Mike said the following:
Jesus surely believed that the kingdom of God would arrive very soon. He tells his followers that some of them will not "taste death" before the kingdom arrives (Matt 16:28). But then Jesus himself is put to death, and the distinctly Christian notion of "suffering messiah" (unthinkable to Jews) arises. Things are changing.
Not so quick, Mike...
This is an argument that atheists often use to charge that Jesus was obviously a failed prophet. One atheist, for instance, wrote, “Clearly, this did not happen, so either Jesus lied or he never made that promise.” as the following article explains.
There are actually two theories here that explain your doubts. In the first,
What does it mean for God’s kingdom to come? Have Jesus’ predictions of his coming failed? Immediately following Matthew 16:28 is the story of the Transfiguration (17:1-8), an incredible vision in which Peter, James, and John did, in fact, see Christ in his divine form and thus partook in a vision of God’s kingdom in this world.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/have-jesus-predictions-of-his-coming-failed
The transfiguration is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. This miracle is unique among others that appear in the canonical gospels, in that the miracle happens to Jesus himself. Thomas Aquinas considered the transfiguration "the greatest miracle" in that it complemented baptism and showed the perfection of life in Heaven. In Christian teachings, the transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place of the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfiguration_of_Jesus
In the second theory... the kingdom of God is the church of Christ. The church is the kingdom. In fact, Jesus had just finished making that point in Matthew 16:17-19 where Jesus clearly equates the church with the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus appears to use the phrase Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven virtually interchangeable in the gospels. So when was the prophecy fulfilled? The answer is that the Kingdom of God and of the Son Jesus Christ came on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus.
https://evidenceforchristianity.org/how-can-i-explain-matthew-1628-when-jesus-did-not-come-back-in-the-first-centuryr/
In my Catholic Study Bible, it tells us that the presence of the kingdom is mediated through the Church in history, its full manifestation, however, awaits the coming of Christ in glory.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us the same thing. Starting with paragraph 541, "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe in the gospel.'"246 "To carry out the will of the Father Christ inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth."247 Now the Father's will is "to raise up men to share in his own divine life".248 He does this by gathering men around his Son Jesus Christ. This gathering is the Church, "on earth the seed and beginning of that kingdom".249
The proclamation of the kingdom of God
543 Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations.251 To enter it, one must first accept Jesus' word:
The word of the Lord is compared to a seed which is sown in a field; those who hear it with faith and are numbered among the little flock of Christ have truly received the kingdom. Then, by its own power, the seed sprouts and grows until the harvest.252
the Transfiguration "is the sacrament of the second regeneration": our own Resurrection.300 From now on we share in the Lord's Resurrection through the Spirit who acts in the sacraments of the Body of Christ. The Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ's glorious coming, when he "will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body."301 But it also recalls that "it is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God":302
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a3p3.htm
This article tells us ...
The Mass, then, is the ever-living prayer present in the heart of Jesus Christ. It’s where the full power of Christ’s universal sacrifice and offering is made present on earth. What a privilege it is for us to attend this daunting and holy ceremony which connects heaven and earth, and to unite our hearts and our prayers to Jesus’ loving oblation to the Father. And then to partake of the fruit of this sacrifice – the supernatural food which feeds our souls. At Mass Jesus is the priest, the victim and our holy communion. “Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.”
https://catholicstrength.com/tag/heaven-and-earth-unite-in-the-celebration-of-the-mass-as-seen-in-hebrews/
In this short video, Bishop Robert Barron explains that the Mass is the closest thing to heaven on earth.
https://youtu.be/kkfRGJX5n7Y
The Veil Removed is a short film that reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass, as seen by saints and mystics, revealed by scripture and in the catechism of the Catholic Church.
https://youtu.be/OOLZDaTgIaM
Links to other posts in this series:
1. Answering an Atheist: Introduction
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