The Kingdom is at Hand
Read: Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:17
Key Verse: Matthew 4:17 – From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
John the Baptist, who was the forerunner of Jesus came preaching a message of repentance. The word repent does not mean to say I’m sorry – it means to completely change your mind and go in the opposite direction. Matthew 3:1,2 states “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. When Jesus Christ began his pubic ministry, in Matthew 4:17 his first words after being baptized were – From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
This is the message he constantly preached. Jesus brought back to earth the kingdom we lost in the Garden of Eden and gives us access to it again. Jesus started his public ministry after being baptized with the very same word people heard John the Baptist say: “Repent.” The message is the same today as when John and Jesus proclaimed it.
Repentance is doing an about face – 180 degree turn – from self-centered living to Christ-centered living. In order to live the kingdom life and become a follower of Jesus Christ, one must turn away from self-centeredness and self-control and turn our lives over to Christ’s direction and control.
A person who repents is ready to stop rebelling and begin following God’s way of living prescribed in His Word. The kingdom of heaven is at hand because Jesus brought it but in order to embrace and operate according to the kingdom way of living, we must repent – change our minds; change our perspective. It’s not about our will, but God’s will being done in the earth, through us.
Thought for the day:
The Kingdom of God is at hand. How can I recognize the kingdom in my midst today and reflect it in my life, so that others may see it also?