Do you know if you’re a member of the kingdom of God? I don’t mean a member of a church but in God’s kingdom. Do you know what the kingdom of God is? If you do know, do you know what God expects from you as a member of his kingdom? There’s a lot of confusion about the kingdom of God, the covenants of God, and the age of the Church. It’s important for us to understand the relationships of these terms, especially when it comes to when God ends one age and begins another, a new age.
In the Parable of the Vineyard Owner from the Gospel of Matthew, we have a description of who the members of God’s kingdom are and why they are members. It also shows what God expects from the members of his kingdom. This parable also explains why the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed and why the Jews were removed from the promised land.
The Parable of the Vineyard Owner (Matthew 21:33-45) answers four questions for us about the Kingdom of God and those who receive it:
- Why did God destroy Jerusalem and the temple, judge the Jews, and remove them from the land?
- To whom did God give his kingdom?
- Who are members of God’s kingdom?
- What does God expect from those who live in his kingdom?
Why did God destroy Jerusalem and the temple, judge the Jews, and remove them from the land?
God took the kingdom away from the Jews because they didn’t fulfill their covenant agreement with God. The ordinances, statutes, and laws were meant to bring the Jews to the realization they needed something more because they were unrighteous. They weren’t giving God the fruit from all he provided to them. God sent them prophets and teachers to show them they were failing, and they abused them and didn’t listen to them. God sent his Son to show them their sin, and they rejected and killed him. So, just like in the parable, God ended the covenant he had with them (the age of the Mosaic Law), removed them from the land, and began the age of the church, which is central to the kingdom of God.
To whom did God give his kingdom? Jesus is the Israel of God, and if we are in him, then we are the new Israel, Isaiah 49:1-3.
Israel is the promised land of God. Israel is the kingdom of God. Here, we see that Jesus is Israel. Therefore, all who believe in Jesus enter into Jesus and the kingdom of God. We see this spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 8:5-13.
Who are members of God’s kingdom? God tells us the Gentiles will also be members of the kingdom in Isaiah 49:6.
This Gentile centurion and all who come from the east and the west, outside of Israel, are not replacing the Jews in the kingdom promised to them; they are, we are, becoming a part of Israel with those Jews who believe in the Messiah. This isn’t replacement theology. The Gentiles aren’t replacing the Jews; they are becoming the sons and daughters of the kingdom of heaven. In the kingdom of God, there are no Jews or Christians; there are only believers in Jesus Christ, and all who believe in Jesus Christ are Israel.
What does God expect from those who live in his kingdom?
This is important to us as believers because what Israel failed to do is now commanded for the New Israel to fulfill. I don’t mean keep the Mosaic Law; that’s over. What did they fail to do? (Genesis 12:3)
Moses tells Israel in Deuteronomy 4:5-7 that by following the laws and statutes of God, they will be an example to the nations.
Paul tells believers in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 that we are ambassadors for Christ.
The Apostle John said in John 20:21 that Jesus sends believers into the world to preach the kingdom of God as the Father sent him.
What is the Bottom Line/What do you want them to take away?
Jesus is the Israel of God, and the church is the body of Israel, so all who believe in Jesus are Israelites through him. As the Israel of God, we have the privilege of bringing the Good News of the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. This is the central theme of the New Testament.
Did you ever stop and think, “Now that I believe in Jesus Christ as my savior, what’s next?” To live a life pleasing to Christ? Yes, but why? To love God and your neighbor as yourself? Yes, but how? To go to church? You are the church. As believers in Christ, our purpose is to tell the world about Jesus and God’s desire for everyone to believe in him for their salvation. And how do we do this? With our faith, with our words, with our lives, and with our works.
Listen to what Jesus said to all who believe in him in Matthew 5:14-16.
Jesus told the disciples in Luke 12:32, “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights (approbate – officially approves) to give you the kingdom.”
Don’t be afraid; let others see your faith, let them hear your words, let them examine your life, and let them receive your good works. By these things, you express your love for God and others by opening the gates of the kingdom of God to all who will enter by faith.
