In his colossal work on the preaching and teaching of Jesus, Herman Ridderbos states, “The central theme of Jesus’ message, as it has come down to us in the synoptic gospels, is the coming of the kingdom of God. . . . It may be rightly said that the whole of the preaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles is concerned with the kingdom of God.”1 This means that we enter into a large subject. In fact, each subheading of this article could be a book on its own. Nevertheless, we continue to see what it means to be Reformed in terms of how we think about and live in the kingdom of God.

The King of the Kingdom

For there to be a kingdom, there must be a king. The king is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the “King of kings and the Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:11–16). This is not merely a New Testament teaching. It is rooted in the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 9:6–7). Isaiah 9:7 (English Standard Version) says, in part, that Jesus will sit “on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

As this king, Jesus has been given authority from God to reign over the kingdom (Matt. 28:18). With this authority, Christ sends out the apostles to make disciples of all nations. In doing so, he enlists his catholic church to be the messengers of the gospel of salvation. One of the great early missionaries of the church was the apostle Paul. What message did he bring? He told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:2 that he resolved to know nothing while he was with them “except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul went as an ambassador of the king to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.

A Solid Foundation

As the good news of Jesus Christ crucified goes out, hearts are conquered by the gospel. Sinners are called to faith. Orphans are called to sonship. Those who are alone in this world, by grace and through faith, are told that they “belong body and soul, in life and in death, to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1).

The redemption of Jesus Christ and the following restoration of what had been lost is an amazing work of God. In the hearts of believers, they submit to what John the Baptist said in John 3:27: “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” The application of this principle in the life of the believer is all-encompassing. There is not a single thing in this world that does not belong to Christ. Understanding this will help expand our view of the kingdom. It goes well beyond the walls of the church. Christ is building his kingdom through the work of the gospel in the hearts of sinners, but he is doing more than that. The gospel of the kingdom fills the world like yeast ferments bread or wine. The impact of the gospel is far-reaching, and “kingdom causes” often come alongside the church with the same goal in mind. This goal is that the name and glory of Christ might fill the earth.

All that we have is given by God and is to be used for his glory. He gives gifts to the saints to be a blessing to those around him (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 55).2 This principle sets a solid foundation for work in the kingdom.

Already and Not Yet

It is impossible to understand rightly the kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven, as Matthew’s Gospel usually calls it, without understanding the distinction between the “already” and “not yet” aspects of the kingdom. What this refers to is the fact that the kingdom is come in Christ and the completion of the Scriptures; however, the kingdom has not fully come and is not ultimately fulfilled.

When our Lord Jesus began his public ministry, he said, “the kingdom is at hand,” the “kingdom is near,” and the “kingdom has come,” and yet he speaks of it as though it is future. There is a coming fulfillment of the kingdom. Think, for example, of the Beatitudes as they are found in Matthew 5. Each of the promises Christ gives for the poor in spirit, mourners, the meek, those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the merciful, peacemakers, and the persecuted is not received until after this life. Matthew 5:12 says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” The reward is in heaven, even for the meek who will inherit the earth. We know this takes place after the final judgment and the vindication of the elect of God.

   

In the parables of Jesus, especially as they are found in Matthew 13, there is a future aspect of the harvest, of the mustard seed, of the large net. However, there is also the present reality of the growth of the mustard seed, the casting of the net, the planting of the field of wheat (and then the wicked sowing of tares). In Jesus Christ, the kingdom comes crashing into this world, and yet it was completely different than many of them expected. When Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that in order to see the kingdom he must be born of water and the Spirit (a reference to Ezekiel), he was confused. The kingdom has already come, but it has not yet come in its fullness.

Kingdom and Preaching

In John 3, Jesus connects the growth and vision for the kingdom with being born again. However, he gives the command that we must be born again, which is a work of the Holy Spirit. How could we be involved in this mysterious work of the Holy Spirit? We can encourage it through the support and propagation of the preaching of the Word.

In Matthew 13:47–50, Jesus gives another parable of the kingdom. This time the parable is about a net. This net is often called a dragnet. Verses 47–48 say, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is life a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.” The passage continues and says that at the end of the age, the angels will sort out the good and the bad. But what is the net?

The net is associated with the propagation and proclamation of the gospel. As a means of grace, this is the preaching of the Word. The way that a dragnet would work is that it would be strung between two boats, and it would be strung parallel to shore. Then each boat would make its way to shore, and whatever was between them would get caught. This isn’t like fly fishing, where you try to target a specific species of fish in a specific location. Preaching should be like a dragnet, cast to all. The Canons of Dort (II.5) explain it this way: “This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.”

The minister of the Word is to preach the gospel and then let God accomplish what God sets it out to do. The preaching itself, when faithfully done, will sift the wheat and the tares in the pews (or on the street corner) according to their hearts, but it might not be until the return of Christ that the truth is fully know as to the elect and reprobate.

There is a unique role that preaching has in the discipling of the nations, but that is not the only means that God uses. He uses believers in the very places he calls them. The gospel that you hear preached should be shared with your neighbor, relative, co-worker, and friend. God has put people in your life, in part, so that you might share what you have heard and how your heart has been changed (1 Peter 3:15). Pray that the Lord might bring people in your life for that purpose, and pray that you might have the boldness to share the gospel without fear.

Learning from Parables

The parables of our Lord have a wealth of information regarding the kingdom. Though we do not have the time for an exhaustive treatment, just using the parables of Matthew 13 can give us many helpful truths.4 If you are not familiar with Matthew 13, I encourage you to read it now.

In the parable of the weeds (Matt. 13:24–30), the Master tells the workers to permit the wheat to continue to grow along with the weeds (tares). The reason for this strange advice is that there is a danger of pulling out the wheat when the weeds are removed. The Greek word used for weeds there is referring to the darnel weed. It has a tendency to wrap its roots around what is growing near it in order to steal the nutrients. The world and the kingdom exist simultaneously. Christians are called to be in the world but not of the world. They are to live as lights even when darkness is around them. Their minds are to be transformed (Rom. 12:1–2), because they are new creations in Christ Jesus. At the harvest, God will deal with the weeds.

In the parable of the mustard seed (Matt. 13:31–32) and the leaven (v. 33), the point is that which starts out small, grows to be very large. It continues to grow, and though the church is called to water, it is God who will produce the growth.

In the parable of the hidden treasure (Matt. 13:44), the teaching is that there is something great and mysterious about the kingdom. There is something about it that makes it worth giving up all for it. The pearl of great price echoes this (Matt. 13:45–46). What are those two parables getting at? Jesus put it this way in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Faith in Christ is that which is worth giving up all we have in this world in order to possess. What does Christ ask from us? Our hearts and lives. There is a mystery to the kingdom, and yet it is clearly revealed in the Scriptures.

Kingdom and Lordship

Ridderbos is the great Dutch theologian regarding the kingdom. To expand it further, Abraham Kuyper is the greater Dutch theologian regarding Calvinism. What Kuyper sought to do through his Stone Lectures in 1898 and many articles on the subject was to show how the lordship of Jesus Christ touches each sphere of life. Christ’s lordship was the driving force of his practical theology.5

Kuyper argued that since Christ had redeemed us, he also redeems all that we do. Each individual sphere of life is completely under the lordship and direction of King Jesus. Science, art, politics, the home, the school all are under Christ’s lordship. This teaching wasn’t completely new with Kuyper. It traces some roots back to G. Van Prinsterer (1801–1876), the Dutch political leader and theologian, but then even further to Calvin and then much further to the Scriptures.

The Heidelberg Catechism teaches that we belong to Christ with our whole being (Q&A 1). What this means is that there is not a single thing that we do which is neutral when it comes to faith and morality. All that we do is an act of worship (cf. Rom. 12). This really is where the rubber hits the road in terms of applying an understanding of the King and his kingdom to the life of the grateful citizens of the kingdom, those who believe in Christ. You cannot understand what it means to be Reformed if you don’t grasp this.

Whatever it is you do for a living. Wherever it is you attend worship and sit under the preaching of the Word. Whatever political party you align yourself with. All of these things operate under Christ’s lordship. He is the rightful ruler and lord. He does not rule with an iron fist. This king and his kingdom are altogether different than the kingdoms of this world. Our Savior- King is loving and gracious. He laid down his life for the life of his people (citizens, Phil. 3:20).

So, fellow citizens, what is God’s call? It is all wrapped up in a short Latin phrase. We are to live Pro Rege (for the King) in light of the Regnum Christi (reign of Christ).

1 Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom. (Philadelphia: P&R, 1962), xi.

2 This directly ties into the subject of stewardship. In a future article, God willing, the author will deal with that subject and its connection to work and vocation.

3 Ridderbos, Coming of the Kingdom, 36–56, has an excellent treatment of the future and present aspects of the kingdom. The entire book is recommended, though it is not the easiest read.

4 Helpful resources in studying these parables are Robert Farrar Capon, Kingdom, Grace, and Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002); Herman Hanko, The Mysteries of the Kingdom (Grandville, MI: Reformed Fellowship, 2004); Craig L. Blomberg, Interpreting the Parables (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002).

5 To read further from Kuyper, I heartily recommend reading his six Stone Lectures given at Princeton, NJ, in 1898. The lectures were first published in English by Eerdmans in 1931 under the title Calvinism.

Steve Swets is the pastor of Rehoboth United Reformed Church in Hamilton, ON, and the co-editor of Faithful and Fruitful: Essays for Elders and Deacons (Now available at reformedfellowship.net).