Re-Framing Our Understanding of Jesus’ Message
Reading time 3 minutes.
Often, when people hear about the message of Jesus, what they hear is about how he brings salvation and forgiveness from sin, and offers eternal life in heaven. Certainly salvation, forgiveness of sin, and the hope of heaven are very important, but they are only part of the overall message of Jesus.
In Matthew 4:23-24, we find Jesus engaged in what would be the three major activities of his earthly ministry: teaching, preaching, and healing. The overall message, however, lies in the context. The scripture passage states that he was “preaching the good news of the kingdom.” Jesus was not only preaching the Kingdom, but he also was demonstrating its power through healing. The Kingdom of God was the overall message of Jesus.
What is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is the rule of God with Jesus as its king. Some refer to it as the kingdom now, and not yet. The “not yet” kingdom is the most familiar---the eternal kingdom, or heaven. The “now” kingdom seems to be harder to grasp. We do not live in the fullness of the Kingdom now because we are imperfect. That does not mean it is not here with us. Jesus brought the “now” kingdom to us. He preached that he brought it near to us, and brought with him for us the values, hope, love, wholeness, and power of his Kingdom. His Kingdom is real and it is present now.
How then are we to respond to such a powerful reality that Jesus invites us to live with him in his Kingdom now? First, we should grow in the ways of the Kingdom. That means accepting Jesus not only as our Savior, but also as our Lord. Do we regularly seek to align ourselves with life as intended by Jesus for his Kingdom, or instead simply follow the current of the world? Aligning with Jesus means seeking the power of his Kingdom to turn from behavior that puts your sin first instead of Christ.
The second response to the reality of the Kingdom is to expect its power to be manifest in our midst. Jesus dramatically demonstrated the power of the Kingdom. So, too, did his twelve apostles, the disciples throughout the Book of Acts, and much of the early history of the church. Healings and resurrections were common and expected. That same power is with us now to transform behaviors and lives, yet do we expect the power of the Kingdom through the Holy Spirit to manifest in our lives and church?
Jesus brought the Kingdom to us and it is still here and available to us through the Holy Spirit. The Jesus who healed is the Jesus who heals bodies, spirits, and lives. Reach out for him. Expect him. Look for him. You will find he is with you.
Watch Edwin's full sermon HERE.
©2023 Edwin Richiez
Often, when people hear about the message of Jesus, what they hear is about how he brings salvation and forgiveness from sin, and offers eternal life in heaven. Certainly salvation, forgiveness of sin, and the hope of heaven are very important, but they are only part of the overall message of Jesus.
In Matthew 4:23-24, we find Jesus engaged in what would be the three major activities of his earthly ministry: teaching, preaching, and healing. The overall message, however, lies in the context. The scripture passage states that he was “preaching the good news of the kingdom.” Jesus was not only preaching the Kingdom, but he also was demonstrating its power through healing. The Kingdom of God was the overall message of Jesus.
What is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is the rule of God with Jesus as its king. Some refer to it as the kingdom now, and not yet. The “not yet” kingdom is the most familiar---the eternal kingdom, or heaven. The “now” kingdom seems to be harder to grasp. We do not live in the fullness of the Kingdom now because we are imperfect. That does not mean it is not here with us. Jesus brought the “now” kingdom to us. He preached that he brought it near to us, and brought with him for us the values, hope, love, wholeness, and power of his Kingdom. His Kingdom is real and it is present now.
How then are we to respond to such a powerful reality that Jesus invites us to live with him in his Kingdom now? First, we should grow in the ways of the Kingdom. That means accepting Jesus not only as our Savior, but also as our Lord. Do we regularly seek to align ourselves with life as intended by Jesus for his Kingdom, or instead simply follow the current of the world? Aligning with Jesus means seeking the power of his Kingdom to turn from behavior that puts your sin first instead of Christ.
The second response to the reality of the Kingdom is to expect its power to be manifest in our midst. Jesus dramatically demonstrated the power of the Kingdom. So, too, did his twelve apostles, the disciples throughout the Book of Acts, and much of the early history of the church. Healings and resurrections were common and expected. That same power is with us now to transform behaviors and lives, yet do we expect the power of the Kingdom through the Holy Spirit to manifest in our lives and church?
Jesus brought the Kingdom to us and it is still here and available to us through the Holy Spirit. The Jesus who healed is the Jesus who heals bodies, spirits, and lives. Reach out for him. Expect him. Look for him. You will find he is with you.
Watch Edwin's full sermon HERE.
©2023 Edwin Richiez
Recent
Archive
2024
2023
August
September
No Comments