October – The New Kingdom and Its King
The Old Testament ends with God’s people longing for the true King who will finally accomplish what they have been unable to accomplish themselves. The four Gospels announce that this King has come! Jesus now enters the story as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the Word made flesh. He announces a new kingdom, calls people to follow Him, demonstrates the character and power of the King, and ultimately gives His life to establish His kingdom. His resurrection reveals that the King has conquered sin and death and that His kingdom will never end.
Every verse presents a compelling answer to the longing expressed throughout the Old Testament’s history, law, prophecy, and wisdom literature. Through the eyewitness accounts of the Gospels, we are given a picture of who the true King is — the Word made flesh, the Healer, the Servant, the sacrificial Redeemer, and finally the victorious King who conquers even death itself. This is God’s answer to the longing of His people and to their rebellion and unfaithfulness: Himself.
| September — The Longing | October — The Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| Longing for God’s Presence | The Word made flesh |
| Longing for God’s Kingdom | The King announces His Kingdom |
| Longing for God’s Finished Work | The Servant accomplishes our redemption |
| Longing for God’s Word | The Word made flesh speaks God’s truth |
| Longing for the True King | The victorious King conquers death |
Week 1 — The Birth of the King
Reading: Luke 1–8; Matthew 1–9; Mark 1–4
The long-awaited King has finally come. Matthew and Luke connect Jesus directly to the promises and expectations of the Old Testament, while Mark immediately presents Him exercising the authority of the King. His birth, baptism, teaching, miracles, and calling of disciples begin to reveal both His identity and the character of the kingdom He has come to establish.
Guiding questions
- How do Matthew and Luke connect Jesus’ birth and family line to the promises and expectations of the Old Testament?
- What is the significance of each announcement to the Person and work of this new King? Note the people, place, timing and mode of each announcement.
- What do Jesus’ early life, teaching and miracles reveal about His authority and identity?
- What seems to distinguish this new kingdom from the kingdoms and leaders we have seen throughout Israel’s history?
- Why do some people recognize Jesus as the King while others question, reject, or fear Him?
Week 2 — The Word of the King
Reading: Mark 5–10; John 1–4; Luke 9–10; Matthew 10–18
Jesus’ words reveal both the authority of the King and the nature of His kingdom. John identifies Him as the eternal Word who became flesh, while the other Gospels show Him teaching, calling disciples, confronting religious leaders, and announcing the values of His kingdom. His words do more than inform, they call people to repentance, faith, obedience, and a radically different way of life.
Guiding questions
- What does John 1 reveal about Jesus as the Word, and how does this connect Him to God’s revelation and activity throughout the Old Testament?
- What does Jesus teach about the character and priorities of His kingdom?
- How does Jesus’ authority over sickness, nature, demons, sin, and death demonstrate that He is more than merely a teacher or prophet?
- What does Jesus require of those who hear His Word and want to become His disciples?
Week 3 — The Touch of the King
Reading: Matthew 19–23; John 5–11; Luke 11–19
The King does not remain distant from the people He has come to save. Jesus touches the lives of individuals and communities through healing, forgiveness, compassion, confrontation, and invitation. His encounters reveal both the holiness of the King and the extraordinary character and power of His kingdom. Again and again, He calls people to see themselves, their sin, and God’s kingdom differently.
Guiding questions
- What do Jesus’ interactions with individuals reveal about His compassion, holiness, and intimate understanding of the human heart?
- Why does Jesus respond to people’s physical needs while always addressing a deeper spiritual need?
- How does Jesus challenge the religious leaders of His day, and what does this reveal about the difference between outward religion and transformed hearts?
- What do the parables and encounters in these chapters reveal about who belongs in God’s kingdom and how they enter it?
Week 4 — The Love of the King
Reading: Luke 20–23; Matthew 24–27; John 12–19; Mark 11–15
The King enters Jerusalem knowing that His kingdom will be established through suffering and sacrifice. Jesus confronts false worship, announces coming judgment, prepares His disciples, and willingly submits to arrest, rejection, torture, and death. The cross reveals the depth of the King’s love while also demonstrating God’s justice and the seriousness of human sin. What appears to be the defeat of the King becomes the means by which He accomplishes redemption.
Guiding questions
- What does Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and His confrontations in the temple reveal about the kind of king He is?
- How does Jesus prepare His disciples for His suffering and death, and why do they struggle to understand what He is telling them?
- How do the events surrounding the cross reveal the depth of both God’s justice and God’s love? How does this fulfill the law and prophetic messages of the Old Testament?
- Why is Jesus’ willing sacrifice necessary to accomplish the redemption promised throughout the Old Testament?
Finishing Up — The Victory of the King
Reading: Mark 16; Matthew 28; John 20–21; Luke 24
The King who appeared to be defeated has conquered death. The resurrection confirms Jesus’ identity, validates His words and promises, and demonstrates that sin and death do not have the final word. The disciples are transformed from frightened followers into witnesses who are sent to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom. The victory of the King opens a new chapter in God’s purposes for His people and for the world, igniting a massive movement that will reshape history.
Guiding questions
- What evidence do the Gospels give for the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, and why is this essential to the Gospel (and unique to the Christian faith)?
- How does the resurrection change the disciples’ understanding of Jesus and His kingdom?
- What does Jesus commission His followers to do, and what does this reveal about the continuing purposes of His Kingdom?
- How does the victory of the King answer the longing that has been building throughout the Old Testament?