The Kingdom of God: When God is King and Jesus is Everything
Acts 1:11
6/28/2026
After his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days visiting and comforting his disciples who had been trembling with fear and anxiety. Acts 1:3 also reveals how, during those 40 days, Jesus spent much of his time speaking about the kingdom of God. Later, after Jesus commanded his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit, they asked whether he planned to restore his kingdom to Israel at that time. But this question revealed two misunderstandings the disciples had about the kingdom of God.
Misunderstanding #1: The kingdom of God is only for the people of Israel.
The disciples’ initial vision of God’s kingdom was deeply ethnic and nationalistic. They expected Jesus to restore Israel’s political power and establish a new kingdom in Israel. However, we know that the kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom, and Acts 1:8 tells us that it is not limited to Israel but extends to all nations. That is why we are called to share the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Misunderstanding #2: The kingdom of God is a future event that has yet to come.
Like the disciples, many Christians today misunderstand the kingdom of God as something that they will experience after they die, rather than in the present. Although Matthew and Mark (Matthew 25:34; Mark 1:15) suggest that the kingdom is something we will inherit in the future, Luke (Luke 11:20; 17:20-21) tells us that the kingdom of God has already arrived. Although these gospels may seem contradictory, both realities are true. The completion of the kingdom of God is something we will experience when Jesus returns, but we can also experience it in our daily lives.
Despite many of us going to church every Sunday, spending time reading the Bible every day, or serving the church and one another, we often fail to experience the kingdom of God in our daily lives. Romans 14:17 explains that this is because the kingdom is characterized not by external affairs but by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
So, then, how do we experience the kingdom of God as our present reality? First, there are two important things that we need to understand.
1. The kingdom of God is God’s “rule”
The Greek phrase for the “kingdom of God” is basileia tou theou. However, these words can also be understood as God’s reign or rule. God is supposed to be our king who rules over our lives. By surrendering ourselves and accepting God as the ruler of our lives, we become a part of his kingdom and experience it as our reality.
2. The kingdom of God is embedded in Jesus Christ
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the lesson of the fig tree, where Jesus instructs his followers to be aware and ready for his return. However, while Matthew and Mark record Jesus saying “he is near,” Luke records it as “the kingdom of God is near.” This distinction tells us that the kingdom of God cannot be separated from Jesus – that the kingdom is Jesus.
Now that we know all these things about the kingdom of God, let’s commit this week to increasing the portion of our lives that God rules and to becoming witnesses to the kingdom of God to those outside the church.
Discussion Questions:
What is one practical way you can lower yourself and raise God as the ruler of your life?
What part of the message stood out to you the most?
Since the kingdom of God is for all people and all nations, who in your life might God be calling you to share the good news of Jesus Christ with?
