The Coming of the Kingdom

Everyone desires a better world. Politicians make promises that they will solve all problems if you vote for them, educators teach with the belief that they can contribute to making the world a better place, and technology claims that progress is being made through the latest inventions. However, achieving a better world seems more elusive than ever.

Ancient philosophers and theologians once described "the better world" as "what ought to be." The Hebrew people referred to it as the "world that will be," and by the first century, it was known as the Kingdom of God.

In Luke 17:20-37, the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When would the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus's reply was shocking. He stated that the Kingdom of God would not come in the manner or location the Pharisees expected. Instead, Jesus asserted that the Kingdom of God was already in their midst. He then proceeded to engage his disciples in discussions about the present and future aspects of the Kingdom of God. Jesus explained that he would first suffer and then return "as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other" (Luke 17:24).

Every follower of Jesus should prioritize seeking the Kingdom of God in the present and be prepared for the King's return. But what exactly is the Kingdom, and when will Jesus return to establish the world as it ought to be?