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Jesus told His disciples that the kingdom of Heaven was upon them,
that those who had seen Him had seen the Father as well, that He
had come to seek and to save the lost, and that whoever put his
faith in Him would not die but have everlasting life.
1) Jesus taught at length on the Kingdom
of God and how it was because of his coming that man could enter
into it.
Luke 16:16 – The law and the prophets
were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached,
and everyone is pressing into it.
Mark 1:14-15 – Now after John was
put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
The Kingdom of God, used interchangeably with the Kingdom of Heaven,
is portrayed as a kingdom that is both present and expected. The
Kingdom of God is present in that through Jesus man has been saved
from sin and God now makes His home within in him.
Luke 17:20-21 – Now when He was
asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered
them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
21 "nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See
there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
The Kingdom of God is expected in that the consummation of the Kingdom
of God is set for that time in the future when Jesus Christ will
return. As Jesus has said:
Luke 18:17 – "Assuredly, I
say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child will by no means enter it."
And as Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 15:20-27 – But now
Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of
those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by
Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one
in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are
Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers
the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and
all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all
enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed
is death. 27 For "He has put all things under His feet."
2) Jesus spoke also of many of the
aspects of His ministry
a) He spoke of division between those who followed Him and those
who did not
Matthew 10:35 – "For I have
come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against
her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’."
b) He said that He had come to look for, find and reclaim that which
had been alienated from God
Luke 19:10 – "For the Son of
Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
c) He came to bring God's message of salvation to mankind
Mark 1:38 – But He said to them,
"Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also,
because for this purpose I have come forth."
John 18:37 – Pilate therefore said
to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You
say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for
this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness
to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
John 12:46 – "I have come as
a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide
in darkness."
d) He attracted people of all walks of life and seemed to enjoy
being with them. One cannot think of thousands following Him into
the wilderness if He were not an enjoyable person to be with.
Matthew 14:13-14 – When Jesus heard
it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.
But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from
the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude;
and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Luke 7:34 – "The Son of Man
has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton
and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’"
Luke 18:15-16 – Then they also brought
infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples
saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said,
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them;
for of such is the kingdom of God."
e) Through Jesus the Father was revealed to mankind
John 5:43 – "I have come in
My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes
in his own name, him you will receive."
John 14:9-11 – Jesus said to him,
"Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me,
Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say,
‘Show us the Father’? 10 "Do you not believe that
I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak
to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells
in Me does the works. 11 "Believe Me that I am in the Father
and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works
themselves.
f) Jesus came to give us life, both in this world:
John 10:10 – "The thief does
not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
And in the next:
John 3:16-21 – "For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17
"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He
who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe
is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the condemnation,
that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone
practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who does the truth
comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they
have been done in God."
g) Jesus forgave sins, both those committed against His person (indicative
of His grace) and those committed against other men (indicative
of His divinity)
Matthew 9:1-8 – Jesus stepped into
a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought
to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith,
he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This
fellow is blaspheming!" 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said,
"Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which
is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say,
‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the
Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…."
Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go
home." 7 And the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd
saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had
given such authority to men.
Luke 23:34 – Jesus said, "Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And
they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
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