The Gospel of the King and His Transforming Power
… the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures Romans 1:2
Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 1:14,15). This evoked expectation of Israel’s restoration as the great spiritual force in the world. Their national transformation would be the example of God’s total purpose of transforming creation by the rule of the kingdom of God. Ezekiel described how God would do this (Ezekiel 36:25-27), the amazing renewal resulting from the kingdom of God (Ezekiel 37:1-14), and the resulting future of the one people of God (Ezekiel 37:15-28). This gospel of the kingdom of God was to be proclaimed by a renewed Israel.
The gospel is the message of God’s rule. The pathway to transformation must begin with personal recognition of God’s claims. National Israel’s rejection of Jesus’ ministry led the potter to reform the clay at Pentecost (Romans 9:19-29). He would be faithful to His purpose by renewing and re-forming Israel. Gentiles would be included in His true people (Romans 9:24-26).
The essence of the gospel, from Old Testament to New, always concerned the final, full demonstration of God’s rule in the new creation. Redemption is the beginning of that new creation which can now be seen through individual transformation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and inclusion into the witnessing community. Transformed through inclusion in Christ, this community looks forward and witnesses to on-going transformation, leading to the fullness of our final salvation under kingdom of God rule. The completion of the new creation at Christ’s return will complete God’s purposes for humanity and the world, first begun in Genesis 1 and 2.
Paul is writing this letter to the church in Rome, the greatest city in the world at the time, the home of the most powerful man in the world, whose official titles included ‘son of god,’ whose birthday was hailed as ‘good news,’ and who claimed the allegiance of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. The gospel confronts the claims of Rome and its Emperor. Paul will elsewhere describe himself as a herald (1 Thessalonians 2:9), one sent out to proclaim throughout a kingdom the crowning of the new king. Jesus is Israel’s true king and the world’s true Lord. Daniel 7 portrays Christ, standing before God the Father to be given the right to rule the kingdom of God as King (Daniel 7:13,14). Because this followed His death and resurrection, Christ is now King.
The Bible speaks so much of the formation and presentation of the people of God, in submission to divine leadership, as the alternative world society. Does your life demonstrate Christ’s Lordship? Are you taking your place in God’s community of believers? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you as a visible demonstration to the unsaved that God is real and His power unlimited?