In Matthew 3 we read that Jesus went from town to town and preached in their synagogues, sharing the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The word used in the Greek for ‘kingdom’ is ‘basileia’ which translates as ‘authority’ or ‘the power to rule’. The Kingdom of God is thus the ‘reign’ of God. He wants to rule – not over you – but in you and through you. He wants to set up His throne within your heart and utilize you in the expansion of His Kingdom.
John 3:1-5 (KJV)
1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ” 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Here we see Nicodemus, a teacher and a ruler of the Jews – a man of high esteem – coming to Jesus. The first thing he does is enquire about these miracles that Jesus had been doing (v.2). Jesus immediately jumps to saying: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. “
This seems to be quite a leap – from miracles to suddenly speaking about the kingdom of God. At first glance Jesus’ answer almost seems out of place – that is until we go deeper.
Jesus says: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the (basileia) of God. “
Unless a man is born again he will not see the reign of God over him, in him and through him. Until he is born again man will never be restored to God’s divine purpose.
Jeremiah 29:11 says the following:
11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God has always had a plan. In John 1:1: we read about the Word of God which was with Him in the beginning, and was God.
The word ‘logos’ doesn’t simply mean ‘word’ but also translates as ‘a thought or intention.’
That verse could very well read as follows: “In the beginning was the intention, and the intention was with God, and the intention was God…”
The implications are huge – we have been created by God for a purpose fabricated by God and that purpose is serving God and allowing His kingdom to come and overwhelm our own little empires.
In Jeremiah the Lord promises that He has plans for us – thoughts of peace, or ‘shalowm’ which indicates prosperity, so that we may have an expected end – which according to the ancient Hebrew version of the text should read: an expectation, a hopeful and prosperous future.
This hopeful and prosperous can only be yours if you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God – for it is in the Kingdom of God that all can cry out: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. It is as citizens of the Kingdom of God that our cups runneth over.
In the Kingdom of God there is no want, there is no need – because we are connected, firmly rooted in the River of Life, the source of all creation through which the universe came into being and in which the universe consists.
The question now though is how do we become citizens of the Kingdom of God?
Jesus says, ‘verily, I say unto you, that if a man is not born again he will not see the Kingdom of God.’
The answer is: we need to be born again in water and in spirit.
This is achieved through the Baptism. Through Baptism the old man of sin is buried, we die with Christ but are resurrected with Him – the old man is buried and the new emerges from the water as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. All our sin, all our shame is washed away, we are washed clean and stand naked before God – completely bare, stripped of all our fakery, of all our lies and pretensions. We stand before God and He forgives us. We get out of the Baptismal waters clothed in the righteousness of Christ. To be baptized is to die to sin and associate yourself completely with the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We realize that the key to the Kingdom – through which we unlock the reign of God within us all, is obedience. To do as He did and walk as He walked. To follow His example, the example He lay down for us.
The baptism is a leap of faith, it is that first step we all need to take. It is a reaction to His great work on the cross through which we associate ourselves with Him wholly and completely.
This key to the Kingdom allows us to give over completely to His will, to the purpose He has for each and everyone of us – so that we might be more than just another face in the crowd, but rather, and ambassador for the Kingdom of the Lord, an emissary of light amidst the overwhelming darkness of the world.
Take that step…
I close with the following thought:
5Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.