In Luke 17:20-21, the Pharisees questioned when the kingdom of God was coming. Jesus answered that the kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say to look here or there, because the kingdom of God is in your midst. This message is incredibly relevant today because God still rules as king. Humanity exists in only two domains: the kingdom of God or the domain of Satan. The kingdom of God in Christianity is about a present reality, not just the afterlife. Focusing on the kingdom means focusing on who Jesus is in all circumstances, recognizing him as the Lord of lords and the King of kings.
Why do some people miss the kingdom of God even when it is a present reality? The Pharisees failed to recognize Jesus as king because their kingdom view was completely unscriptural. They completely misunderstood the difference between the first coming and the second coming. The first coming was full of suffering and humility, but they expected a visible political national savior who would liberate them from Rome. They focused on external religion over inward transformation, rejecting Jesus because he demanded their hearts. Furthermore, pride and self-righteousness created intense resistance. Because they believed they were already righteous, they felt no need for a king who offered true righteousness.
To enter the kingdom of God, a person must be as low as Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:3 states, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. This is the foundational principle for entering the kingdom. God is not fooled and notices if a person lacks true humility. Being poor in spirit means a complete spiritual bankruptcy, the absolute emptiness of self, and an unworthiness before God that results in total dependency on Jesus alone. It is the complete absence of pride and self-reliance. Job demonstrated this realization by rejecting himself and repenting in dust and ashes after his self-confidence collapsed in the direct presence of God (Job 42:5-6).
Entering the kingdom is also like the merchant who found a pearl of great value and sold all that he had to buy it (Matthew 13:45-46). Gaining the kingdom means receiving Christ and his rule with a willingness to forsake everything else. Christ is worth more than everything, requiring total commitment and a complete reorientation of life with no competing loyalties.
Many people miss the kingdom today because they misplace Jesus based on their own preferences and felt needs. Some claim Jesus is merely an excellent moral teacher, admiring his ethics while completely rejecting his authority over sin and repentance. Others portray Jesus as a political symbol for Christian nationalism, seeing him merely as a divine supporter of their side. Some seek a soft Jesus who only offers encouragement and never confronts sin, while others use him as a means to personal success and material gain through the prosperity gospel. However, the real Jesus declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me”. (John 14:6)
The Pharisees missed the king standing right in front of them because of profound spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness is a condition where a person is unable and unwilling to perceive the truth of God, even when that truth is actively present. To cure this blindness and enter the kingdom, a person must experience regeneration. Regeneration is a completely God-initiated act accomplished through the hearing of the gospel, where the Holy Spirit raises the spiritually dead to conscious faith in Christ. As Jesus explained in John 3:3, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Every believer must be actively abiding in Christ every day. 1 John 3:6 states that no one who abides in Him sins. Abiding means receiving, actively trusting, and completely surrendering to Christ. Jesus provided this vital imagery in John 15:5, saying, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing”. Separating from the vine inevitably leads to spiritual death. If people miss the first arrival of the humble king, they will not see him coming again with trumpets and clouds of angels. Believers must realize they are living in front of the king right now. Let us continually love him, honor him, and worship the king who died in our place and carried every single sin on the cross.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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