May 25, 2026
What is this gospel? What is this good news that is to be heralded to the ends of the earth? Salvation? That is part of it. Saved from hell to go to heaven? That is what we hear from the pulpits of Western Christianity. But what did the Lord Jesus say about the Kingdom of heaven and the Good News, the gospel?
“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” MK 1: 14-15
The Kingdom of heaven is at hand… Jesus sent His disciples out to “preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt 10: 7-8).
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Mt 7: 21).
The Kingdom of Heaven is like:
- The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. (Mt 13:24)
- The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. (Mt 10:31)
- The kingdom of heaven is like leaven. (Mt 10:31)
- The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. (Mt 10:44)
- The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he found one of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Mt 10:46)
- The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind. (Mt 10:47)
Where is this Kingdom that is at hand, that is within reach? It is here; it is now. It is within those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. The Kingdom is flowing into us from God, then through us out into all the earth as light and salt.
If you are skeptical, let’s look at Matthew 13. Matthew records several parables given by the Lord Jesus to multitudes and then explained privately to the disciples. The first parable we are presented with is the Sower who went out to sow and the seeds fell on different types of soil. Some seeds fell by the wayside and birds devoured them; some fell on rocky areas and sprang up quickly with no deep roots and soon withered; some fell among thorns and when they sprang up they were choked; some fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some very bountifully. The disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables. The Lord answered that “it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Jesus goes on to explain the parable of the Sower and the different types of ground on which the seeds fell. “The good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Mt 10:23). That fruit that is being produced is the fruit of the Spirit, the character of God being formed in us.
The next parable begins in Matthew 13:24 and ends in verse 30. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but the enemy also sowed tares in the field among the good seed. Both the wheat (the good seed) and the tares grew in the field. The man’s servants asked if they should pull the tares. The man responded that they should not because they might uproot the wheat when they pulled out the tares. Both grew together until the harvest when both were gathered by the reapers, first the tares were bundled to be burned and then the wheat was taken to the man’s barns. Skipping ahead to verse 36 Jesus explains the parable of the tares: He who sows the good seed is Jesus, the Son of Man; The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom (sons is a position not a gender); The tares are the sons of the wicked one (sons is a position not a gender); the enemy who sowed the tares is the Devil; The harvest is the end of the age; The reapers are the angels. Verse 41: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom…” If we are the good seed which grew in the field and we reside in this present earth and we are the sons of the kingdom and the angels gather out of His kingdom at the end of the age… The Kingdom is here and now within us, growing and flowing through us…
Remember this is God’s Kingdom we are talking about, not man’s. God’s character, not man’s. Spend some time in the beatitudes before any pride tries to seep in. And remember “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3-4).
The Kingdom of heaven is of the greatest value; it is worth all that we have, all that we are. The man who found the treasure hidden in the field sold all that he had to get the field. The merchant sold all that he had to purchase the pearl. We surrender all that we are to God and receive His Kingdom.
In the parable of the dragnet, we learn that the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind (Mt 10:47). When it was pulled to the shore the good were gathered into a vessel but the bad were thrown away. Jesus tells us “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.” (Mt 10:49-50). The sea is the earth, the dragnet is the harvest and we are the fish that are gathered either into the vessel or thrown away; the just or the wicked.
“Therefore, every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” When we learn about the kingdom of heaven, we receive treasures that are new and old. These treasures are things that were revealed long ago others not until the Lord walked this earth and some are yet to be revealed.
The Kingdom of heaven is treasure; it is of great worth and value. We are to seek first the Kingdom of God (Mt 6:33). We are to handle it; to become familiar with all that it is; to be imbued with its character, its ways. We are citizens now bearing fruit as we grow into fullness, the likeness of the Lord Jesus who gave himself to us and for us that we may be one with Him.
Matthew 22 takes us to the parable of the wedding feast where we learn that the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding. The servants first went to those who were invited but they did not want to come. The servants were then sent into the highways and byways, fields and towns to invite whomever they found. Finally, the banquet was ready, and the guests were attired in their wedding garments. One guest was not wearing a wedding garment and was cast out for many are called, but few are chosen. That guest followed the crowed into the banquet but did not become part of the wedding party as demonstrated by his lack of a wedding garment. We are becoming sons of the kingdom as we grow into the likeness of Christ Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.
What is the gospel according to Jesus? Matthew 24:14 Jesus tells us:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Salvation is a part of the gospel, but it is not the full gospel according to the Lord Jesus.
The Kingdom Gospel. The Kingdom of God is here and now; in His people and in His creation; groaning; developing. The full Kingdom of God will not be realized until the end of this age, but it is becoming; we are becoming.
Seek first the Kingdom of God.
Seek to be conformed to the likeness of the Lord Jesus our Messiah. His character, bold, unwavering, Love incarnate, a smoking reed He would not snuff out, gentle, meek (strength under control). Though He could have commanded legions (plural – more than one legion) of angels (angels are manifoldly more powerful than humans) to fight and deliver Him from the Pilate and the Jews, He chose the Father’s will and went to the cross for us. Everything that Jesus said and did came from the Father. We are to be like Him in character and deed; Crucifying the flesh and being born of the Spirit; walking in the wisdom and power of God. To be this person me, myself and I must die. As Paul said it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. No guns, no belittling, no bullying, no condemning, no thinking ourselves better than another, no usurping, no stealing, no hating, the old nature must end.
The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Will you reach out, die and be born again into this glorious Kingdom of God? Choose to become…
Jesus invites us to come. He is there with arms open and a heart to envelop.