Jesus came to preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). He is at the center of that kingdom, which is because He is the King. All authority has been given to Him, He commissioned us as His disciples to announce the good news to all nations, and we pray for His kingdom to come to earth, which includes His return, which He promised. Amen!
How do we proclaim? There is more than one way, but Paul wrote that “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
We do declare the good news with words, we also demonstrate our taste of the good news when we join together at the Lord’s Supper.
The kingdom spreads not by skin color, but by the Spirit indwelling. The kingdom spreads not by earthly citizenship, but among the citizens who are believers, with effect on their citizenship. There are parts of Christ’s kingdom that are here, local churches are outposts, and when we say, “Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus,” we want the fulness of Christ’s light and glory and fellowship.
To eat and drink together at this table, resisting division and selfishness as plagued the church in Corinth, is part of our proclamation. The good news has come to us, the kingdom is spreading as yeast in the loaf, and we are proclaiming our salvation and blessings through Christ’s sacrifice as the defining feature of our lives. Amen!