Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The public ministry of Jesus can be summed up in one message: the Kingdom of God. The first sermon recorded in the Gospels is strikingly concise, yet it was a declaration that shook the era: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). This was not merely a warning, nor a moral lesson urging individual improvement. It was an authoritative proclamation that God’s reign had already begun here on earth.
We often understand “heaven” only as the place one goes after death. However, the term Jesus used—“the kingdom of heaven” (Greek: basileia tōn ouranōn)—refers to God’s sovereign rule. The “Kingdom of God” is the real domain where God rules as King. Jesus declared that this Kingdom was not something far off in the future, but had already begun in the here and now. It did not refer only to inner transformation, but signified a reversal of worldly order.
Jesus’ words and ministry centered on this Kingdom. He not only preached it, but also embodied its nature through his life. He healed the sick, set the demon-possessed free, and ate with social outcasts—all of which were signs of the Kingdom’s arrival. His miracles and healings were not just supernatural events; they were tangible signs of how the world is restored under God’s reign.
The Kingdom of God is not about oppressive control, but about restoration, reconciliation, mercy, and justice. Unlike the Pharisees, who condemned others by the law’s standards, Jesus reached out to the wounded and welcomed the outcast into community. His Kingdom did not divide people by status. It drew closer to the poor than the powerful, and it came first to tax collectors and sinners rather than the self-righteous.
Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God in a time of strong Roman rule. The word “gospel” originally referred to political announcements like the emperor’s enthronement or military victories. Yet Jesus repurposed this term to declare the reign of God. This was clearly a message of regime change—a declaration that a new order had begun, not through the world’s rulers, but through God’s reign. The gospel of Jesus extended beyond personal salvation to a proclamation directed at society and history itself.
Jesus often explained the Kingdom through parables. The parables of the sower, the mustard seed, the yeast, and the hidden treasure in the field all revealed its nature. The Kingdom begins small and unnoticed but eventually transforms everything. It may appear weak outwardly, yet the power it holds operates with a force unlike anything in this world. The Kingdom Jesus spoke of did not advance by power or hierarchy, but through relationship, mercy, justice, and peace.
Such teachings and actions shocked the people and threatened the religious authorities. Jesus taught an ethic of the Kingdom that extended beyond synagogue-centered law interpretation and impacted all of life. He emphasized the mercy behind Sabbath laws and the inner purity behind the command against adultery. The Kingdom he proclaimed was not just a set of religious rules but a total reordering of life and being.
Jesus did not hide that he was King of that Kingdom. But his kingship did not come with a golden crown or a triumphant steed. His throne was the cross. He chose mockery and silence over applause, and ruled not by force but through self-sacrifice. This was the decisive moment revealing the nature of the true King of God’s Kingdom—utterly different from earthly rule.
Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom still confronts us today. We remain bound by the ways of the world and often try to define God’s Kingdom by power, numbers, or influence—even in the church. But the Kingdom Jesus revealed is not about might or success; it is about repentance, humility, service, and truth. It opens to those who empty themselves and does not come to those who think themselves righteous.
That the Kingdom of God has come here and now is not merely a comforting message. It is an invitation to reorder our entire way of life. The Kingdom Jesus proclaimed is still alive today, and it becomes visible when his people submit to his reign. That Kingdom is not proven by words, but by life. Jesus himself was the arrival of the Kingdom, and those who follow him are called to bear witness to it in their daily lives.
The Practice of Acts, the Church’s Failures, and Restoration
After proclaiming the Kingdom of God and embodying its character, Jesus gave his disciples a mission—not just to preach the gospel, but to live the Kingdom. The Book of Acts tells the story of those who inherited this mission, bearing witness to how the Kingdom began to take root in specific lifestyles and communal structures.
Before his ascension, Jesus promised his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). To be a “witness” meant more than conveying information—it meant revealing the Kingdom through one’s whole life. The disciples didn’t just become preachers; they began forming communities that lived out this new order.
After the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, the early church underwent a dramatic transformation. They gathered for prayer, shared meals, met one another’s needs, and held all possessions in common. “All the believers were together and had everything in common… They gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:44–45). This was not a romanticized account of communal life—it was the tangible expression of the Kingdom of God. In this community, wealth did not define worth, power did not create hierarchies, and everyone was honored and respected.
Such a community was a model of divine rule that transcended its time. Though the world continued to operate by imperial logic, the early church lived out the way of the Kingdom Jesus taught—a life of service, sharing, repentance, and reconciliation. By living against the grain of the world, they made the invisible Kingdom visible.
Yet this practice soon met its limits. Over time, hypocrisy arose within the community. Tensions grew between Jews and Gentiles. Leadership structures began to re-emerge. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 reveals that even the early church was not free from insincere devotion. Though they appeared committed to the community, they concealed their selfish motives. This event warns us that the Kingdom begins not in appearance, but in truth.
Later, tensions arose among leaders like Paul, Peter, and James over issues such as Gentile missions and observance of the Law. The church began to fracture and compromise with worldly values. This shows that even the people of the Kingdom can lose its essence amid human weakness. The fullness of the Spirit is not permanent—it can be replaced with institutionalization and power.
Yet the Kingdom of God did not fall. Despite the failures, conflicts, hypocrisy, and missteps, God continued to lead the community and open new paths of restoration. Paul, for example, moved beyond tensions with the Jerusalem church to spread the gospel to new regions, leading the expansion of the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit did not remain confined to one people or place but drove the gospel across boundaries. The Kingdom of God cannot be limited to a single nation, culture, or institution.
God continues to work through people who rise again after failure. There may never be a perfect community, but through those who repent and obey, God continues building his Kingdom. This is the message of Acts. The Kingdom of God is not established by human perfection, but by communities that acknowledge their limits and remain attentive to the Spirit’s guidance.
Today’s church faces a reality far more complex than that of the early church. Though we have institutional stability and large numbers, the actual reign of God has grown dim. Many churches speak of influence but lack honesty; they are grand in appearance but weak in fellowship, passionate in effort but confused in direction. We often speak of the Kingdom of God, but its order and nature have become unfamiliar.
So what must the church recover today? We must return to Acts—not just for its miracles, but for the struggle of people who tried to live out the Kingdom. There was failure, conflict, and shame, but also the living reign of God, the guidance of the Spirit, and new paths opened through repentance. That way is still open to us.
The Kingdom of God comes not through perfect people, but through obedient ones. Jesus sowed the seed, and his disciples began to live it. That Kingdom continues to grow. Whenever we gather as the church, and that gathering reflects the reign of God in real life, then the Kingdom of God is here and now.
Maeil Scripture Journal | Special Series
