THURSDAY 23rd
John 3:1-21
NIV (v3) – ‘Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’’
ESV (v3) – ‘Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’’
In this verse Jesus mentions three concepts, 1) the concept of ‘being born again’ 2) the concept of ‘the Kingdom of God’ 3) the concept that to be able to enter or see the Kingdom of God one needs to be born again.
This phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ only appears in John’s gospel twice, here in verse 3 and again in the same chapter in verse 5. But Jesus talks of his Kingdom not being of this world later in John 18:36. Despite its lack of usage in this gospel, the concept of entering the Kingdom is what the gospel is all about, because to be born again, means to have the new life, the eternal and abundant life that John talks about throughout. In Matthew, the Kingdom is mentioned 35 times, Mark 14 times, Luke 31 times. The phrase ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ is also used and is best understood as to be referring to the same thing, in Matthew 19:23-24, Jesus uses the two phrases interchangeably ‘And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’’
In this devotion we will briefly answer the question as to what is the Kingdom of God? It is Matthew who records for us that John the Baptist, began to declare to the people, ‘Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 3:1) as he prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore this must mean that the Kingdom a) must have something to do with Jesus, b) must be linked to his ministry, c) must be linked to repentance d) therefore linked to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Christ came into the world to save sinners, he came to bring us out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God. It was sin that held us in the kingdom of darkness, but it is grace that has brought us into the kingdom of God.
There are four aspects to this Kingdom. There is the eternal aspect, that is Gods kingdom has been and always will be, the present aspect in regard to salvation which is that at this moment it is a spiritual Kingdom, in that at new birth, Christ comes to reign in our hearts, thus bringing the Kingdom rule of God into our lives. There is a future aspect in that the day is coming when Christ will bring about a literal Kingdom on this earth, and he will reign for a period of 1000 years, then there is an even more future aspect in that the day will come when God is going to wrap up time and everything that is at present already here and will create a new Heaven and new earth wherein the redeemed of the Lord will be forever in the eternal presence of the triune God and he will reign for ever and ever.
The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom where God rules and reigns as Sovereign, not as a tyrant, not as a despot, not as a dictator but as a caring, loving, and merciful God who exercises righteous judgement in all things. We can say that there is the external Kingdom, where God sits on his throne in the heavens and the internal kingdom, where God reigns in the hearts and lives of us who are believers.
We learn from Scripture that God’s Kingdom is:
Eternal – Psalm 45:6 ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness . . .’
The kingdom of God was not something new when the Baptist began to announce it, it was the bringing of the Kingdom into the lives of all who would believe and accept Jesus.
Established – Psalm 9:7 ‘But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice . . .’
The wonder is that through new birth the Kingdom will be established in our lives.
External – Isaiah 66:1 ‘Thus says the LORD: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? . . .’’
That which was already external will become an internal reality for all who believe as he rules in the throne of our hearts.
Expected – Isaiah 9:6-7 ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.’
Entered – John 3:3 ‘Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’’
This to me is the wonder of the good news of the gospel, that we can enter the Kingdom of God and that the Kingdom of God enters our lives as Jesus comes to rule and to reign.
2 Peter 1:11 ‘For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’
Joy is the flag that flies from the castle of my heart, for the King is in residence there!