Discussion Questions
The speaker says Jesus’ announcement “the Kingdom of God is at hand” means “Yahweh has come back to save you,” not “Hi, I’m the king…new laws”; what picture of God’s character and intentions is gained or lost depending on which meaning we assume? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If “the Kingdom of God is at hand” means “God has come back to save you” instead of “a new king is here with new rules,” what does each view make God seem like, and what do we miss in each one?
The teacher argues the kingdom theme begins in Genesis 1 with humans as God’s “vice regents” meant to mediate his rule; how does that reshape the way you think about dominion, authority, and what humans are for—and what might early Christians have assumed this meant for daily life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Genesis 1 shows humans as God’s representatives meant to share his rule, how does that change what you think humans are for and how we should use authority—and what might early Christians have done differently day to day because of it?
Israel is called a “kingdom of priests,” meant to do for the world what humanity failed to do after Eden; what would it actually look like (concretely) for a community to “mediate God’s presence” rather than merely hold correct beliefs? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Israel was meant to be a “kingdom of priests,” what would it look like in real life for a community to help others experience God’s presence, not just hold the right beliefs?
The speaker quotes the idea that after 2 Samuel 7 “the kingdom of God is the kingdom of David,” inseparable from the Davidic throne; how does that challenge modern “spiritualized” definitions of the kingdom that detach it from Israel’s story, throne, temple, and exile? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If God’s kingdom becomes tied to David’s throne after 2 Samuel 7, how does that push back against modern ideas of the kingdom as only “spiritual” and not connected to Israel’s story, the throne, the temple, and exile?
He suggests Solomon’s reign is written to make you think, “This guy just might be the Messiah,” before the narrative collapses into idolatry, fracture, and exile; what does that deliberate rise-and-plummet reveal about human leadership, “golden age” optimism, and God’s patience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Solomon’s story is written to make you hope he might be the Messiah and then it crashes into idolatry and exile, what does that say about trusting human leaders, “golden age” dreams, and how patient God is?
The exile is compared to Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden, and Ezekiel’s vision of God leaving the temple is treated as “God’s presence withdrawn”; what does this imply about sin as more than rule-breaking—and how should that affect how we talk about salvation? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If exile is like being kicked out of Eden and Ezekiel shows God leaving the temple, what does that say about sin being more than breaking rules, and how should it change the way we talk about salvation?
In Ezekiel 34 God says, “I will be the shepherd,” and then, “I will send my servant David,” raising the question “Who is returning—God or David?”; how does this prophetic tension prepare for the incarnation, and how would it confront a modern view that mainly treats Jesus as a moral teacher? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In Ezekiel 34 God says he will be the shepherd, but also says he will send “David”—so who is coming back, God or David? How does that set up the idea of Jesus coming in the flesh, and challenge the view of Jesus as mainly a moral teacher?
The speaker insists “gospel/good news” comes straight out of Isaiah (e.g., “Behold, your God!” and “Your God reigns” meaning Yahweh returning to Zion); how would your evangelism change if the “good news” you announced centered on God returning to restore, rule, forgive, and renew rather than primarily on individual afterlife assurance? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If the “good news” in Isaiah is that God is returning to restore, rule, forgive, and renew, how would that change the way you share the gospel compared to focusing mostly on going to heaven after you die?
He says Jesus’ healings in Matthew are “kingdom material” (eyes opened, ears unstopped) and that people respond, “Could this be the son of David?”; what present-day church practices reveal whether we expect the kingdom to be visible as restoration (including embodied mercy) rather than only as teaching or worship events? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Jesus’ healings show the kingdom showing up in real, physical restoration, what church practices today show whether we expect the kingdom to be seen through mercy and healing, not only through teaching and worship services?
The teacher connects the Sermon on the Mount to Jeremiah’s new covenant—Torah written on the heart—so Jesus’ commands aren’t merely “new laws” but the life of a softened-heart people (including hard sayings like “divorce is out”); where do modern Christians (including Anabaptists) still rely on “provisions for hard hearts,” and what habits of repentance and obedience-from-the-heart would need to change if this teaching is true? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is about God changing hearts (like Jeremiah’s new covenant), where do Christians today still make “exceptions for hard hearts,” and what would need to change in our repentance and obedience if Jesus is right?