Imagine witnessing the most extraordinary mountaintop sunrise. It’s breathtaking. Surreal. Transcendent. You feel like you’re glimpsing another plane of reality—if only for a moment.
Later, you’re telling your friend about it, trying to get them to feel what you felt. But your words fall short. “It was like _____,” you say. Your friend nods their head politely, not grasping it. So you try again. “Okay, have you ever _____?” You hope they’ll get it this time.
Sometimes, moments are simply too big for words. You have to experience them to truly understand.
Jesus may have felt this way when His friends and followers wanted to know about the kingdom of God. I wonder if He described it in so many ways, so many times, because He knew just one wordy explanation wouldn’t suffice?
Maybe you have the same questions Jesus’ disciples did: What is the kingdom of God, anyway? Where is it? How do you get there?
What Did Jesus Say About the Kingdom of God?
Jesus described the kingdom of God as the reign and rule of God—here and now, until forever.
What did Jesus say about this kingdom, exactly? Simply put, Jesus described the kingdom of God as the reign and rule of God—here and now, until forever.
Jesus announced it and lived it out, and He invites us to live it out, too. The kingdom of God is good news—plain and simple. But, like any good thing, it’s best understood and appreciated with care, savored one bite at a time.
Parables and the Kingdom of God
Jesus loved to describe the kingdom of God in this way, with short, relatable, bite-sized stories called “parables.”
Jesus taught in parables to engage His followers, reveal spiritual truth, and fulfill prophecy. Does any one parable tell us everything we need to know about God’s kingdom? No. But, taken together, they help us understand a lot about something that is simply too good for words.
4 Parables That Explain the Kingdom of God
Let’s look at some of Jesus’ parables as recorded in the New Testament, starting with one of the better-known ones.
1. The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Again [Jesus] said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 NIV
This parable, found in three of the four Gospels, gives us a hint that the kingdom of God is unexpected and surprising—it may come from small, humble beginnings, but it continues to grow, expand, and nurture all who find its branches.
Then, in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus offers several rapid-fire ideas about this kingdom.
2. The Parables of the Yeast, Hidden Treasure, and Pearl
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Matthew 13:33 NIV
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44 NIV
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46 NIV
Jesus helps us see that God’s kingdom is …
- Influential and transformative, like yeast worked through a batch of dough.
- A joy to discover—and rediscover.
- Of immeasurable value, like a rare pearl, and worth sacrificing for.
3. The Parable of the Growing Seed
The Gospel of Mark offers us another parable about a seed, this time to help us understand that God’s kingdom grows according to God’s will and timing, even as we still play our part.
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29 NIV
4. The Parable of the Sower
Let’s end with another of Jesus’ most famous parables, the parable of the sower. This parable not only helps us understand more about God’s kingdom, but it teaches us another reason Jesus spoke in parables—a reason that is, admittedly, confusing.
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” … Luke 8:4-8 NIV
Thankfully, Jesus explains this one a few verses later (not something He always did).
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Luke 8:11-15 NIV
Didn’t You Mention a Confusing Part About God’s Kingdom?
You’re right. Let’s take a look at those verses we skipped.
… When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” Luke 8:8-10 NIV
Hold up! Is Jesus saying He’s intentionally trying to confuse some of those listening to His words? Well, yes. And, it’s not the only place in the Gospels that He says this.
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:34-35 NIV
The parables of Jesus aren’t simply an explanation of the kingdom of God; they’re an invitation to it.
Why? The parables of Jesus aren’t simply an explanation; they’re an invitation. And the kingdom of God is not forceful. It awaits you to accept the invitation to lean in, follow Jesus’ example, and embrace God’s rule in your life.
If you truly want to know the truth about God’s kingdom, you have to be willing to chew on these teachings, question them, share them, pray about them, and apply them. Not everyone is ready to hear what Jesus has to say. But His loving invitation awaits, just the same.
The Kingdom of God Explained
We’ve talked a lot about parables. We’ve answered some questions. And, hopefully, we’ve inspired you to ask even more questions. Let’s recap.
So, What Is the Kingdom of God?
The kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God—here and now, until forever. It’s humble, expansive, influential, transformative, joyful, and priceless.
Where Is the Kingdom of God?
Jesus spoke often of the kingdom of God being “near” or “in our midst.” When Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, He tied God’s will to His kingdom, suggesting that where God’s will is being done, God’s kingdom is alive and present there.
This kingdom of God isn’t confined to a physical location like a physical kingdom with an earthly king. It’s a spiritual realm that is present and accessible to those who follow Jesus.
What About the Future Kingdom of God?
While God’s kingdom is active and alive today, Jesus also spoke of a day when it will come in full, physically, completely, and unmistakably (Matthew 25:31-34). Scripture tells us that one day, heaven and earth will be made new (Revelation 21:1-5), and God’s reign will be fully realized.
Even as we live out the kingdom here and now through loving others, seeking justice, and walking in grace, we can also look forward to the day Jesus returns and makes everything new.
Who’s Part of the Kingdom of God?
Through the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) and the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus hints at a kingdom in which grace abounds, inhabited by those help their neighbors, who look out for the vulnerable, and who show compassion.
When you follow Jesus’ example and seek to care for others in this way, you’re participating in God’s kingdom.
Now What?
We’ve answered a lot of questions about the truth of God’s kingdom, but let’s not lose sight of this fact: The kingdom of God is still bigger, better, and more mysterious than anything we’ve described today. No words can truly capture the essence of God’s kingdom. The parables are merely hints. There’s more to the story because the story is still being written.
You don’t have to spend your life simply thinking about the kingdom of God. You can experience it—right now.
And that’s where you come in. You can play a part in bringing God’s kingdom to earth. Today. You don’t have to spend your life simply thinking about the kingdom of God. You can experience it—right now.
The kingdom of God isn’t perched atop some lofty mountain, waiting for you to come to it. It’s here, with us. It came to us through the work of Jesus Christ, a work He continues to do in the world today—a work He invites us to join Him in as His disciples.
See it. Recognize it.
The invitation to the kingdom of God is for everyone. But the path is not full of easy answers. We’re invited to experience it one mysterious bite at a time, savoring its goodness as we share it with others.
Are you ready to experience it for yourself?
Can something so profound be experienced by all of us, simply by saying “Yes” to walking with Jesus?
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NIV