform the rituals, we demand of you, he will take you to heaven in his arms. 

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The historical Jesus.

The Kingdom of God is near and now in the Synoptic Gospels

The historical Jesus is very emphatic when he preaches that the Kingdom of God is near and now.

• Mark 1:15

• Luke 11:20 (and parallel, Matthew 12:28)

• Luke 10:9

• Luke 17:20–21

• Mark 4:30–32

• Matthew 13:33

Jesus preaching about taking you to heaven in the synoptic gospels

The following passages do not talk about Jesus proclaiming that he will take his followers to heaven. But they are as close as he comes to that message in the synoptic gospels.

• • Luke 23:43 (The promise to the thief)

  • Matthew 5:12 (Reward in Heaven)

  • Mark 14:25 (Drinking new wine in the Kingdom)

  • Luke 20:34–36 (Life after the Resurrection)

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Why did Jesus proclaim the nearness of the Kingdom rather than the future heaven?

The Gospel Of Luke's Answer: (not the actual words of Jesus but a concise summation)

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." (Luke 4:18-19, NRSVUE)

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The Takeaway

Jesus was given many titles and names in the synoptic gospels. The two that I attach the most importance to our Rabbi and Prophet. In his prophetic role he attempted to call the Jewish people back to their God.

But to do this he needed to take the priest's power away from them. Jesus did this by proclaiming the good news that God was there with the people in the present time and day and that they needed no priest or anyone else to come between them and their God.

This was a radical message that Jesus gave to the Jewish people. This is the message the terrified and angered the priests. This is the message that got Jesus crucified.

This is the message that needs to be remembered now. Christians need, must take the power back. For far too long the leaders of the nations and the leaders of the churches have subdued the radical, powerful Jesus and left the people with a milquetoast Jesus.

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Brian

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