In a previous study[1] I mentioned that any futurist view of the coming of Christ is proved wrong, if, indeed, Jesus returned in 70 AD, as implied in the Parable of the Nobleman (Luke 19:11-27). Moreover, I also claimed that, if Jesus had intended to rule in a physical body, from a physical city (i.e. Jerusalem) on a physical throne, he could have done so in the first century AD, because multitudes of Jews wanted to put him there on several occasions (cf. John 6:15; 12:16-19). In other words, the Jews were ready to receive Jesus as their Messiah, if he had intended to reign in a physical body, on a physical throne, from physical Jerusalem! The fact is, they had always wanted a king such as this (cf. 1Samuel 8:5). Read the rest of this entry »
Comments Off on What Is the Nature of the Kingdom?
Because many of Jesus’ disciples thought the Kingdom of God would suddenly come into view, Jesus offered them a parable that concerned how the business of Kingdom of God would be conducted on earth. Most of those who waited for the Kingdom (Luke 2:25, 38; 23:51) believed it would immediately and suddenly appear for all to see (Luke 19:11; cf. 17:20-21). Yet, Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was something that was within man and was manifest to the world only in the conduct or fruit of its ambassadors (cf. Matthew 13:24-26, 38). This idea proved to be a difficult point to get across, especially in light of the powerful influence of the false teachers of this world, both religious and secular (cf. Matthew 16:11-12; Mark 8:15).
As Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem two kinds of people came to him. The first type was a group of women seeking to have Jesus bless their babies (Luke 18:15). They were forbidden by Jesus’ Apostles to take their children to him. It may be this was because Jesus had already decided it was time to leave that area and continue on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 18:31; cf. 18:15 and Matthew 19:13-15). Nevertheless, delaying Jesus’ departure was not a problem for the second type who wanted to see Jesus. He happened to fit into the upper class of Jewish society, a ruler. Although an exception was made for him, the Apostles dismissed the mothers with their babies.
In Luke 17:20 Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would appear, but Jesus told them they had the wrong idea about God’s Kingdom. When it comes, no one could see it physically. In other words, one couldn’t point to it and say: ‘there it is!’ (Luke 17:21). On the contrary, God’s Kingdom is within man. Man’s kingdom is to rule over all that God created (Genesis 1:26-27), but God’s Kingdom is to rule man from within. The Pharisees had the wrong idea about the Kingdom of God, because they accepted the premise as valid that David’s dynasty was God’s dynasty, when, in point of fact, to ask for a king was to rebel against God (cf. 1Samuel 8:4-7). Read the rest of this entry »
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come (G2034), which, according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, means: “to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence” (Luke 17:20). It makes no difference whether or not the Pharisee’s question was sincere. Whether they sought to lay a trap for Jesus or sincerely wanted to know when the Kingdom of God would come, the point is their question cannot be answered according to its intent. It would be similar to asking a conservative politician if he is still a flaming liberal. How could he reply to the question’s intent? In order to reply at all, the main term must be redefined, so the question appears is illogical. Read the rest of this entry »
It seems odd to me that Biblical scholars are still uncertain over what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God, and have so many theories to explain what it might be. Why would this be so nearly 2000 years after Jesus’ ministry, in which he proclaimed the Kingdom of God to the Jews of his day? Has the Church lost its meaning over the years? One thing seems certain, when John the Baptist and Jesus came preaching that the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God was near (Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17), the Gospel writers didn’t feel the necessity to explain what the term meant. The Jewish people seemed to at least understand what both Jesus and John meant when they spoke of the nearness of the Kingdom of God. No one believed it would be established 2000 years into the future. On the contrary they looked for it to come in their expected lifetimes (Matthew 2:1-2; Mark 15:43; cf. Luke 2:25, 36-38; 24:21; Acts 1:6). Read the rest of this entry »
In Luke 14:15 we are told that a man spoke out claiming they who dine in God’s Kingdom are truly blessed. This man was probably a rabbi, or at least another Pharisee, and what probably prompted him to speak of eating bread in the Kingdom of God was that Jesus implied wrongdoing on their parts as guests in the home of the chief Pharisee. Moreover, Jesus implied that even their host acted inappropriately and wouldn’t be blessed in the Kingdom. It was in this context that the man spoke out (Luke 14:7). No doubt, he considered his place in the Kingdom of God was a given, simply because he was a Jew (cf. Luke 3:8; Ezekiel 33:24). Read the rest of this entry »
Luke tells us that a person in the crowd asked Jesus a question (Luke 13:23). Most commentaries treat the question as legitimate, some even concluding that it is a question many ask even today. However, was the question as innocent as most commentaries make it seem? I have my doubts. It seems to me that the person who questions Jesus in Luke 13:23 is either a rabbi or one of the rabbi’s disciples. I believe he is probably baiting Jesus for a debate of sorts or in some manner seeking to discredit him. This was a question often debated among scholars of Jesus’ day, but as we shall see it precludes a direct or simple answer from Jesus, because it lacks a basic understanding of the Scriptures. Read the rest of this entry »
It is commonly thought by Bible scholars, although not by all, that the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Luke 13:18) is about the spreading out of the Gospel, no doubt, because Jesus mentions the plant as a metaphor for the Kingdom of God. The problem with this understanding is context. Jesus uttered the parable in the presence of both his enemies and those who are normally impressed with what he says and does (Luke 13:14-17). Read the rest of this entry »
In Luke 12:29-30 Jesus told his disciples not to doubt that our Father knows what we need. We are not to act like the nations whose lives are dictated by the necessities of life. No matter what the undertaking, a nation or its leaders will not make a move without knowing that they could reasonably expect success in that project. And, the planning of that undertaking would be dictated by an adequate supply of food and drink, and tools necessary for its successful completion. Read the rest of this entry »
While Jesus was teaching his own disciples in the presence of an innumerable multitude (Luke 12:1), he was interrupted by a bystander (Luke 12:13). The man asked Jesus to arbitrate between him and his brother concerning an inheritance. Contextually, their father had died. The problem is, is the man’s question legitimate or has he been put up to it by one of the rabbis? The man’s question could be legitimate, because this thing was often done among the ancient Jews, hoping a rabbi could bring about a judicious settlement between quarreling members of a family. On the other hand, it is probably more likely that the man was a disciple of one of the rabbis, and the rabbi sought to discredit Jesus. Read the rest of this entry »
We need to keep in mind that all the events described in chapters 11 and 12 of Luke’s Gospel occurred in the context of the disciples coming to Jesus and asking him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). The context of the model prayer is not to acquire our own personal needs, because our heavenly Father already knows about them, and, as a good Father, he will take care of them without our having to ask. Rather, the context of Jesus’ model prayer is our request for the Kingdom of God to come and for God to rule here as he does in heaven (Luke 11:2). Read the rest of this entry »
Comments Off on Living in the Presence of the Enemy
When his enemies had accused him of being in league with the Devil, because he was able to do the impossible, Jesus exposes the feebleness of their accusation by presenting three arguments, by offering his adversaries three possible scenarios. The first is an illogical argument on their part that Jesus used demonic power to advance his goals. Jesus second argument left his antagonists without an argument to support their own activities in the realm of spiritual warfare. Finally, Jesus showed in the parable of the Strong Man that Jesus was stronger than Satan, and was dismantling his kingdom, showing that Jesus was the Messiah. Read the rest of this entry »
The second request Jesus tells his disciples to pray in Luke 11:2 is “Thy Kingdom come.” As I claimed in a previous study, some folks believe that, if we are praying for God’s Kingdom to come, our prayer implies his Kingdom must not yet be present. However, this isn’t so in the light of Luke 10:21, where Jesus rejoices and addresses his Father as “Lord of heaven and of earth!” Our Father cannot be Lord of earth, unless his Kingdom is present upon the earth. Moreover, the exact same tense of the verb “come” in Luke 11:2 is used for the verb “forgive” in Luke 11:4, and certainly we can’t be asking God to forgive our sins at some future date. Therefore, if this logic is sound, how should we understand our asking our Father to cause his Kingdom to come? In what sense must it yet come, if it is already here? Read the rest of this entry »
The Seventy returned from their mission rejoicing in the Lord, and their experiences far exceeded their expectations. They told Jesus that even the demons were subject to them through his name. Indeed, we are engaged in a great spiritual battle. It is the battle of the great day of God Almighty (Revelation.16:14). It is a battle of authority. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus (Luke 10:22; cf. Matthew 28:18), and he gives this authority to us (Luke 10:18-19; cf. Matthew 28:18-20;). Satan had fallen when Jesus first sent laborers out into the fields to bring in a harvest, and his authority continues to crumble at the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Satan fell, when he first began to lose ground[1] to God. Jesus and his servants fought and Satan and his servants (religious leaders and heads of state) fought (Revelation 12:7-9). Satan began losing the hearts of men at that time and continues to lose today. Read the rest of this entry »
We need to keep in mind that all the events described in chapters 11 and 12 of Luke’s Gospel occurred in the context of the disciples coming to Jesus and asking him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). The context of the model prayer is not to acquire our own personal needs, because our heavenly Father already knows about them, and, as a good Father, he will take care of them without our having to ask. Rather, the context of Jesus’ model prayer is our request for the Kingdom of God to come and for God to rule here as he does in heaven (Luke 11:2). 
Things Paul & Luke 