"The kingdom of G-d does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of G-d is within you.’” (Luke 17:20-21)

“…for the kingdom of G-d is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

Jesus made it clear that the Kingdom of G-d was to be experienced within us first, long before it would become a reality on earth when…

“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire …Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father…” (Matthew 13:41-43)

To understand further about the Kingdom, Jesus told His disciples ^“… among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of G-d is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28)

The only thing to which Jesus could have been referring is that fact that the Kingdom of G-d is populated by people who are justified by Jesus’ substitutionary death and are filled with the Holy Spirit. These things happened AFTER the death of John. Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection…

“…John truly baptized with water [unto repentance], but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:5)

But even before His death on the cross, Jesus told His disciples what they could look forward to soon [after His death and resurrection]. Those that qualified for the “Kingdom of G-d” would have power, the power of the Holy Spirit.

“And He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of G-d present with power.’” (Mark 9:1)

In a similar way, Jesus told Nicodemus:

“…Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of G-d.” (John 3:5)

Jesus said that being baptized with the Holy Spirit is being “born again”. Nicodemus must have been familiar with the immersion ritual since Jews went through immersion many times during their lives. And, he must have understood the concept of being immersed in the Spirit of G-d since the Jewish immersion ritual echoed the concept that the spiritual counterpart to water immersion was immersion in the Spirit of G-d. Yet, he did not connect being ‘born again’ with the immersion ritual of John’s baptism or the Kingdom of G-d.

Preaching the Kingdom of G-d was the reason the Father sent Jesus.

“…He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of G-d … because for this purpose I have been sent.’” (Luke 4:43)

“…He [Jesus] went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of G-d.” (Luke 8:1)

So, just what was it that Jesus was preaching?

The Kingdom of G-d was explained by the L-rd in what is known as ‘the parable of the Sower’. He explained the parable only to His disciples, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of G-d, but to the rest it is given in parables…” (Luke 8:10)

The answer, Jesus said, lies in the soil (the heart of the person) into which the seed (the Word of G-d) is planted. In the first two ‘soils’, the Word is snatched away or has no root through which to flourish. But, in the last two ‘soils’, the L-rd indicates that fruit begins to appear. In the first case, the Word is received but is eventually choked out by the cares of the world and the fruit never comes to maturity. However, in the last ‘soil’, the Word is received and is kept, bearing fruit with patience.

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23)

It is the Word being received that causes a person to bear the fruits of the Spirit. We can only bear the fruit of the Spirit when we have the Spirit of G-d living in us, when we are fully submitted to obey G-d’s Word. But we first have to hear G-d’s Word in order to have the faith to obey.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of G-d” (Romans 10:17).

We must read and study G-d’s Word in order to build our faith to obey. When we are fully submitted to the L-rd, He takes our lives and makes them fruitful to Him…

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2)

The L-rd admonishes us to seek the Kingdom of G-d first in our lives [the infilling of the Holy Spirit] and His righteousness [the fruit of the Spirit], and then everything else will be given to us (Matthew 6:33).

“Then He said, ‘What is the kingdom of G-d like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’ And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the kingdom of G-d? ‘It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’” (Luke 13:18-21)

When we seek G-d and His righteousness, the Spirit of G-d and His power will grow and flourish in us so that we may be His servants here and now AND in the Kingdom of G-d when He returns. Is the Kingdom of G-d within you?

Barukh HaShem (Blessed is the Name of the L-rd)