GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM (PART ONE)

QUESTION: "WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?"

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING FACTS FROM SCRIPTURES:


· The first message that Jesus began to preach was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” [Matthew 4:17].
· Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching and preaching “the good news of the kingdom” [Matthew 4:23].
· The first petition that Jesus taught his disciples to pray was to pray that God’s kingdom come, his will be done on earth as it is in heaven [Matthew 6:33].
· Jesus sent his disciples out and gave them the following instruction, “As you go, preach the the message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’” [Matthew 10:7].
· Jesus taught, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it” [Matthew 11:12].
· Jesus taught, “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” [Matthew 12:28].
· When asked why he spoke in parables, Jesus replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them” [Matthew 13:11 (13:10-17)].


· Jesus told numerous parables to explain further what the kingdom of heaven is like.
o Parable of the Sower [Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23]
o Parable of the Weeds [Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43]
o Parable of the Mustard Seed [Matthew 13:31-32]
o Parable of the Yeast [Matthew 13:33]
o Parable of the Hidden Treasure [Matthew 13:44]
o Parable of the Pearl of Great Price [Matthew 13:45]
o Parable of the Net [Matthew 47:47-50]
o Parable of the Owner of a House [Matthew 13:52]
o Parable of the Unmerciful Servant [Matthew 18:23-35].
o Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16]
o Parable of the Two Sons [Matthew 21:28-32]
o Parable of the Tenants [Matthew 21:33-44]
o Parable of the Weeding Banquet [Matthew 22:1-14]
o Parable of the Ten Virgins [Matthew 25:1-13]
o Parable of the Talents [Matthew 25:14-30]


· Upon Peter declaring that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus said to him, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” [Matthew 16:19].
· Jesus, when asked by his disciples who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, taught “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become life little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 18:1-4].
· Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children [Matthew 19:14].
· Jesus taught it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven [Matthew 19:23-24].
· Jesus warns teachers of the law, who do not practice what they preach, who do things in order to be seen, who “shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces,” will not enter the kingdom of heaven, nor will they let others enter [Matthew 23:1-39].
· Jesus spoke about a judgment that will take place on his return, a separation of sheep and goats. The sheep receiving their inheritance—the kingdom prepared for them since the creation of the world [Matthew 25:31-46].
· The book of Acts begins with Jesus spending his last forty days on earth speaking “about the kingdom of God” to his disciples [Acts 1:3].  The last question the disciples asked Jesus was, "Lord, is it at tthis time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" [Acts 1:8].
· The book of Acts ends with the Apostle Paul, under house arrest for two years, “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” [Acts 28:30-31].

SUMMARY: The weight alone of the body of evidence from Scriptures clearly speaks to the fact that the gospel (good news) that Jesus taught and preached about, as well as the Apostle Paul, was all about a kingdom of God coming on earth; about what this kingdom was like; about who can enter this kingdom; about the rewards of God’s kingdom; and about what happens to those who do not enter God’s kingdom.

QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Why do the religious systems teach that the primary message of the gospel is about Jesus dying on the cross to forgive people of their sins, so they can go to heaven when they die? It is hard to believe, but nowhere and no time do we find Jesus teaching his disciples or anyone else that he came into the world to die for their sins so that they can enter the kingdom of God. However, we do find Jesus constantly teaching others about a kingdom of God coming to earth and seeking to disciple chosen individuals so that they can be prepared and qualified to rule and reign with the Messiah in God’s eternal kingdom. The message of the kingdom is THE GOSPEL!