Christian Pure

What Was Jesus’ Message? “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”

Christian Pure Team

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Summary

  • Jesus summed up his preaching in one line: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
  • He said preaching the kingdom was why he was sent: “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43).
  • At Nazareth he read Isaiah 61:1–2, said “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears,” and the town tried to throw him from a hill (Luke 4:16–30).
  • In his sayings the kingdom is already here (Luke 11:20) and still to come: “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10).
  • He named love of God and love of neighbour as the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:29–31).
  • He came, he said, “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and to give “his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
  • The apostles preached Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4) together with “the kingdom of God” (Acts 28:31).

Jesus’ message was that the kingdom of God had come near, and that people should turn back to God and believe the good news. He put it in one line: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). He said this preaching was why he had been sent. “At hand” means close enough to touch. Everything else Jesus taught unfolds from that announcement: what the kingdom is, who…

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Bibliography (Click to show)
  • The Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain), read at BibleGateway. Passages quoted: Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Isaiah 61:1–2; Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 5:3, 6:10, 6:12, 7:28–29, 11:3–5, 13:31–32, 18:1–3, 18:22; Mark 1:14–15, 4:34, 8:31–33, 10:43–45, 12:28–34; Luke 4:16–30, 4:43, 11:20, 15:1–10, 15:20–24, 19:2, 19:10; Acts 8:5, 8:12, 28:31; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4.
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 193–195 (The Creeds) and 541–546 and 550 (The Mysteries of Christ’s Life), vatican.va.
  • Francis Gigot, “Gospel and Gospels”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 6 (1909), New Advent.
  • Kaufmann Kohler, “Kingdom of God”, The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 7 (1901–1906 set), JewishEncyclopedia.com.
  • The Orthodox Church in America, “Blessed is the Kingdom”, The Orthodox Faith, Volume II: Worship, oca.org.
  • The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 25, “Of the Church”, section 2, as published by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
  • Dallas Theological Seminary, Doctrinal Statement, Articles V and XX, dts.edu.

Response

  1. Tom Williams Avatar
    Tom Williams

    very moving and inspiring message from our brother Jesus Christ, Son of God

    Reply

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