Kingdom Now
07/26/09
Mark 1:14-31
Pastor Greg Smith
We have a Story to tell! Today I want to continue studying a great theme of that story: the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is our great hope. And it is this that drives prayer in the way that Jesus teaches. Like Pastor Marji reminded us last Sunday, Jesus taught his disciples to pray,
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus’ prayer expresses deep longings and lively hope. Because we know Jesus, we know that there must be something better. This world, our community, my church, my family, and my heart— they are not as God meant them to be. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
What is the kingdom of God? It’s not so much a place but a condition. The Kingdom of God is present when God so reigns in human hearts and the affairs of the world that his will is accomplished in its fullness.
• What does that mean physically?
◦ no more sickness.
◦ no more death.
• What does that economically and politically?
◦ God’s reign means the end of oppression,
◦ the weak are lifted up,
◦ the poor are fed and clothed,
◦ the oppressors are thrown down.
◦ There is real justice.
◦ There is lasting peace.
• For all of this to be true it would have to mean that Satan is defeated.
The Kingdom of God is God acting in such a way that his will is done here on earth with the same fullness and effectiveness as God’s will is done in heaven. So, the Kingdom of God is not a place but a condition: it’s when God is in charge and has made things right.
We know that God’s Kingdom was present in the past:
— God parted the Red Sea
— and raised Jesus from the dead.
And we know that God will reign in power in the future when Jesus returns, all creation is restored, and we are raised from the dead to life eternal.
Again, like pastor Marji pointed out last Sunday, Jesus urges us to pray that God’s kingdom would come. That is a very big prayer!
• Is there war brewing somewhere in the world? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
• Is there a problem with drugs and violence in our city? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
• Is there sickness that threatens to take the life of someone you love? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
And this is a missionary prayer. This prayer expresses a deep faith that it is God’s purpose for all people to know him as Lord and loving Savior. It’s God’s will that all of creation bow before him as Lord.
You remember Philippians 2:9-11:
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
But what about the Kingdom of God in the present? Has God taken charge of our world in such a way that his will is done here on earth as it is in heaven? Every report of war, every crime of the stronger against the weaker, even the very fact of death itself, tells us that the Kingdom of God is still something we wait for. We will be praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” until Jesus returns in glory and power. But what about until then? Can we only wait patiently? The Kingdom of God is not only a past fact, or a future hope, but a present reality as well.
You might think of the Kingdom of God as an ongoing battle.
— God has won the decisive victory in the past. Jesus’ resurrection was the D-day, the taking of Normandy. After that, everything is a moping up operation.
— We know that this victory will ultimately be revealed to all creation in the future.
But the battles and smaller victories that lead to that mighty, final triumph are ongoing. That war and its ongoing victories are described in Jesus’ teaching as the coming of God’s kingdom. This was the focus of Jesus’ preaching.
Look in Mark 1:15. This comes at the very beginning of his ministry. In fact this verse is a summary of Jesus’ preaching.
15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
“The time has come,” he said. In Jesus, the great hope of Israel had come. What they had longed for was present. The Kingdom of God is not just past; it is not just future. The Kingdom of God is now!
And so, Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is near.” It’s at the door! It is breaking in. Because Jesus was near, the mighty reign of God was present! God has come to save you! God is faithful.
Therefore, because of the wonderful Good News of what God has done, because God even now has begun to reign in power, “Repent and believe the good news!”
This message is Jesus’ theme. Then Mark’s gospel gives us three stories that demonstrate what the coming of the Kingdom is like. He gives the summary of Jesus preaching. And then he gives three examples of what that means in practice. What we discover is that Kingdom of God becomes present and powerful through Jesus’ word.
1. First, when Kingdom of God is present, rebellion ends and a relationship with Christ begins.
Look at Mark 1 beginning with verse 16.
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
The words that Jesus used (“Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people”) didn’t just inform; they transformed. Jesus’ teaching was not just enlightening; it was enlivening as well. Jesus’ words gave power, direction, and life to his new disciples!
Jesus says, “Come, follow me!” and lives are changed! New disciples are born.
— Of course, there are some gut-wrenching decisions and choices as well. “18 At once they left their nets and went with him.”
— It wasn’t just nets and boats (verse 20): “and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”
— These were people and things that were near and dear to them. These were grown men with businesses and family responsibilities that left everything behind to follow Jesus.
When the Kingdom of God is present, people are empowered to make costly changes in order to follow Jesus. These new disciples were not only informed by what Jesus said: they were transformed and empowered to change. So, it’s no surprise that, as verse 22 says,
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
There is some very good news in this for you and me! Disciples are made not born. Disciples are not self-made but God-made. Jesus’ very call, “Follow me!” has the power to give freedom and life.
It might be easy to think that the disciples all had halos and that they all had the same first name: Saint. And then we have to ask, “Why did Jesus pick these particular persons to be disciples?” Why did he call Simon Peter and Andrew and then James and John? Did Jesus see some hidden depth or potential?
I don’t think so! So often when we read about the disciples they seem more like clowns than saints! Paul puts it like this in 1 Corinthians 1:
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let those who boast, boast in the Lord.”
Disciples are made not born. “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus.” So, when the Lord arrives with power, Jesus has first place in people’s hearts and lives! When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come!” we are asking God to transform lives.
2. Secondly, when Kingdom of God is present, people are freed from the power of the Enemy.
Read Mark 1 beginning at verse 23.
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Only the demons know Jesus true identity! Let’s go on: verse 25.
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
The Kingdom of God means freedom from bondage to Satan, sin and death. It is so impressive that with Jesus that there is no mumbo-jumbo, no incantations, just a command: “Be silent and come out of him!” Jesus’ word had power and authority. When Jesus spoke there was action.
Look at Mark 1:27.
27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching— with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
The words that Jesus used didn’t just inform; they transformed. Jesus’ teaching was not just enlightening; it was enlivening as well.
Jesus says, “Come, follow me!” and lives are changed! New disciples are born. People are freed from the power of the Enemy.
3. Thirdly, when the Kingdom of God is present, there is healing.
Look at verses 29-31.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
I am very thankful when God answers prayers for healing. It is a powerful way that God says, “I am here. I work in power.”
But at the same time we have to remember that all healing is tentative and temporary. Simon’s mother-in-law died later like everyone else. Lazarus, the greatest example of a healing in the Bible had to go through the experience of death again.
Some people are healed while others are not— only God knows why! Lack of faith can keep us from experiencing God’s blessing. But the most profound faith does not keep a person from suffering and death.
When healing does come, we say “Thank you, Lord, for your marvelous gift.” When healing does not come, we remember what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Let me read it in the New Living Translation.
2 Corinthians 4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
All three of these stories are about transforming lives and wrenching those lives from the grasp of the enemy. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Kingdom of God is present when God’s will is done with such fullness and effectiveness that God that He is glorified and lives are transformed.
Until Jesus returns in power, we will always need to pray that prayer. Until then we believe that through God’s word, we will be given the first taste of God’s Kingdom:
— lives given to Christ
— people living in freedom from bondage to sin and Satan
— genuine answers to prayers for healing.
But let’s think again about those times when our prayers are not answered as we would hope, when we pray for God to reign in power but it doesn’t seem to happen the way we can understand. It’s in a situation like this that John the Baptist raised a very profound question. It’s in Matthew 11 beginning with verse 2.
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
It is easy to see why John the Baptist wondered if Jesus was really “the one” they were waiting for. John the Baptist himself had declared that the kingdom of God was on the way and that the Messiah was about to appear. Matthew 3:10-12.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matt. 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John the Baptist thought that the kingdom would come with volcano-like force. But Jesus’ ministry, the Jesus that John thought was the Messiah, seemed no more than a quiet campfire. Furthermore, John himself ended up arrested and put in prison. The coming of the Messiah had done little good for John! “Is the kingdom really here? Are you really the king?” That was John’s question.
Maybe you’re like John the Baptist in a prison cell. You have suffered and all around we see a world that cries out for God to act. “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
Jesus answered questions like these often in his ministry. For instance, Jesus told several parables in answer to these questions. One is in Matthew 13:31-32.
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Yes, surprisingly, the kingdom is present, as a tiny seed that contains the whole potential of a mustard shrub. Mark 4:26-27.
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
But no, he says, the kingdom does not depend on human resources— it is like a seed which grows without human care until the harvest. Be encouraged, for from seed-like, small beginnings a large bush will grow, but it will grow through God’s power, not through human ingenuity.
There is nothing in what John the Baptist says that indicates that he knew that the Kingdom was coming in two stages:
What was Jesus’ challenge to his disciples? Don’t be discouraged by small beginnings. Don’t be disappointed because God’s work seems hidden. Don’t be depressed by your inadequate human resources. All that is needed for God’s ultimate victory— for the kingdom to come in its fullness— is already at work. Does the beginning seem small and hidden? Remember the mustard seed. Then trust God and wait. Do we seem to be without the needed resources? Just trust God and wait.
Those parables provided one answer. But let’s not miss the answer closest to hand. Look at Matthew 11:4-6.
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
“It may be small,” Jesus was saying, “there may only be a mustard seed compared to the armies of heaven that you expected, but the presence of the kingdom is real.”
So when we pray, let’s remember that the kingdom is still God’s kingdom. There are signs of the kingdom all around us. But this is still the time of the mustard seed: things start small and seem insignificant before the kingdom comes in fullness and the promise is fulfilled.
Let us pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!” realizing that there is nothing magic in this prayer. We can only wait on the Lord. We do not always understand God’s ways. “My ways are not your ways, my thoughts not your thoughts.” There are a lot of things in life that we cannot control, we can only wait, trust and hope.
If we become discouraged. What shall we do? Remember the mustard seed. Then trust God and wait. Do we seem to be without the needed resources? Remember the seed that grows while the farmer sleeps. Then trust God and wait.
— God’s promise remains. The victory will come. So trust God and wait.
— The resources that we need to serve in his kingdom are ours in Christ. So trust God and wait.
— God’s kingdom is here and now and yet to come. So trust God and wait.
— We will share in God’s victory. So trust God and wait.
— Our God is the God of the tiny mustard seed and the silent growth. So trust God and wait.
— Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. So let us trust God and wait.
In the mean time, we need to:
• Be the means that Jesus is present through prayer.
• Be the means that Jesus is present through Jesus’ word in scripture.
• Then get out of the way and let God’s kingdom come!
Pastor Greg Smith
We have a Story to tell! Today I want to continue studying a great theme of that story: the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is our great hope. And it is this that drives prayer in the way that Jesus teaches. Like Pastor Marji reminded us last Sunday, Jesus taught his disciples to pray,
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus’ prayer expresses deep longings and lively hope. Because we know Jesus, we know that there must be something better. This world, our community, my church, my family, and my heart— they are not as God meant them to be. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
What is the kingdom of God? It’s not so much a place but a condition. The Kingdom of God is present when God so reigns in human hearts and the affairs of the world that his will is accomplished in its fullness.
• What does that mean physically?
◦ no more sickness.
◦ no more death.
• What does that economically and politically?
◦ God’s reign means the end of oppression,
◦ the weak are lifted up,
◦ the poor are fed and clothed,
◦ the oppressors are thrown down.
◦ There is real justice.
◦ There is lasting peace.
• For all of this to be true it would have to mean that Satan is defeated.
The Kingdom of God is God acting in such a way that his will is done here on earth with the same fullness and effectiveness as God’s will is done in heaven. So, the Kingdom of God is not a place but a condition: it’s when God is in charge and has made things right.
We know that God’s Kingdom was present in the past:
— God parted the Red Sea
— and raised Jesus from the dead.
And we know that God will reign in power in the future when Jesus returns, all creation is restored, and we are raised from the dead to life eternal.
Again, like pastor Marji pointed out last Sunday, Jesus urges us to pray that God’s kingdom would come. That is a very big prayer!
• Is there war brewing somewhere in the world? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
• Is there a problem with drugs and violence in our city? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
• Is there sickness that threatens to take the life of someone you love? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
And this is a missionary prayer. This prayer expresses a deep faith that it is God’s purpose for all people to know him as Lord and loving Savior. It’s God’s will that all of creation bow before him as Lord.
You remember Philippians 2:9-11:
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
But what about the Kingdom of God in the present? Has God taken charge of our world in such a way that his will is done here on earth as it is in heaven? Every report of war, every crime of the stronger against the weaker, even the very fact of death itself, tells us that the Kingdom of God is still something we wait for. We will be praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” until Jesus returns in glory and power. But what about until then? Can we only wait patiently? The Kingdom of God is not only a past fact, or a future hope, but a present reality as well.
You might think of the Kingdom of God as an ongoing battle.
— God has won the decisive victory in the past. Jesus’ resurrection was the D-day, the taking of Normandy. After that, everything is a moping up operation.
— We know that this victory will ultimately be revealed to all creation in the future.
But the battles and smaller victories that lead to that mighty, final triumph are ongoing. That war and its ongoing victories are described in Jesus’ teaching as the coming of God’s kingdom. This was the focus of Jesus’ preaching.
Look in Mark 1:15. This comes at the very beginning of his ministry. In fact this verse is a summary of Jesus’ preaching.
15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
“The time has come,” he said. In Jesus, the great hope of Israel had come. What they had longed for was present. The Kingdom of God is not just past; it is not just future. The Kingdom of God is now!
And so, Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is near.” It’s at the door! It is breaking in. Because Jesus was near, the mighty reign of God was present! God has come to save you! God is faithful.
Therefore, because of the wonderful Good News of what God has done, because God even now has begun to reign in power, “Repent and believe the good news!”
This message is Jesus’ theme. Then Mark’s gospel gives us three stories that demonstrate what the coming of the Kingdom is like. He gives the summary of Jesus preaching. And then he gives three examples of what that means in practice. What we discover is that Kingdom of God becomes present and powerful through Jesus’ word.
1. First, when Kingdom of God is present, rebellion ends and a relationship with Christ begins.
Look at Mark 1 beginning with verse 16.
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
The words that Jesus used (“Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people”) didn’t just inform; they transformed. Jesus’ teaching was not just enlightening; it was enlivening as well. Jesus’ words gave power, direction, and life to his new disciples!
Jesus says, “Come, follow me!” and lives are changed! New disciples are born.
— Of course, there are some gut-wrenching decisions and choices as well. “18 At once they left their nets and went with him.”
— It wasn’t just nets and boats (verse 20): “and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”
— These were people and things that were near and dear to them. These were grown men with businesses and family responsibilities that left everything behind to follow Jesus.
When the Kingdom of God is present, people are empowered to make costly changes in order to follow Jesus. These new disciples were not only informed by what Jesus said: they were transformed and empowered to change. So, it’s no surprise that, as verse 22 says,
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
There is some very good news in this for you and me! Disciples are made not born. Disciples are not self-made but God-made. Jesus’ very call, “Follow me!” has the power to give freedom and life.
It might be easy to think that the disciples all had halos and that they all had the same first name: Saint. And then we have to ask, “Why did Jesus pick these particular persons to be disciples?” Why did he call Simon Peter and Andrew and then James and John? Did Jesus see some hidden depth or potential?
I don’t think so! So often when we read about the disciples they seem more like clowns than saints! Paul puts it like this in 1 Corinthians 1:
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let those who boast, boast in the Lord.”
Disciples are made not born. “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus.” So, when the Lord arrives with power, Jesus has first place in people’s hearts and lives! When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come!” we are asking God to transform lives.
2. Secondly, when Kingdom of God is present, people are freed from the power of the Enemy.
Read Mark 1 beginning at verse 23.
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Only the demons know Jesus true identity! Let’s go on: verse 25.
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
The Kingdom of God means freedom from bondage to Satan, sin and death. It is so impressive that with Jesus that there is no mumbo-jumbo, no incantations, just a command: “Be silent and come out of him!” Jesus’ word had power and authority. When Jesus spoke there was action.
Look at Mark 1:27.
27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching— with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
The words that Jesus used didn’t just inform; they transformed. Jesus’ teaching was not just enlightening; it was enlivening as well.
Jesus says, “Come, follow me!” and lives are changed! New disciples are born. People are freed from the power of the Enemy.
3. Thirdly, when the Kingdom of God is present, there is healing.
Look at verses 29-31.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
I am very thankful when God answers prayers for healing. It is a powerful way that God says, “I am here. I work in power.”
But at the same time we have to remember that all healing is tentative and temporary. Simon’s mother-in-law died later like everyone else. Lazarus, the greatest example of a healing in the Bible had to go through the experience of death again.
Some people are healed while others are not— only God knows why! Lack of faith can keep us from experiencing God’s blessing. But the most profound faith does not keep a person from suffering and death.
When healing does come, we say “Thank you, Lord, for your marvelous gift.” When healing does not come, we remember what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Let me read it in the New Living Translation.
2 Corinthians 4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
All three of these stories are about transforming lives and wrenching those lives from the grasp of the enemy. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Kingdom of God is present when God’s will is done with such fullness and effectiveness that God that He is glorified and lives are transformed.
Until Jesus returns in power, we will always need to pray that prayer. Until then we believe that through God’s word, we will be given the first taste of God’s Kingdom:
— lives given to Christ
— people living in freedom from bondage to sin and Satan
— genuine answers to prayers for healing.
But let’s think again about those times when our prayers are not answered as we would hope, when we pray for God to reign in power but it doesn’t seem to happen the way we can understand. It’s in a situation like this that John the Baptist raised a very profound question. It’s in Matthew 11 beginning with verse 2.
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
It is easy to see why John the Baptist wondered if Jesus was really “the one” they were waiting for. John the Baptist himself had declared that the kingdom of God was on the way and that the Messiah was about to appear. Matthew 3:10-12.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matt. 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John the Baptist thought that the kingdom would come with volcano-like force. But Jesus’ ministry, the Jesus that John thought was the Messiah, seemed no more than a quiet campfire. Furthermore, John himself ended up arrested and put in prison. The coming of the Messiah had done little good for John! “Is the kingdom really here? Are you really the king?” That was John’s question.
Maybe you’re like John the Baptist in a prison cell. You have suffered and all around we see a world that cries out for God to act. “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
Jesus answered questions like these often in his ministry. For instance, Jesus told several parables in answer to these questions. One is in Matthew 13:31-32.
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Yes, surprisingly, the kingdom is present, as a tiny seed that contains the whole potential of a mustard shrub. Mark 4:26-27.
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
But no, he says, the kingdom does not depend on human resources— it is like a seed which grows without human care until the harvest. Be encouraged, for from seed-like, small beginnings a large bush will grow, but it will grow through God’s power, not through human ingenuity.
There is nothing in what John the Baptist says that indicates that he knew that the Kingdom was coming in two stages:
What was Jesus’ challenge to his disciples? Don’t be discouraged by small beginnings. Don’t be disappointed because God’s work seems hidden. Don’t be depressed by your inadequate human resources. All that is needed for God’s ultimate victory— for the kingdom to come in its fullness— is already at work. Does the beginning seem small and hidden? Remember the mustard seed. Then trust God and wait. Do we seem to be without the needed resources? Just trust God and wait.
Those parables provided one answer. But let’s not miss the answer closest to hand. Look at Matthew 11:4-6.
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
“It may be small,” Jesus was saying, “there may only be a mustard seed compared to the armies of heaven that you expected, but the presence of the kingdom is real.”
So when we pray, let’s remember that the kingdom is still God’s kingdom. There are signs of the kingdom all around us. But this is still the time of the mustard seed: things start small and seem insignificant before the kingdom comes in fullness and the promise is fulfilled.
Let us pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!” realizing that there is nothing magic in this prayer. We can only wait on the Lord. We do not always understand God’s ways. “My ways are not your ways, my thoughts not your thoughts.” There are a lot of things in life that we cannot control, we can only wait, trust and hope.
If we become discouraged. What shall we do? Remember the mustard seed. Then trust God and wait. Do we seem to be without the needed resources? Remember the seed that grows while the farmer sleeps. Then trust God and wait.
— God’s promise remains. The victory will come. So trust God and wait.
— The resources that we need to serve in his kingdom are ours in Christ. So trust God and wait.
— God’s kingdom is here and now and yet to come. So trust God and wait.
— We will share in God’s victory. So trust God and wait.
— Our God is the God of the tiny mustard seed and the silent growth. So trust God and wait.
— Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. So let us trust God and wait.
In the mean time, we need to:
• Be the means that Jesus is present through prayer.
• Be the means that Jesus is present through Jesus’ word in scripture.
• Then get out of the way and let God’s kingdom come!