Chapter Summary: The King And The Kingdom

The King and the Kingdom
Sandra Seelhammer
Grand Canyon University: BIB - 351
November 28, 2014

When Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God His focus is on how people get into the kingdom, and how they need to live now. He taught that we enter His kingdom when we seek to live our lives in a reflection of that Kingdom and we respond to God with faith and allegiance. Peter had a difficult time understanding Jesus’ messianic role but after the transfiguration he began to understand that Jesus alone would fulfill God’s plan. This essay will trace the major teachings of the Kingdom and the growing conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders of the time as well as how this conflict ultimately led to the crucifixion of Christ.
The Kingdom
of God is near and both John the Baptist and Jesus called for repentance as they proclaimed this in the gospels (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15). Their message called for immediate change challenging the status quo. Jews of the day were eager for a leader to challenge the Roman rule and give them back their independence. However, Jesus’ kingdom did not meet popular expectations because it was “not of this world” (John 18:36) and caused conflict between Him and the leaders of the time. Jesus’ Kingdom is rooted in love and is “characterized by humility that shares human life to the depths in order to redeem it” (Thompson, 2006, p. 74). Jesus understands the will of God, accepts His situation after His temptation in the desert and even tells His disciples that the Kingdom of God requires purity of heart (Matthew 5:8).
After Jesus gives His Sermon on the Mount conflict continues to build between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. Matthew refers to those in position of authority in Israel as “leaders”, including the Sadducees, Pharisees, scribes, the chief priests, the elders, and even the Herodians (Kingsbury, 1987). They first appear in Matthew’s story while John the Baptist was baptizing followers by the Jordan River. John sets the stage by referring to them as a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7, NIV) and Jesus later uses the same phrasing when asking how they could they say anything good when they are only evil (Matthew 12:34).
The Sadducees, Pharisees, and Herodians were fierce opponents but they joined forces in their dislike for Jesus and became intent on exposing Jesus as a messianic fraud. Their attack on the Messiah was fueled by the cleansing of the Temple (Mark 11:12-19); but the true conflict began before when Jesus was healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:6), and exposing the various groups for what they were.
Jesus began to tell about the future of Israel by demonstrating what happens to a fig tree when it has been cursed (Mark 11:20-26). He was also teaching His followers that God will answer our prayers but they must be unselfish requests that will be for the good of God’s Kingdom. Further He, prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem (Mark 13:2) and about His return to earth (Mark 13:24-31). Jesus gave three of his disciples a “glimpse of the future splendor of the Son of Man at his glorious return” (Stein, 1996, location 2083 of 3714) when he was transfigured on the mountain. Peter and Matthew both interpreted the transfiguration as a foreshadowing of the glory that Jesus will possess when he returns (Stein, 1996).
Peter Rice states that Luke “paints a vivid picture of Jesus as a heroic figure delivering a farewell discourse to his followers” (Rice, 2013, p. 365). Additionally, he addresses the difference between Jesus’ service based kingdom and the kingdoms of this world which are a “vision of greatness by domination” (Rice, 2013, p. 365). The transfiguration pointed again to Jesus’ acceptance of God’s mission and the inclusion of suffering and death as part of His plan. The voice heard by the disciples told them that God was proud of His son and that they must listen to him (Mark 8: 31-33). Kingsbury points out that the increasing conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders serves to prepare His followers and the reader for what is to com (Kingsbury, 1987).
The transfiguration was a lesson to the disciples showing them that Jesus was beyond ordinary and even greater than the prophets.
The scene on the mountain demanded that all people hear that Jesus now had the authority over human kind. This was also a significant turning point from Old Testament Law, symbolized by the vision of Moses and Elijah, to the Kingdom of God (Romans 3:21). Peter, James, and John were able to get a foretaste of the glory of the Kingdom and the victory of Jesus which would become clearer to them at His resurrection. Finally, when Jesus spoke to the three disciples about his departure (Luke 9:31) He was indicating his commitment to the cross and therefor the glory of the
kingdom.
Jesus describes the Kingdom of God as a tiny mustard seed that grows into an enormous tree or a bit of yeast that makes bread dough double in size (Luke 13:18-21).
The conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders was part of God’s plan that led to Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain and ultimately his crucifixion. The ever increasing buildup to the day of crucifixion garnered the attention that God wanted for the salvation that his son would give as a gift to the world. The Kingdom is available to all who accept Him as their savior and have faith in Him.

References
Kingsbury, J. D. (1987). The developing conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in Matthew’s Gospel: a literary-critical study. Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 49(1), 57-73.
Malbon, E. S. (1989). The Jewish Leaders in the Gospel of Mark A Literary Study of Marcan Characterization. Journal of Biblical Literature, 108(2), 259.
Rice, P. (2013). The Rhetoric of Luke’s Passion: Luke’s Use of Common-place to Amplify the Guilt of Jerusalem’s Leaders in Jesus’ Death. Biblical Interpretation, 21(3), 355-376. Doi:10.1163/15685152-1070A0005.
Stein, R. H. (1996). Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ. Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Thompson, P. E. (2006). Matthew 4:1-11. Interpretation: A Journal Of Bible & Theology, 60(1),
72-74.