Four Kingdoms, Part IV
IV The Kingdom of Heaven Among You Why did the Pharisees ask Jesus about when the kingdom of God would be established? Their question stemmed from their expectation that the coming kingdom would be a visible political event marked by specific signs. For a kingdom to be established, there must be a king. They desired to enter into the kingdom but refused to accept or honor the One who would rule over it. John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:2) Jesus Himself also taught, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17) The privilege of entering into the kingdom is repentance. Therefore, from Jerusalem onward, all the people of Judah and those living near the Jordan River went out to John, confessing their sins and being baptized in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:5-6) The Pharisees also came to John to be baptized, desiring to enter the kingdom. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:7-8) Why did John not baptize the Pharisees and Sadducees? It was because they had no repentance. Without repentance, they could not enter the kingdom. The Pharisees and Sadducees thought that because they were descendants of Abraham, they did not need to repent, believing themselves already to be citizens of the kingdom (Matthew 3:9). Likewise, many modern Christians today think that simply being members of their church makes them eligible to enter the heavenly kingdom. How do you view this? Do you believe you will enter into God's kingdom? The kingdom which was planned to be established in the land of Israel could only be entered through repentance. However, that kingdom did not come about because they rejected and crucified the King, Jesus. The present kingdom is no longer of this world, but of heaven. Therefore, repentance alone is not enough to gain entry; one must be born again in the spiritual realm. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:3-6) Regrettably, a majority of Christians fail to grasp the significance of being "born again," leading them to give the matter scant consideration. They think that baptism by water or being sprinkled with water is equivalent to being born again. But this is a misunderstanding. Water baptism is merely an action performed on the physical body. Didn't Jesus say, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The birth of the spirit cannot be accomplished by man; it is the work of the Holy Spirit. When a person hears about salvation from hell and sin through Christ, believes in it with their heart, and accepts it, they experience an inner assurance of being saved. Have you had the assurance of God's salvation within yourself? On their part, the Pharisees did not accept Jesus as God, nor as the Messiah they expected, nor as King and Savior. Now therefore, when Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is "among you," how should we understand it? The phrase "among you" or "in your midst" (depending on translations) can also be translated as "within you." In their case, this meant that they needed to accept Jesus, who was present in their midst, as their king. For this reason, Jesus said, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20). Although Jesus demonstrated His authority through miracles and signs, the Pharisees did not accept Him. Had they accepted Him as their King, the kingdom of God would have been fully established among them. Many people today do not accept Jesus as God or as King. Because of this, they do not wish to hear about Him. Most Christians are only nominal Christians; therefore, they accept Him verbally but not with their hearts and spirits. Consequently, like their worldly counterparts, they pay little attention to His words. Instead, they listen to the teachings of this world, acting no differently from worldly people. There is no difference between them and worldly people. Those who accept the Lord Jesus as King must seek His will wherever and whenever He leads. Jesus Himself said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24). Although Jesus did not establish His Kingdom on earth, He can build it within each individual's life. Do you accept Jesus not only as your Savior but also as your King? If so, the Kingdom of God is already being built in you. If a church accepts Jesus as its King and Lord, then that church becomes a miniature heavenly kingdom. Is your church a heavenly kingdom? May your life, your family, and your church become the Kingdom of God. 
