My notes from a great talk, ‘The Kingdom Gospel’ by Prof BEN BRADWELL, Vice Principal of WTC at Ivy Church, July 2024
DISCUSSION:
- What is the Gospel?
- What are the key biblical terms or verses essential for communicating the Gospel?
- Where in the Bible do you get those thoughts?
We will come up with all kinds of ideas for that and of course there are many thoughts on that – but is the gospel we bring the one that Jesus brought?
What’s common for evangelical is we bring the gospel through Paul’s letters, Roman Road etc. Not that he’s at odds with Jesus on this but let’s look what he says.
Mark 1:1 – The beginning of the Good News about…Jesus the Christ (it’s not his surname! It’s a title, in Greek.
/Messiah = the Hebrew word (Anointed) = KING.
This is not a story that appeared out of nowhere. The OT tells us of rebellion and restoration and it would come through a king. This then is saying Jesus has come as the Son of God and He’s the descendant king in David’s line, the Son of David.
Jesus is embodying God’s presence and the KING is his main identity so it makes sense his first message is about a KINGDOM people were waiting for.
Mark 1:14-15 – Jesus brings the gospel.
The Kingdom of God is HERE. Repent and believe the gospel.
So – the GOSPEL = Jesus is the King, and the Kingdom of God is HERE.
Matt 9:35 – Jesus went about TEACHING (The kingdom of God is like…, Pray, Your Kingdom Come, Seek first – the kingdom)
PREACHING
And HEALING
Matthew 12 there’s a debate with religious scholars because people are debating his miracles and he says ‘If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, the Kingdom of God is among you.’
At his trial they ask him ‘Are you the Messiah?” YES! You’ll see the Son of Man coming.
Pilate asks “Are you the KING of the Jews?’
And they put that charge over his cross. And through that he redeems everything when he rises.
But how often do we tell the gospel story like that? We make it more about us and its effect on us.
The kingdom is central to the gospel, but we make it about other things. Let’s focus on Luke’s gospel to see this – Luke 4 to 10.
Luke 4
Isaiah is very important to the first Christians. They were aware of the OT, the covenant eg to Abraham and the covenants there not just the law.
‘The SPIRIT of the Lord has anointed (Christed/MESSIAHED!) me to proclaim GOSPEL to the poor…’
Remember in Lk 1:30-35 – Birth foretold – name = JESUS = JOSHUA = God saves and he will be great and he will be given the throne of his father David… his kingdom will never end.
Lk 3:15-16 John the Baptist says he’s the greater one. His baptism (3:21-22) is his coronation confirmation on the earth.
Then he returns in the power of the Spirit and unrolls the word and says he is bringing the Jubilee. (4:18-19)
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
It’s not just about me dying and going to heaven! It’s TRANSFORMATION. It’s not just for Sunday morning.
People want to keep this to themselves but he says he has to go and bring this to other places too! (4:43) “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”
LUKE 7 – John the Baptist is in prison now.
Jesus has come to set prisoners free – so, how’s this gospel going to come to me?
They said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
What’s the answer? It’s not a straightforward answer.
It’s not exactly the same list as before but there are references to it, the gospel is bigger than your salvation – and going to heaven when you die:
At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
The gospel then is God is showing up here and now in broken places, in hard times in lives, in sickness… this is what the kingdom looks like. For everyday people in all sorts of ways!
LUKE 8
Verse 1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
(not just of ‘justification by faith..’ etc)
So then, what does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus?
Luke 9:1-6 ‘When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.’
God and do the two things I have been doing. Follow the Master by practicing as an apprentice what he’s doing.
Verse 6, ‘So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.’
But this wasn’t just for the 12 was it? Not just the ‘paid/Pastors’ in out parlance.
Luke 10:1 – There are 72.
By Acts in the upper room there are 120. So maybe this is 100% of his followers right now at this point what does he tell them/ us to do?
Verse 9 ‘Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’’
The 12 disciple’s ministry was to look like Jesus’ ministry (as they practice and fail and try again)
The 72’s ministry looks just like the apostles, and WE are meant to be the same things?
So what’s the gospel?
‘Where are you going to go when you die?’
Well that’s very confrontational, head to head against them it’s valid, but maybe not even the question they are asking. How can we be shoulder to shoulder with them?
The gospel of the kingdom – Good news = Jesus is the King and now present kingdom of God
Preaching of the kingdom goes hand in hand with power encounters
Kingdom Ministry = “How can I pray for you?”
Someone has a problem, now we go to meet them in that, in the power of the Spirit. Take the risk – and God shows up! Notice in these texts the people receiving prayer are not believers. Take those risks and watch God show up, as King (not necessarily in the way we expect). His answers are YES and Amen – that means HE is there, in it with us. So the Kingdom of God is ‘now – and not yet’ fully consummated on the earth.