Kingdom of Heaven

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.


Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.


Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.


Jesus preached first and foremost- REPENT.


The first sermon (if you will) that Jesus gave was on repenting.
Here we have God's people steeped deep in ceremonial traditions - those God given and those God given but warped by man's traditions and interpretations. They were following the commands of their God as they'd been taught. The sacrifices were being made as expected. The feasts were being kept as ordered. Their lives were rich with their religion. Oppressed by Roman rulership, they were still free to worship and did worship in a temple built for that express purpose. Worship in every sacrifice, worship in every sermon, worship in all that they did- or rather it was supposed to be that way. The Jewish way of life was dominated by their religion- in fact it was supposed to be the focal point of their lives- God first. As time passed -to many- the Jewish way of life had its *holidays- holy days*, it's weekly Sabbath, and they became the focal point and outside of them life went on without much thought of God. This way of life was like most religions today- worship on Sunday (Sabbath 7th day) and holidays. Most thought was NOT on God but on self.


With their way of life set in a pattern, God's chosen people hoped for a FANTASY messiah to free them from Roman rule and give them a life of nothing but happiness. They WANTED a messiah and they knew that the coming of a messiah would mean an altering of their entire way of life, but they didn't want a personal messiah, they wanted one for their religion as a whole. To have some common man, a carpenter's son no less, telling them to repent was ridiculous- especially to those in leadership roles- the priesthood. Repenting meant admitting to some wrong and genuinely being wrong for that wrong not wanting to commit that wrong again. Repenting meant admitting to being an UNFORGIVEN sinner. Repenting meant understanding that the ceremonial system wasn't sufficient in and of itself. How easy would it have been to hear Jesus call for repentance and dismiss it with the belief that you had no need to repent- it wasn't the day of Atonement, it wasn't time to bring an sacrificial offering, you were cleansed as you were every year on the day of Atonement and the priests saw to it that the proper sacrifices were being made so you were forgiven already- see - no need for repentance you had things in hand the way they'd been given to you for many generations. You had all the repentance you needed and some crackpot wasn't going to tell you that it wasn't enough.


It wasn't like that for every one of the chosen people. When John the Baptist preached many were baptized- they had this hope in them that their envisioned messiah was soon to come and here was this strange man heralding that event. However even when John the Baptist preached many were NOT baptized as well. They were caught between the desire for the messiah and the desire not to be deceived - and forsaking their way of life.


Now Jesus begins His ministry and He too is calling for repentance. He wants people to realize their sinful state, their need of a Savior. They'd already been taught the need for a sacrifice to obtain forgiveness, now they needed to understand that the sacrifice pointed to a PERSONAL Savior. It had ALWAYS pointed to a Savior.


Jesus said this--

'Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'


The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Did they understand what that meant? They did.

Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.


2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.


An oath was sworn- the throne of His KINGDOM would be forever. They knew about the kingdom. David would NOT ascend to heaven, David would sleep with the fathers, another would not sleep with the fathers but His kingdom would be established for ever- His throne would be forever.


They knew about the kingdom BUT so many of them believed the kingdom would be established on earth, the kingdom of heaven would come down and remain rather than the kingdom of heaven being the Messiah ascending to Heaven and there being an advocate for His people.


Jesus came and preached firstly repentance because the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Repent- understand your need for forgiveness, your need for a Savior, a Savior that would be the key to the kingdom of heaven.


Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.


The kingdom of God is at hand- see NOT just the kingdom of heaven but the kingdom of God- heaven is the kingdom of God and Jesus is the way. That the kingdom was at hand revealed that the way to life eternal was at hand. People had to repent and they had to believe the word being spoken unto them.


Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.


He taught-- He was a teacher-- He was there to teach and He was understood to be One who spoke with authority and that authority had Him glorified of all. Even being rejected eventually didn't stop Him from being embraced at the beginning. How many followed and listened eagerly only to turn away? At one point 5000 people who were fed fish and bread by a miracle turned away from Christ the next day. It seems unbelievable but it's true. Glorified of all, this isn't a lie, it's the truth for the time.


Our Savior began His ministry and He gave the call and His ministry was strong, His message came in the fullness of time, a message that WE today must heed.


We must repent, we must understand the kingdom of God is at hand for us all. We live not under the old covenant but the new, we live under the Messiah's arrival, the Messiah's death, the Messiah's resurrection, the Messiah risen.


By His grace we shall live in Him now and always!


Amen.