I often use the phrase “Kingdom Education” to describe what we do at ACSI—but what exactly is Kingdom Education? One of my mentors, Dr. Glen Schultz, wrote the book titled Kingdom Education. Dr. Schultz defines Kingdom education as “a life-long, Bible-based, Christ-centered process of leading a child to Christ, building a child up in Christ, and equipping a child to serve Christ!”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary states that a kingdom (small “k”) is “a politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen.” But the word Kingdom (big “K”) also means “the eternal kingship of God” and “the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled.”
During Bible times, the Jewish people were very familiar with what the prophets told them about a coming Messiah. It’s understandable that they thought he was going to be a king ruling over an earthly kingdom. They believed this Messiah was going to be a liberator—a hero who would conquer Rome and bring justice and peace.
Defying human wisdom, the Messiah arrived with no pomp and circumstance. But this baby, whose birth we celebrate this month, was a King! He had absolute power and all the riches of the world, yet He was born into poverty in a feeding trough surrounded by lowly shepherds. He grew up in obscurity, working as a carpenter. Neither His behavior nor appearance made the headline news, and He wasn’t famous. When He rode into Jerusalem, He chose to do so not in a chariot, but on a donkey!
This man was a far cry from the warrior king Israel had hoped their Savior would be. They wanted a strong, just leader who would head a “politically organized… territorial unit.” But Jesus was a humble servant whose singular message was all about loving and serving others—feeding His sheep. What’s more, Jesus most certainly did not vanquish the Romans. Jesus allowed Himself to be killed by the Romans.
Jesus, the hoped-for conqueror, didn’t conquer anything. Except death, of course. Because Jesus triumphantly rose again. And that was God’s perfect plan. We don’t know much about His life before He started His ministry, but we know all the details about His death, because that was the main event and what needed to happen to free us. Not free us from our earthly oppressors, but free us from the chains of sin so we could be purchased with the Lamb’s blood and brought back into His family where we belong.
A day will come when Jesus returns for His bride and ushers in a realm where peace rules and sin and sorrow exist no more. But until then, He asks us to represent Him. The King has commissioned us to be His ambassadors wherever He has placed us on this sin-scarred planet. I can’t imagine a better place to represent our King than in the classrooms all over the world—authentic Kingdom education.
Merry Christmas!
About the Author
Dr. Larry Taylor is the president of ACSI. He previously spent 20 years as the head of school at Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) in Plano, Texas, during which time Dr. Taylor co-launched a national training institute for schools, “Becoming a Kingdom School Institute,” and developed a training program for parents titled, “Becoming a Kingdom Family.” Dr. Taylor authored the book Running with the Horses, which helps parents raise children to be servant-leaders for Christ and helps to build a family plan. He can be reached via email at president@acsi.org.