IF THE CROSS WAS ALWAYS GOD'S PLAN, HOW COULD THE KINGDOM HAVE BEEN POSTPONED?
Jesus came preaching:
“The time has come... The kingdom of God has come near.”
— Mark 1:15
But Jesus was rejected and crucified.
Some interpreters understand that rejection to mean Israel refused the offered kingdom, so the kingdom was postponeduntil a future time.
That raises an important question.
WAS JESUS' REJECTION AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN GOD'S PLAN?
Because the New Testament says something remarkable about the cross:
God planned it.
If the rejection and death of Jesus were already part of God's purpose, how could that same rejection have caused God's kingdom plan to be postponed?
Let's read the texts.
JESUS KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN
Jesus didn't travel toward Jerusalem expecting to be crowned by Israel and then discover that events had gone wrong.
He repeatedly told His disciples what was coming.
“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.”
— Mark 8:31
Notice the word:
MUST.
Jesus expected:
rejection
suffering
death
and
resurrection.
His rejection wasn't a last-minute surprise.
JESUS SAID IT AGAIN
As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus told the Twelve:
“The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death...”
— Mark 10:33
Then He told them what would follow:
“Three days later he will rise.”
— Mark 10:34
Jesus knew where He was going.
He knew He would be rejected.
He knew He would die.
And He knew He would rise again.
BUT WAS THIS ONLY JESUS' FOREKNOWLEDGE?
No.
After Pentecost, Peter explains what happened.
Speaking directly about Jesus' death, he says:
“This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge...”
— Acts 2:23
That is enormously important.
The cross wasn't merely something God knew would happen.
Peter calls it:
GOD'S DELIBERATE PLAN.
Human beings were responsible for what they did.
But their rejection of Jesus did not derail God's purpose.
God accomplished His purpose through the very event that looked like defeat.
THE PROPHETS HAD ALREADY POINTED TOWARD IT
After His resurrection, Jesus met two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus.
They couldn't understand what had happened.
They had hoped Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel.
Jesus responded:
“Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
— Luke 24:26
Then Luke says:
“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
— Luke 24:27
Again:
“HAVE TO SUFFER.”
The suffering Messiah wasn't God's emergency response to Israel's rejection.
Jesus says the Scriptures themselves pointed toward it.
ISAIAH HAD ALREADY DESCRIBED THE SUFFERING SERVANT
Centuries before Jesus, Isaiah wrote:
“He was despised and rejected by mankind...”
— Isaiah 53:3
And:
“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities...”
— Isaiah 53:5
The rejection wasn't missing from prophecy.
Neither was the suffering.
Neither was the death.
God's saving purpose was moving toward the cross long before Jesus entered Jerusalem.
SO HERE IS THE PROBLEM
Suppose we say:
Jesus offered Israel the kingdom.
Israel rejected Jesus.
Therefore God postponed the kingdom.
Now put Acts 2:23 beside that.
God had already planned for Jesus to be rejected and crucified.
So we need to ask:
WHEN WAS THE KINGDOM SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INSTEAD?
If Israel had accepted Jesus in a way that prevented His rejection and death—
what happens to the cross?
What happens to Isaiah 53?
What happens to Jesus' repeated predictions?
What happens to God's “deliberate plan”?
Something doesn't fit.
PERHAPS THE REJECTION DIDN'T POSTPONE THE PLAN
Perhaps it was part of the plan.
Peter continues his Pentecost sermon.
Jesus was crucified.
God raised Him from the dead.
Then Peter turns to God's promise to David.
David knew God had promised:
“that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.”
— Acts 2:30
Peter then connects that promise with Jesus.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CROSS?
Peter says:
“God has raised this Jesus to life...”
— Acts 2:32
Then:
“Exalted to the right hand of God...”
— Acts 2:33
And finally:
“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
— Acts 2:36
Look at the movement:
Rejected.
Crucified.
Raised.
Exalted.
Lord and Messiah.
Peter doesn't describe the cross as the event that postponed Christ's royal destiny.
The cross leads directly to His resurrection and exaltation.
THE REJECTED KING WAS ENTHRONED
This is one of the great surprises of the gospel.
Jesus didn't become King because His enemies failed to crucify Him.
He passed through the cross to resurrection and exaltation.
The apparent defeat became victory.
The rejected Messiah became the exalted Lord.
That sounds very much like something Jesus had already taught:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
— Matthew 21:42
Notice the sequence again:
REJECTED → CORNERSTONE.
The rejection didn't defeat God's purpose.
God worked through it.
WHAT ABOUT THE KINGDOM?
After His resurrection Jesus told His disciples:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
— Matthew 28:18
That is an extraordinary statement.
Not:
Someday I will receive all authority.
But:
“ALL AUTHORITY...HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME.”
Then Jesus sends His disciples to:
“make disciples of all nations.”
— Matthew 28:19
Again we see the pattern.
Cross.
Resurrection.
Authority.
Nations.
The kingdom story didn't stop at the cross.
It exploded outward.
PAUL SAYS CHRIST IS REIGNING
Paul writes:
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:25
Notice again:
HE MUST REIGN UNTIL.
The reign comes before the final enemy is destroyed.
And what is that final enemy?
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26
Christ reigns while enemies still exist.
His present reign doesn't mean everything has already reached its final condition.
There is still a future victory.
There is still resurrection.
There is still judgment.
There is still the new creation.
But Christ does not have to wait until then to become King.
ALREADY KING — NOT YET FINISHED
This helps us avoid another mistake.
Saying the kingdom wasn't postponed doesn't mean saying everything promised about God's kingdom has already happened.
The New Testament gives us both.
CHRIST REIGNS NOW.
And:
THE FINAL VICTORY IS STILL COMING.
That's why Christians can pray:
“Your kingdom come.”
while already belonging to Christ's kingdom.
The kingdom is present.
Its final completion is future.
SO WHAT WAS POSTPONED?
This is the question the postponement theory must answer from Scripture.
Jesus announced the kingdom.
Jesus predicted His rejection.
Scripture predicted His suffering.
God planned the cross.
Jesus rose.
Jesus was exalted.
Jesus received all authority.
Peter proclaimed Him Lord and Messiah.
Paul says He must reign until His enemies are defeated.
So where does the New Testament say:
“BECAUSE ISRAEL REJECTED JESUS, GOD POSTPONED THE KINGDOM”?
That statement needs to be found in the text—not merely on a prophetic chart.
THE CROSS WASN'T THE INTERRUPTION
The cross was necessary.
Without it there is no forgiveness.
No reconciliation.
No resurrection hope.
No gospel for the nations.
No redeemed people of God.
Jesus Himself said:
“The Son of Man must suffer...”
The cross wasn't what happened when God's kingdom plan failed.
THE CROSS WAS PART OF GOD'S KINGDOM PLAN.
READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
Put the pieces together.
Jesus said:
The kingdom has come near.
Jesus said:
He must be rejected and killed.
Peter said:
The cross happened according to God's deliberate plan.
Jesus rose from the dead.
Peter said:
He was exalted to God's right hand.
Jesus said:
All authority has been given to Me.
Paul said:
He must reign until every enemy is defeated.
So ask the question one more time:
IF GOD PLANNED THE CROSS...
HOW COULD THE CROSS HAVE CAUSED HIS KINGDOM PLAN TO BE POSTPONED?
Perhaps Israel's rejection didn't derail God's plan at all.
Perhaps through the rejected, crucified, risen and exalted Messiah—
GOD'S PLAN WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED.
Read First. Conclude Later.