Monday Read: The Forty Days - Teaching About the Kingdom
Between resurrection and ascension, Jesus spent forty days teaching his disciples about the kingdom of God. Luke writes: "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).
Forty days is significant throughout Scripture. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai receiving the law (Exodus 24:18). Elijah traveled forty days to Mount Horeb where God spoke to him (1 Kings 19:8). Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry (Matthew 4:2). Israel wandered forty years in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Forty represents complete preparation, thorough testing, full transformation.
Jesus used these forty days to thoroughly prepare his disciples for what came next. They'd walked with him for three years, but they still misunderstood his mission. Even after resurrection, they asked, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). They were still thinking politically - expecting Jesus to overthrow Rome and establish Israel as dominant world power. Jesus had to fundamentally reshape their understanding of what God's kingdom meant.
The kingdom of God was central to Jesus's teaching. His first recorded words in Mark's gospel were: "The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15). He taught that the kingdom was "at hand" - present in his ministry yet still future in its fullness. The kingdom came with Jesus but won't be consummated until his return.
What is God's kingdom? Not a geographic territory or political entity. It's God's reign and rule - wherever God is king, the kingdom exists. Jesus explained: "The kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21). Wherever people submit to God's authority, live by his values, and obey his commands, the kingdom is present. It's both current reality and future hope.
Jesus used many parables to explain the kingdom. The kingdom is like a mustard seed - tiny beginning, massive growth (Matthew 13:31-32). It's like yeast - small amount that permeates everything (Matthew 13:33). It's like treasure hidden in a field, worth selling everything to obtain (Matthew 13:44). It's like a pearl of great value, worth sacrificing everything to possess (Matthew 13:45-46). It's like a net catching all kinds of fish, separating good from bad at the end (Matthew 13:47-50).
These parables teach that the kingdom starts small but grows dramatically. It seems insignificant but transforms everything it touches. It's immensely valuable but often hidden. It includes everyone initially but faces final judgment. The kingdom isn't what people expect - not military conquest or political dominance but spiritual transformation spreading through seemingly insignificant means.
The Beatitudes describe kingdom values: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). The kingdom belongs to those who recognize their spiritual poverty, mourn over sin, practice meekness, hunger for righteousness, show mercy, maintain purity, make peace, and endure persecution for righteousness. These are upside-down values compared to worldly kingdoms that prize power, wealth, status, and domination.
Jesus's forty days of kingdom teaching prepared his disciples to understand that his kingdom advances through sacrifice, not strength; through service, not dominance; through suffering, not violence. The kingdom spreads as witnesses testify about Jesus, even when testimony costs them everything. The kingdom grows as believers love enemies, forgive offenders, serve the marginalized, and pursue justice. This wasn't what the disciples expected, which is precisely why Jesus spent forty days teaching them.
You're living in God's kingdom right now if you've submitted to Christ's lordship. The kingdom isn't just future hope - it's present reality wherever Jesus is king. But the kingdom isn't fully realized yet. You live in tension between "already" (kingdom has come) and "not yet" (kingdom hasn't been consummated). Cancer still kills kingdom citizens. Injustice still oppresses kingdom people. Evil still harms kingdom communities. The kingdom is here but not fully here, present but not completely present, real but not totally realized.
This tension requires patience, faith, and perseverance. You can't force the kingdom to come fully through political action, social reform, or religious programs. The kingdom comes as God determines, advances as God directs, and will be consummated when Christ returns. Your job isn't to build the kingdom through human effort but to testify to the kingdom through faithful witness, live according to kingdom values regardless of cost, and trust that God is bringing his kingdom to fullness in his timing.
