THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM;
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”(Mark 16:15).
In the verse above Jesus didn’t say, “And the gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world.” Rather, He says “This Gospel of the Kingdom”; using the demonstrative adjective “this,” He refers to a particular Gospel, and a particular kingdom—the Kingdom of God. Jesus came preaching not just any gospel, but “this Gospel of the Kingdom.” That means there’s a definite Gospel for us to preach as Christians.
The prophets came with their own gospels. John the Baptist came with a gospel; a gospel of repentance to the Jews. But when Jesus came, He preached a different message: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14). This lets you know that the gospel you’re to embrace and preach, is the Gospel of the Kingdom. But then what is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God isn’t a place; it’s the reign of God where He exercises His Lordship and expresses His glory and goodness. It’s not a physical Kingdom but a spiritual one, and this is why the Lord Jesus told the people not to look for it anywhere: “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).
God’s plan is to set up His Kingdom in men’s hearts. The Gospel of the Kingdom therefore is the announcement that it’s now possible for all men to have God’s Kingdom set up in their hearts. This wasn’t possible in the days of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and David. But now, in Christ Jesus, it’s possible for anyone who believes on His Name to receive the life, presence, beauty and glory of God in his heart. It’s now possible for God to be at home in your heart and set up His headquarters in you! What a great blessing this is!