What does the Kingdom look like?
“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.””
—Mark 1:14-15
The message that Jesus preached was the gospel of the kingdom of God. He didn’t preach the gospel of salvation—that He died on the cross to redeem us and rose from the grave—because He hadn’t done it yet! His message was the good news of the kingdom of God. If that was Jesus' primary message, then we must understand what it means. After all, if we’re to seek first the kingdom (Matthew 6:33), we should know what we’re seeking!
In short, the kingdom of God is the reigning and ruling of Christ. It is the mind and heart of the King made manifest. When you look at a kingdom, you see what has been in the mind of the King. The kingdom is where a King has rulership; where He reigns.
Disney’s The Lion King illustrates this well. In a conversation between Mufasa and Simba:
“Everything the light touches is our kingdom,” Mufasa said.
Then Simba asked, “What about that shadowy place?”
Mufasa answered, “That’s beyond our borders. You must never go there.”
The Shadowlands were where Uncle Scar and the hyenas lived in rebellion, plotting betrayal. The darkness represents areas not submitted to the rule of the king. But wherever the light touches, the king has dominion.
It’s all about who is ruling the environment.
Jesus’ message was that God was bringing His kingdom to earth—His reign, His rulership. This was good news because God was setting people free from the dominion of darkness and bringing them into the light.
The kingdom of God manifests in at least two ways:
External Demonstration
Internal Transformation
External Demonstration
Healing: The Kingdom Made Visible
“And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
—Luke 10:9
Whenever healing came, it was the kingdom of God manifesting. Jesus' ministry was full of healing miracles: the blind saw, the deaf heard, the crippled walked, lepers were cleansed. The Bible says Jesus healed every kind of sickness and disease (Matthew 4:23).
What was happening? People’s bodies were under the dominion of sickness and disease. But when Jesus or His disciples ministered, the rule of a greater King took over, and sickness had to leave.
Jesus taught us to pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.”
—Matthew 6:9-10
One way this prayer is fulfilled is through supernatural healing. There is no sickness or disease in heaven. So when God’s kingdom comes to earth, sickness gets evicted. The dominion of God takes over, and people are healed.
Deliverance: The Kingdom Overthrows Darkness
“But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
—Luke 11:20
Many people unknowingly invite demonic oppression through occultism, sexual immorality, or unforgiveness. When Jesus, the King of kings, steps in, He takes dominion over darkness. Like a king reclaiming his territory, Jesus drives out demons because a greater Kingdom has come.
Wherever Jesus rules, freedom follows.
Redefining Apostle: A Mission to Change Culture
Understanding the kingdom also means understanding the term apostle.
Jesus borrowed this word from Roman culture. Roman apostles were sent to conquered territories to assimilate them into Roman culture. Their job was to make sure that when Caesar visited, he would feel at home.
During Jesus’ time, Israel was being ruled by Rome. The Jews knew exactly what a Roman apostle was—because they were being colonized by them in real time!
Then Jesus took the term “apostle” and named twelve of His disciples.
“And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:”
—Luke 6:13
Yet, Jesus redefined the term. In naming His disciples apostles, He essentially said, “We’re going to take dominion, we’re going to change culture”—but not in the same way the Romans are doing it. His apostles wouldn’t conquer by force. Instead, they would establish the kingdom through love and the supernatural power of God.
Napoleon Bonaparte later on in history recognized the difference:
“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself have founded empires. But upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”
The kingdom of God advances not through force, but through love.
Internal Transformation: Dominion Over Self
Many in Jesus' time expected the Messiah to establish a political kingdom, overthrowing Rome. But Jesus said:
“The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
—Luke 17:20-21
Yes, the kingdom changes the world. But it starts by changing us.
If the mandate of the kingdom is to take dominion, the first place to take dominion over is yourself.
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
—Proverbs 16:32
Our soul is made up of our mind, will, and emotions. As Derek Prince says, it’s the part of us that says “I think,” “I want,” and “I feel.” But not everything we think, want, or feel aligns with the King’s ways.
That’s why we need to take dominion over ourselves:
Just because I have a thought doesn’t mean I have to listen to it.
Just because I have a feeling doesn’t mean I have to follow it.
Just because I have a desire doesn’t mean I have to fulfill it.
If it doesn’t line up with the ways of the King, it needs to be dominated. By what? By the ways of the King. How do we know the ways of the King? The Scripture teaches us His heart. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. We take dominion over ourselves by refusing to follow thoughts, wants, and feelings that are contrary to Jesus’ ways. We embrace and enforce Jesus’ ways in our lives.
Remember: God’s kingdom doesn’t advance through brute force—even over ourselves. It advances through love. Any part of our heart not submitted to King Jesus is a place that hasn’t fully embraced His love.
The Challenge
A pastor once asked a rabbi why he didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah. His response?
Jews judge a rabbi by the behavior of his followers. (check out the post below)
He didn’t reject Jesus because of His teachings—but because of how His followers have acted throughout history.
Wow. What a challenge.
Why is it important to take dominion over yourself?
So you become more like the King.
What does the kingdom look like?
A people who reflect their King.
The Kingdom isn’t just about changing the world—it’s about first letting King Jesus change us.
If we want the world to see King Jesus, we must reflect Him.
So here’s the question: What is one area of our lives that isn’t fully submitted to the rule of the King?
Check out when I preached this message at REV Church at the link above.